Creativity, Innovation and Transformation

Dr. Kathryn W. Jablokow

Professor

Engineering Design and Mechanical Engineering

<div> Dr. Kathryn Jablokow, Professor of Engineering Design and Mechanical Engineering is a leading scholar in creativity and problem solving, with a special focus on engineering creativity. She was recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers&nbsp;(ASME)&nbsp;in 2008 for her work in this arena. She holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from&nbsp;The&nbsp;Ohio State University. </div> <div> <br> </div> <div> Dr. Jablokow has won numerous awards inside and outside Penn State for her teaching, including the Keck Foundation’s national Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award. She developed and teaches (online and in the classroom) four courses that span the progression from the creative individual to problem solving teams and their leadership, as well as invention and creative design. Dr. Jablokow is passionate about helping students recognize and leverage their own unique brands of creativity that stem from who they are, what they know, and what motivates them to act. </div>

Dr. Darrell Velegol

Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering

Department of Chemical Engineering

<span>Dr. Darrell Velegol, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at Penn State, is an award-winning teacher and researcher. Dr. Velegol earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1997 from Carnegie Mellon.&nbsp; As a researcher, he has worked with his students to published more than 70 papers in the field of colloid science, especially with regard to interparticle forces, colloidal assembly, electrokinetic phenomena, and colloidal motors.<br><br>As an educator, Professor Velegol believes that when young scholars are pursuing fields they are passionate about, they have the capacity for greatness.&nbsp; He has written about a transformative system of education in his book, "Wild Scholars" (2011).&nbsp; In addition, he has been educating about and developing a field called “Physics of Community”, in which he uses the principles of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Ecology to explain and model human decision making.<br><br>For almost 14 years, Dr. Velegol has shared his <a href="http://www.velegol.org/CENTER.htm">CENTER practices</a>&nbsp;with 1000s of students. In each young person he works with, he sees the capacity for greatness.</span> <br>

Dr. Jack V. Matson

Professor Emeritus

Department of Enviromental Engineering

Dr. Jack V. Matson, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Engineering at Penn State, is a prize winning innovator who developed courses in innovative design and entrepreneurship based on “Intelligent Fast Failure”. He brings an original and off-beat approach to teaching. His philosophy is to stimulate creativity by encouraging students to risk failure and that failure is essential to innovation. He centers his techniques on teaching people to unlearn years of practicing risk aversion by stressing the connection between creativity, innovation, and risk. His academic area of interest is in environmental engineering, and he is an expert in waste management, industrial water, wastewater treatment, and hazardous waste. <br> <br>He holds BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from Rice University.&nbsp; As an entrepreneur, he has started up and is involved in three companies: <a href="http://www.matson-associates.com">Matson and Associates Inc</a>., <strong>&nbsp;</strong> <a href="http://www.envinity.com">Envinity Inc.</a>, and <a href="http://www.bhutopiatravel.com">Bhutopia LLC</a>.&nbsp; Also, he has written a number of books on innovation including&nbsp; <u>Innovate or Die!</u>,&nbsp; <u>Art of Innovation using Intelligent Fast Failure</u>, and&nbsp; <u>Breakthrough Innovation</u>.&nbsp;

Dr. Armend Tahirsylaj

Associate professor

Dr. Armend Tahirsylaj is an associate professor of education. He got his PhD degree in Educational Theory and Policy from The Pennsylvania State University in 2015. His research interests include educational theory and policy, international comparative education, K-12 national education policies, and the role of Bildung for human development through education. Armend has a diverse educational and work experience from Kosovo, Canada, Austria, the United States, Sweden, and Norway. He looks forward to learn with creative and curious people from around the world who will be part of the CIT global community.