UMBC AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE ACADEMIC ORIGINS OF BUSINESS KNOW-HOW

Majoring in American Studies may seem an odd way to prepare for a job as CEO of a science-oriented company, but for Charlene Dale Riikonen, the preparation was nearly ideal.

As a woman working in the Muslim country of Bangladesh, Riikonen says her UMBC background in ethnographic research and comparative cultures came in handy. "The American Studies courses helped me to get skills in trying to look at other people's lives, tasks, ways of doing and even thinking -- from their perspective, rather than mine." Moreover, through her co-op experience at UMBC, Riikonen had an opportunity to run a micro-business in event management. Overall, she says, the combination of hands-on business training and humanities research gave her the tools she needed to launch her own company, and navigate a raft of administrative challenges.

Carol Schulbe Erdman, who also chose American Studies as an undergraduate major, particularly valued learning how to synthesize information: "Not just how to pick ideas apart, but how to put ideas together, and extrapolate from many different viewpoints." That's the very approach she brings to her consulting practice. Nearly 10 years after receiving her bachelor's degree, Erdman returned for a master's. This time, she sought specific technical skills, combined with the encouragement and confidence that comes with graduate study. "At every turn, UMBC has been right there with the skills and support."

Brian O'Brien already had several years of experience in training and instructional design when he enrolled for his master's degree. Still, a course in computer-based training (CBT), which O'Brien initially resisted taking, turned out to be instrumental in developing one of his company's most successful products -- a distributed learning and communications system. The CBT course introduced him to a development program called Toolbook, which became the primary building block for his new product. And his contacts in the program introduced him to other trainers and professionals who have become both colleagues and friends. "Trainers are an exciting group of people, and the network we built has been both enlightening and inspiring."

For Sean Carton, who double-majored in English and Psychology, it was the caliber of instruction at UMBC that he values most. "The most important thing was having top-notch professors the whole time." Though Carton's current career is only tangentially related to either his undergraduate or graduate work in literature, he is grateful for the academic challenges that UMBC posed. Carton says his Ivy League peers in graduate school encountered coursework in critical theory that he had already taken as an undergrad. "I had gotten a lot more of the higher-level stuff as an undergrad than they had ever been exposed to." As a hard-charging entrepreneur who thrives on creative challenges, UMBC's core curriculum kept Carton engaged and on his toes.

UMBC's Division of Continuing Education offers courses and workshops of interest to entrepreneurs throughout the year. For a complete list of programs, call (410)455-2336 or check UMBC's website: ../../..//.

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