Dickinson Announces President’s Panel on Innovation | Dickinson College

Panel of Innovation Experts to Guide Revolutionary Challenge Process

Dickinson has unveiled the new President’s Panel on Innovation (PPI), a body of 14 innovative entrepreneurs, business leaders and educators who will work with the college to guide the completion of the Revolutionary Challenge. Including CEOs of such companies as L.L.Bean and GeneOne, leaders of such nonprofits as the Ad Council and Dickinson professors, the PPI will evaluate challenge submissions, mentor selected teams and work with the Board of Trustees to identify the winning ideas.

“Dickinson is truly lucky to have among its impressive alumni and faculty innovative thought leaders in business, education, science, international relations and much more,” said President Margee Ensign, who selected the panel members this summer. “So who better to help us determine the best Revolutionary Challenge ideas with which to move forward? And who better to work with the people generating those ideas to help turn them into reality.”

Launched in April, the Revolutionary Challenge invites alumni, parents, faculty, staff and students to offer their revolutionary ideas for the future of Dickinson’s useful liberal-arts education and for the betterment of the world. Following the Oct. 4 submission deadline, the entire Dickinson community is invited to read, review, rate and comment on the submitted ideas online.

The PPI will then use those comments and ratings to help identify the semifinalists. Those semifinalists will present their ideas to the PPI in October. Following those presentations, the PPI will select finalists, who will then present their ideas to the Board of Trustees and the PPI in May 2020. The PPI and the board will then consult to choose the winning challenge idea or ideas.

“What’s remarkable about the Revolutionary Challenge is that it truly is a community effort,” said Ensign. “We want to hear your innovative ideas, and we really need every Dickinsonian to join in and make their voice heard. Whether it’s submitting an idea before Oct. 4 or providing your comments afterward, we need you to make this challenge yours and join with us as we imagine the future.”

PPI Members

Chair: Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77, CFA 
Mark Burgess ’81, CEO, Diversey
Michael Fratantuono, Ph.D., Associate Professor of International Studies, Business & Management, Dickinson
Justin Gold ’00, Founder, Justin’s
Julie Johnson ’82, Program Director, Division on Research & Learning, National Science Foundation
Amy Nauiokas ’94, Founder and Chair, Archer Gray; Founder, President and CEO, Anthemis Group
Young Park ’87, President and CEO, GeneOne Life Science
Jennifer Schaefer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dickinson
R.F. “Rick” Shangraw ’81, Ph.D., CEO, ASU Enterprise Partners
Christopher Sharples ’87, AIA, Principal, Shop Architects
Lisa Sherman ’79, President and CEO, Ad Council
Stephen Smith ’92, President and CEO, L.L.Bean
Andrei Torriani ’89, CEO/Advisor and Independent, Non-Executive Board Member
Jodie Vann, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Religion, Dickinson