Innovation Academy, the academic arm of Innovate ABQ, is scheduled to launch in the fall. The Innovation Academy will essentially consist of a program of ongoing classes across many different majors, with a focus on entrepreneurism, President Bob Frank said.
Senior Vice Provost Carol Parker said DelCampo emerged as the top candidate following a rigorous search process.
“His interest and dedication to the Innovation Academy initiative as well as his demonstrated experience in the interdisciplinary and entrepreneurship realm, makes him the right choice for this position,” she said.
DelCampo said he is honored to collaborate with his colleagues all across the campus to develop a cutting-edge set of courses to further develop the entrepreneurial flair of our students.
“I am incredibly excited to take on this new challenge,” DelCampo said. “It is rare in academia that we start with a blank slate and I can’t wait to paint this canvas.”
DelCampo’s duties will include the development of the Innovation Academy curriculum, coordination of experiential learning activities within Innovate ABQ, and recruitment of students to the interdisciplinary program across undergraduate and graduate programs, UNM officials said.
“He’s a very successful faculty member, he has been one of our associate deans, and he is an ideal choice for it,” Frank said.
DelCampo holds the Rutledge Endowed Professorship at the Anderson School of Management and was promoted to the rank of professor in 2014, according to UNM’s website. He joins the Office of Academic Affairs after a successful term as associate dean of the Anderson School of Management, according to the statement.
“He has extensive experience in curriculum development having overhauled the MBA program and developed several professional development programs over his 11-year tenure at UNM,” the statement said.
Frank called DelCampo a successful entrepreneur and has started some businesses himself.
“He is very dynamic, young — we think he’s a perfect choice for the Innovation Academy. He will really fit well with what we’re trying to do there; he brings a lot of energy to the roll,” he said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“He knows everybody in New Mexico and has a lot of connections in the business community. He is very well respected,” Frank said.
Students would take some classes on campus, some classes at the Innovate ABQ campus, and would be set on a track toward small business internships.
Students might graduate with a sort of entrepreneurism minor, and by the time they graduate they would have developed their own small business plan and would be connected to resources to help make their vision a reality, Frank said.
“We want to create opportunities to create knowledge and keep that knowledge here and apply it to business opportunities,” Frank said. “If they stay here and grow in New Mexico, it’s great for our economy. We want to create an environment that keeps these businesses and their intellectual property here in New Mexico and grow our economy.”
Sayyed Shah is the assistant news editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at assistant-news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @mianfawadshah.
