b'EXPERIENTIAL LEARNINGTHEFUTURE OF WORK IS HEREIn the past year, remote teams and virtual meetings have taken center stage as businesses discover better ways to work. But before COVID spread globally, the expectations of and requirements for the workforce already had begun to shift. The digital transformation has arrived, and although some jobs will be lost and many others will be created, almost all jobs will change. And Trulaske College of Business has a vision for how to prepare students for jobs that dont even exist yet. When Ajay Vinz started his tenure at the Trulaskefor this new technology. The health care team, forThe Black community at College of Business in January 2017, he immedi- example, proposed using mobile platforms, videoMizzou, both undergrads and ately opened conversations with university leaders,and artificial intelligence technology that would industry partners and alumni about trends that areprovide both patients and care providers withalumni, is so strong. We really reshaping higher education: Determinants of futurerapid, real-time feedback as well as improve existingshow up for each other.success will be interdisciplinary collaboration, tech- remote-care technologies.nology and a focus on lifelong learning. AlthoughDerrick Christianthe world of business expects a holistic approachIt exposed them to new ideas, new ways of thinking, to decision-making and problem-solving, highernew ways to problem-solve outside their discipline, education is delivered in a highly structured, siloedFlink says.Ajay Vinz fashion. In summer 2021, AT&T installed a 5G+-millime-So, Vinz put out a call: He just reached out acrosster-wave transmission tower in Cornell Hall, which the silos and said, Hey, anybody who wants to workhelped spawn an innovation lab. Although housed togetherlets do this thing, recalls Jim Flink, asso- in the business school, the lab is a university asset ciate professor of strategic communication in thethat features augmented reality, virtual reality and School of Journalism. That may not sound novel,mixed reality technology, allowing students andDerrick Christian, BJ 10but it is. What its done is its made a really richfaculty to experiment with simulations, big data But the goaltranslation, visual tracking, holographs and a variety is not thelearning environment. of other potential 5G applications. In fall 2021, six#BuyBlackMizzou:lab. The goalTo continue shaping a new educational landscape,interdisciplinary courses centered around the labsCENTER PARTNERS WITH ALUMNUSVinz initiated the MU Institute for Experientialtechnology were launched, with students and their is using it toEducation, Innovation and Entrepreneurship inprofessors exploring several potential projects. change thespring 2018. Faculty from engineering, journalism,These included creating kiosks around campusTO SHOWCASE BLACK ENTREPRENEURShealth care, education, arts and science, and busi- that use immersive technologies to reduce anxiety trajectoryness started creating interdisciplinary courses. Inand improve mental health, exploring innovative of higherthe real world, you have engineers working withtelemedicine applications for remote surgeries,BY KELSEY ALLEN business folks working with the design team, withand using augmented reality to create immersive education. the communication and marketing teamsojournalism. After alumnus Derrick Christian created a list ofbusinesses owned by Black Mizzou alumni. I know they all come together, says Bimal Balakrishnan,businesses founded by Black Mizzou alumni, thehow much time, effort and energy that I put into my Ajay Vinz associate professor and chair of the architecturalSuddenly our students are seeing that boundariesTrulaske Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovationbusiness, Christian says. The Black community at studies department. The vision is to develop thisdont exist, Balakrishnan says. collaborated with him to create a three-part virtualMizzou, both undergrads and alumni, is so strong. new knowledge worker who has a unique set ofAnd Trulaske is pushing the boundaries on what aseries to further showcase Mizzou Black alumniWe really show up for each other.skills and abilities. college curriculum looks like. Instead of just three- entrepreneurs and the businesses theyve created. He looked around the internet to see if someone else To scale up and promote a campuswide change,credit-hour courses, he envisions commercializa- As a senior marketing manager at the United Centerhad already created a list of businesses founded by the university needed a big project and an outsidetion bootcamps, design and product developmentin Chicago, Derrick Christian, BJ 10, spends a lot ofBlack Mizzou alumni and came up empty-handed. partner. As luck would have it, AT&T was looking toworkshops, student pitch competitions, incubatorstime on social media. In summer 2020, he startedThose times when you want something to exist and collaborate with universities to define the future offor student-led businesses and cross-disciplinarynoticing lists of Black-owned businesses and restau- it doesnt existthat is your tap on the shoulder 5G-enabled devices and applications. The fifth-gen- teams tackling real-world problems. Weve beenrants circulating on his news feeds: People aroundto do it.eration mobile network, or 5G, is faster, more reliablestuck in the same mode forever, Vinz says. Therethe country were looking for ways to support racialUplifting Black Mizzou Entrepreneurs and Alumni and provides more network capacity than previouscould be aspects of the experience that are twojustice. In addition to protesting the killing of Georgein partnership with the Mizzou Black Alumni generations. In spring 2020, 19 MU students partici- credits and others that are five. Some are executedFloyd at rallies and vigils, many were shoppingNetwork, Christian launched a list of over 115 Black pated in Connectivity and 5G, an immersive coursein three weeks; others take 15 weeks. That is howBlack-owned businesses. Mizzou alumni-owned businesses. Found online at with instructors from business, engineering, jour- higher education should be delivered. What makesAs the founder of MR. SUITABLE, a motivationalbuyblackmizzou.com, the list reached over 10,000 nalism and architectural studies using in-depththis happen is technology. So, yes, the innovationaccessories line of ties, tie bars, pocket squares,people in the first week it was published. research and access to AT&T resources and repre- lab is what we are developing. But the goal is notcufflinksandsocks,andNOIR:ASUITABLE sentatives. Divided into four teamshealth care,the lab. The goal is using it to change the trajectoryAFFAIR, a Homecoming celebration for the BlackTo submit a Black-owned business to the list sports, campus safety and higher educationtheof higher education. Mizzou alumni community known more simply asand discover new businesses to shop with, visit Published on Show Me Mizzou August 19, 2021 #NOIRMIZZOU, Christian wanted to help supportbuyblackmizzou.com.students developed viable industrial applications 10 MANAGEMENT MATTERSMANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT 2022 ANNUAL REPORT 11'