Aileen teaches engineers to think like entrepreneurs.

Think critically. Chase opportunities. Advance ideas quickly despite limited resources. It’s a formula Aileen Huang-Saad, the Roux Institute’s Director of Life Sciences and Engineering and an associate professor of bioengineering, sees as fundamental to thinking like an entrepreneur.

Scientists and engineers need to have a much broader education than what’s currently being delivered, she says. “I’m using what I’ve learned to answer the questions, What does higher ed need now? How do we teach our students? And how do we co-create with our communities?”

An entrepreneurial mindset is key to Huang-Saad’s teaching philosophy. She joins the Roux Institute from the University of Michigan, where she created the biomedical engineering graduate design program and co-founded the College of Engineering Center for Entrepreneurship. She has deep experience in new-venture biotech, the defense industry, and medical-device testing.

At the Roux Institute, she says, “We’re trying to bridge the gap between education and industry so students know what their career can be—and so they can take what they know in tech, life sciences, and engineering and create professional opportunities that don’t exist today.”

Huang-Saad says she joined the institute because of its integration of entrepreneurship, experiential learning, and collaborative industry partnerships. She also was drawn to the institute’s commitment to bridging the gap between those with higher education and those striving to attain it.

“I’ve long said, ‘When you bring me a startup in higher education, I’ll be there,’” she says. “The Roux Institute is the synthesis of everything I’ve worked toward.”

And Maine is the right place for her work. “The beautiful thing about Maine is that it’s a small community, and we have an opportunity to work closely with startups and partner companies,” she says. “There’s a stronger dialogue about companies’ wants and needs, which translates to deeper partner relationships.”