Gannon Minor in Innovation and Creativity

After discussing the wicked problems revolving around social media, students in the Labyrinth built spheres of influence, showcasing what they are able to affect but cannot directly control.

Check out those smiles! Smiling is contagious, and if you're in The Pitch, you're all smiles! While public speaking can be intimidating, having professors who make it fun and enjoyable makes it a bit less scary. Keep on smiling, MIC students – we love it! 😁

MIC students with tools? In The Prototype nothing is off limits! MIC students worked with Gannon Makerspace to help build Stepping Stools! This hands-on project helped MIC students learn how to properly use tools as well as collaborating with the new MakerSpace!

The Compassion Closet created by a group from last semester’s Blastoff held their first event for UPMC Hamot! Take a look at what projects in the minor can accomplish- they’re more than just a project, they can make a lasting impact! Keep up the good work MIC students!

We have to begin somewhere! The Prototype takes on the Found Object Totem, balancing concentration with fun. This project allows students to incorporate materials from past classes and explore new ones, resulting in the creation of unique masterpieces!

The Lore started off this semester with portraits! For this activity, students were not allowed to look down and only at their partners to try and draw their partner to the best of their abilities! How do you think they did?

Congratulations on completing the first week of the spring semester! In case you missed it last semester, MIC celebrated its first cohort successfully finishing the minor. In The Blastoff, students tackled diverse senior capstone projects, from collaborating with Gannon Admissions, to creating a meditation space, partnering with UPMC Hamot, addressing cybersecurity for small local businesses, and organizing a Day of Play. Congrats to the first cohort for achieving this milestone!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from MIC! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!

The Prototype unveiled the awards they diligently created this semester, achieving impeccable craftsmanship with the support of Gannon Makerspace. Beautiful awards created by talented individuals, congrats to The Prototype students!

At this time of the year, collaborative groups unveil their semester-long projects. The Launch is proud to present installations emphasizing the importance of mental health. We recognize that everyone faces challenges and may hesitate to seek help. Through this project, we aim to show that you are not alone.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving from our ever-growing MIC family to yours! Grateful for the memories we create together and the way we consistently uplift one another!

It’s that time in the semester that the groups create their “How Might We” statement and that’s exactly what students were doing in The Lore! Afer drafting multiple versions of their “How Might We” statements, the other groups provided feedback to each other via I like…I wish… What if. This created an environment of collaboration for the entire class as well as giving the groups anoher prespective on their “How Might We” statements!

Look at our philosophers applying the understanding of fallacies, euphemisms, and dysphemisms to the development of healthcare scams… couldn’t be prouder!🥹

You saw last year’s masks… now take a look at this year’s😳! I don’t know about you but they’re definitely scarier than last year and I’m a little bit spooked.

Flashback to The Prototype last year around Halloween time when we designed masks of monsters,ghouls, goblins, and more! 🎃

Dear MIC professors: If you leave your phone unattended, expect us to take some very professional photos of us working in our groups… this is a result of Kurt doing exactly that 😃

You know what time it is! The annual hat making day during The Launch! There are only two guidelines for this project, 1. it should “fit” somehow, and 2. it should be wearable while walking. This is definitely one of our favorite activities… just look at those smiles and how creative they are! 🤗

Chaos?!- I think not! This is how students take data points from empathy methods like interviews/observations and turn them into insights! In other words, this is a visual of how MIC students mind works and an inside look into our design thinking process!

Philosophy (The Labyrinth) + Pizza = 😋😋 Definitely a class you wouldn’t want to miss! MIC students spent the day preparing for their midterms but were excited to have a mini pizza party thanks to Dom and Kristen! We’re so lucky to have supportive and fun professors! 🍕

MIC takes on inauguration… last Friday, YOUR pop-ups were a part of the inauguration luncheon at I-HACK in which 150+ community members joined us and were able to admire the work we do in the MIC!

Play-doh in class??? Well, duh! We love being able to use different materials to help prototype and to help put a visual to our words! Seeing our ideas in front of us allow us to modify and re-evaluate what our original idea was… remember, no idea is EVER a bad idea.

All smiles here 😃… students in The Blastoff used class time on Tuesday to go out and conduct interviews to help gain insights on current patient medical gowns as they look to re-envision the gowns that are patients are provided!

TA DA! 🎉 Students in The Launch explored and embraced the roles of ambiguity and failure by a tricky game of “Ta Da”. For this game there are certain actions you have to do in order but gradually get faster… if you mess up you have to restart! While it can be frustrating at times, students learn the important rule failure plays in the design thinking process as well as our everyday lives.

We did it. We finally met each other and for those returning, we have been reunited. It’s the first day and we’re already diving right into creating and innovating… never a dull moment when you’re always thinking creatively!

Throwback to The Launch last fall… can’t believe it’s already been a year since you all joined us! We’re so excited to welcome our new cohort to Gannon next week!

Does this room look familiar to you… it should! In June, I-HACK held the Understanding Manufacturing Camp (UMT) in the Erie Insurance Lab! We love sharing our collaborative space with all!

Kurt and MC did an amazing job hosting our Summer Educational Experience Camp! Thank you for putting an activity that combines engineering and business together! It was a learning experience for both the kids and us!

We had an enjoyable breakfast with our friends from Admissions! Thank you for joining us for breakfast this morning!

Weekly tip: Collaborating with others can help spark new ideas and long lasting relationships!

Flashback to our event with Global Coffee Hour! We’re excited to have more events to show students what MIC is all about!