A Note From Our Director This issue is chock-full of stories that highlight the great work of our students, alumni, and the PGCEI team. As you read about our student founders, keep in mind that their work is happening *in addition to* a full course load, often a campus job (or two), and for our student athletes, dozens of hours of other commitments each week. This is a lively and motivated bunch, and it is a privilege to support them! An important feature of our August newsletter each year is the release of our Annual Report, which we hope you will […]

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A Note From Our Director Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends, There is almost too much good news to share in this edition, but we already anticipate another great batch of updates for you in our August newsletter and 2026 Annual Report, so we hope you’ll read through to the end. In the weeks leading up to commencement, we celebrated our graduates – check out many of their stories below. One of the benefits of the Center is that founders can continue to work with us as they transition from students to alumni. Kudos to the Club Ralley team for a successful IRL (in real […]

Continue reading May 2026 Newsletter »

After several weeks of rapid experiential learning, Bucknell University’s 2026 MedTech Entrepreneurial Fellows will showcase their work at a final pitch event in Philadelphia on June 19. The event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on June 19 at LLR Partners at 2929 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104. As students pitch to a panel of industry experts and investors, invited guests are welcome to witness the next generation of medtech innovators. Register for the event here. Spectators will be required to sign non-disclosure agreements.

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Bucknell University Centers hosts second annual Centers Summit The Perricelli-Gegnas Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and the Dominguez Center for Data Science traveled to Denver, Colo., late last week for the second annual Bucknell University Centers Summit. More than 50 attendees gathered at the Magnolia Hotel for an afternoon of important conversations featuring Bucknellians with a variety of backgrounds. The event was emceed by digital media executive Doug Llwellyn ’93 and serial entrepreneur, coach, and author of the newly released Quantum Surfing, Monica Laurence ’86. Students, faculty, and fellows representing the PGCEI and the DCDS offered updates on both centers’ […]

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Eight students made up six teams that pitched their ventures in the final round of Bucknell BizPitch 2026 on Monday, April 13. Pitches ranged from personal assistant and community-finding apps to athletic gear to launchable, educational satellites to community-changing incubator systems. Here’s a rundown of the pitches and awards. First Place Ikusasa – Omuhle Ndhlovu ’27 Ikusasa is a youth empowerment initiative focused on entrepreneurship and opportunity access for young people in Zimbabwe. More here. Second Place & Changemaker Avakas Lab – SooAh Lay ’27 Avakas Lab is creating new ways for children to experience engineering by creatively merging education […]

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An increasing number of female athletes are utilizing their sports experience to become leaders in business and entrepreneurs. They have a passion for their ventures built on the freedom and independence that resulted from their experiences in athletics.* 69% of women who earn more than $100,000 annually in leadership roles played competitive sports**85% of women who played sports said the skills they developed were important to their professional success** ADAPTABILITY. CONFIDENCE. DISCIPLINE. PERSEVERANCE. Female Bucknell athletes past and present said these are a few of the traits they acquired on the field, court, track, pool, etc. that have carried over […]

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Monica Laurence virtually visited PGCEI this week to talk about finding joy and success in entrepreneurial endeavors. Her tips might surprise you. Check out the highlight! For more info on Monica and The Mavericks Game, visit monicalaurence.com/. Just one Spring Sprints talk left this semester. Find the details here.

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The center recently hosted Dr. Melissa Milanak ’03, who gave us all kinds of tips on how to sleep better and optimize the recovery of our brains and bodies. Check out some of the highlights! Visit melissamilanak.com for more information on sleep and recovery. Check out our upcoming Spring Sprints events here.

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The center recently had the pleasure of hosting Kimberly Berry Haisch, founder and CEO of KBH Jewels. See some of the highlights from Kimberly’s here! See details on upcoming Spring Sprints events here.

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Emily Martin is invested in bridging the gap between the arts and entrepreneurship and innovation. She believes in the value of effectuation in higher education classrooms.  Discovered in the late 1990s by Saras Sarasvathy, effectuation is an entrepreneurial approach focusing on taking smart action with available resources. For those in the arts, this means taking an inventory of one’s skills, deciding on a path that involves a bit of risk, and going for it. Rather than leaving students to wait for someone else’s validation, Emily empowers them to identify their skills inventory and build opportunities on their own terms. What […]

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A self-proclaimed “dog person,” Mark Ticknor, neuroscience ’26, has long been perplexed by cats’ odd behaviors. However, it wasn’t until he worked with mice on the neuromodulation team as an intern at The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation that Mark began to wonder whether there might be a better way to interpret animal behavior. While interning in Los Angeles, Ca., Mark was part of a team studying the impact of electrode implants on cancer. The team used sugar to lure mice – testing how well they could move towards it.  At the same time, Mark was sharing living space with […]

Continue reading Building Bridges | Mark Ticknor and Meg Samek-Smith »