A cross-discipline approach to innovation education
A week ago Friday the UIC Innovation center held an open house and reception for academics attending the AMA Summer conference in Chicago. Al Page, professor of Marketing at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Stefanie Lenway, Dean of the UIC Business School discussed the Center, which was funded from a multi-million dollar grant from Motorola.
Housed in a former grocery store on the UIC campus, the center has flexible space, industrial size bean bag chairs, rapid prototyping machines and the feel of a start-up (except for expresso machines or ping pong tables).
The origin of the center was a year long innovation class that combines MBA students, design students and engineering students. The class is sponsored by a company that seeks innovation ideas. Motorola was an early sponsor and was pleased with the results.
There was an impressive collection of new product development scholars at the conference in addition to Dr. Page, including Abbie Griffin, Anthony Di Benedetto, Gina Colarelli O’Connor , Peter Koen, and many others.
More about the exciting interdisciplinary educational effort at:
ProfessorGary on Innovation and Marketing 
This definitely makes great sense to me