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The Packback team is proud to introduce Doan Winkel, professor of entrepreneurship at Illinois State University, as one of the new members of the Packback Professor Advisory Board.
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Doan teaches entrepreneurship at Illinois State University, and he approaches his role as an educator with the same passion he instills in each one of his students. He is working to disrupt and improve higher education from the inside out, creating real-world entrepreneurship experiences for his students at Illinois State University through his Teaching Lean methodology. Outside of class, he supports young entrepreneurs through internrocket.com, Legacy Out Loud and That Ain’t Normal and a variety of community-based grassroots efforts to ignite the startup community in Bloomington and Normal, Illinois. For him, the classroom really is just the beginning.
Doan organized the original business plan competition (ISU’s E-Day) where the concept for Packback was born and he has been a source of advice, guidance and insight into the higher education space for our team ever since. We are thrilled to welcome him formally to the Professor Advisory Board.
I chatted with Doan about his background, his thoughts on higher education, Packback, and some of his tips for how students can get more out of their college experience.
Jessica Tenuta: Can you tell me a little bit about why you got into education?
Doan Winkel: I grew up in education. My father was a mathematics professor for nearly 40 years (at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and then at the United States Military Academy), and the value of education was always stressed in my household. But I never liked school; I wasn’t challenged and I didn’t enjoy it because no teachers ever talked to me about how to apply my learning. I wanted to work to change that for future generations, and decided the best way to do that was from the inside.
JT: What is the most rewarding part of being a professor?
DW: Helping students take control of their future. That might be deciding they don’t want to work in a certain field, or that it is possible for them to explore a certain career path, or that they can tell their mom and dad “no” and survive. I love learning about students, about their aspirations, and then helping them piece together a plan to realize those aspirations.
JT: What are you most proud of in your teaching career?
DW: Two things. First, I attended a symposium at Babson College a few years back. The professor I have most admired for many years, Dr. Heidi Neck at Babson College, told the group that I was the only professor that ever scared her. Knowing Heidi, this was a huge compliment, because she has led the effort to push the envelope in entrepreneurship education for many years, and is someone I have looked up to for years. I knew I was onto something in the way I teach, and to get that sort of compliment from such a respected person in the field who is far out on the edge is a big deal to me.
Second, many of my students express frustration that they “couldn’t have a class like [mine]” much earlier in their educational career, because they learn by doing and because they have control over their learning experience. Not that students are always right, but I take this as a signal that I’m going down the right path.
JT: If you could change anything about the structure of higher education, what would it be?
DW: I would give students much more control. In the classroom and also outside the classroom. I would let them have a strong voice in how they learn, in how they are assessed, in what counts as a learning experience. Especially in higher education, and with students today who are so tech-savvy and much more globally-minded, they need to learn to build their own path, to challenge themselves, to see what they’re made of.
JT: Why are you interested in educational affordability, and textbook affordability?
DW: Not everyone should go to college. In fact, many who do probably should not. But for those who should go, it’s almost a losing proposition when you look at the debt they must take on versus the career options available to them upon graduation. Sure, in the long run, things tend to be better for college grads. But that doesn’t mean anything in those early years. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for people struggling and having to hustle. But it’s ridiculous that we still have this old model of higher education where students are financing these massive structures and inflated salaries and all this overhead. Especially with technology today, we should be able to provide a much more effective education at a much lower price point, so students can start off on more sustainable footing.
JT: What excites you about the Packback model and the Packback Professor Advisory Board?
DW: I’m a big fan of any sort of disruption in the education space. Packback has a fantastic approach that puts the student experience at the forefront, and strives to make education more affordable so more students can enjoy it and reap its rewards. That’s an honest and honorable endeavor. To be on the Professor Advisory Board is an honor — to help guide this company along the path that will hopefully cause some massive disruption in higher education is something I am proud to contribute to.
JT : What are 3 tips that you would give students to help them get more out of their four years of college, while spending less?
DW: 1. Network. Sounds simple, and is a very overused phrase. But talk to teachers, get to know them. And get to know people in the community. Business owners, entrepreneurs, civic leaders. Go to events, go to Rotary meetings, go to meetups. So many people in the community want to engage with college students and give back by helping them in some way. Those resources are priceless, and don’t really cost much — maybe a cup of coffee, or an event registration that’s a couple bucks.
2. Get involved in student organizations. There might be some small fee involved, but again, making those connections with other students and leaders in some area you’re passionate about is priceless. Don’t just go to meetings, but be a leader. Get involved in planning, in brainstorming the future of the organization, in using the organization as a platform for whatever change you want to see in your institution.
3. Start a business. It might seem counterintuitive, but give it a shot. Try to bootstrap it so you’re not spending much. It might end up being successful and providing an income stream to offset the cost of college. It might not go anywhere, but the experience is invaluable — both the skills you hone and the connections you make.
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To learn more about Doan’s unique teaching methodology, check out Teaching Lean.
To learn more about the Packback Professor Advisory Board, visit the Packback for Professors website.
Recommend an innovative professor, or apply to join the Advisory Board here.
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