Electrical and computer engineering doctoral student one of 13 aspiring entrepreneurs chosen for 2013 Global Scholars Program

DETROIT (Nov. 19, 2012) - Wayne State University College of Engineering electrical and computer engineering doctoral student Yating Hu was named a member of the 2013 Class of Global Scholars by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The announcement, made Friday by the foundation, lists the 13 aspiring entrepreneurs chosen from around the world for the 6-year-old program, which provides participants a six-month educational immersion in the field of entrepreneurship.

According to the Kauffman Foundation's website, scholars will study, exchange ideas, and work with entrepreneurial experts, leading thinkers, policy leaders, innovative researchers and business founders to "further develop their skills in the direction of entrepreneurship and the creation of innovative businesses."

Scholars also will visit leading universities known for innovative, entrepreneurial work and will serve as entrepreneurial interns for three months at an innovative company to understand the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

Hu, who earned her master's degree in electrical engineering in 2010 from Wayne State, is a founder of Piezo PowerTech, a Wayne State lab spinoff company focused on energy harvesting technology to replace batteries in small, portable electronic devices. Piezo Powertech won the $50,000 first prize in the Michigan Clean Energy Venture Challenge earlier this year. Co-founders include fellow Wayne State doctoral students Junhui Zhao and Hongen Tu.

"If you have a goal, be relentless in your pursuit," Hu said. "Being an entrepreneur, you naturally face more challenges than having a secured job. The most important thing that keeps pushing me is the belief that our products, once introduced to the world, are going to revolutionize people's lives."

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Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students. For more information about engineering at Wayne State University, visit engineering.wayne.edu.