Wednesday, February 10, 2010

X Prize Foundation Opens Lab At USC

The X Prize Foundation, the nonprofit which is managing a number of prize-based competitions to spur on scientific research and innovation, said Wednesday that it is launching a new lab program at the University of Southern Califonia Viterbi School of Engineering. According to the foundation, the new X PRIZE Lab@USC will include a semester-long course for undergraduates, enrolling students from both the School of Engineering and USC Marshall School of Business. The foundation said that the course will focus on the X PRIZE innovation and philanthropy model, with an inaugural course focused on solar energy. The X PRIZE Foundation said that the effort is the third, university effort by the group, which also runs programs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Evans School of Public Affairs University of Washington. The courses at USC will be managed by Viterbi School Senior Associate Dean Raghu Raghavendra, with courses run by Professors Gene Miller from Marshall, and Jon Lasch from Viterbi.

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