As an aerospace engineer for defense contractor General Dynamics Corp., Jonathan Bohlmann became interested in the management side of the process \u2014 combining innovation and the business opportunity that drives it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bohlmann, a Poole College marketing and innovation professor since 2008, shifted his focus from cutting-edge ideas for aircraft materials and design to product development innovation and design thinking for consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\u201cI tell my students that if they want to learn how to advertise shampoo, I\u2019m not that kind of person. But if they want to understand how to think about customers\u2019 needs to innovate something better, that\u2019s how I approach my research and what I\u2019m teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Bohlmann took his experience developing advanced aircraft design for U.S. military fighter jets and applied it to his innovation and marketing courses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Teaching is \u201ca nice challenge because you always need to stay ahead of the game, so you can make the connection between the ideas and practical applications,\u201d says Bohlmann, interim head of the business management department. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His forward-thinking approach helps students make connections that reinforce NC State\u2019s think-and-do emphasis. \u201cWe offer them project-level applied learning in a context where they understand the big picture and what they\u2019re ultimately trying to do,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means providing opportunities for hands-on experiences with impactful practicums and projects that use real data and business simulations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you want to help students get better at making their great ideas a value-enhancing reality, you have to give them ways to dive into the complexities of what\u2019s behind that in terms of implementation and execution,\u201d Bohlmann says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His courses also offer students a grounding in best practices and key innovation principles, as well as widely used techniques and tools, such as demand forecasting and frameworks for thinking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In making the change from engineering to academia, Bohlmann wanted \u201cto stay grounded in some of the technical side but broaden the scope a bit,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In broadening the scope of his career, he has spent years opening up minds \u2014 and options \u2014 for students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s yielded rewards for him, too. <\/p>\n\n\n
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\u201cI enjoy walking with students through different kinds of innovation journeys, helping them connect some of the dots and figuring out how to apply what they\u2019re learning”<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe best part is getting notes from students saying, \u2018I\u2019m applying this now in my job\u2019\u2026Those reflections of how they\u2019re utilizing some of these things are always great to see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another great part of teaching for Bohlmann?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The week-long, study-abroad trip he has led to Munich each spring since 2010 \u2014 aside from pandemic interruptions \u2014 for his innovation and marketing systems MBA course. <\/strong>The trip focuses on visits to a variety of companies to talk with senior executives, including BMW, Siemens, Intel, Texas Instruments, Hyve, startup Celonis, and many others. <\/p>\n\n\n\nStudents studying abroad in Munich for the innovation and marketing systems course.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a benefit to being in a place for a week and divorcing yourself from the 80-hour-a-week job you\u2019re trying to do to get a broader picture,\u201d Bohlmann says. \u201cStudents get new insights on what it means to have a global perspective on business and the challenges those businesses have.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether in Germany or in the U.S., what impresses him most about his students is \u201chow well-grounded they are\u2026They have a good perspective on what they want to learn and get out of it plus the effort and diligence they\u2019re willing to put in,\u201d says Bohlmann, who enjoys traveling and tailgating at football games when he\u2019s not working. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One thing he\u2019s proudest of in his academic career is students\u2019 achievements in their <\/em>careers after they graduate. Their success is his success, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat the students have been able to accomplish has been great to see,\u201d he says, \u201cseeing what they end up doing with what they take away from here.\u201d <\/p>\n
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