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Jayson Margalus

Entrepreneurship Center Director & Educator at W&L | Industrial & Game Design Innovator | Makerspace Founder | Inventor of Ed and Med Devices | Environmental Advocate

Jay Margalus is a multifaceted professional with a diverse background in entrepreneurship, design, computer science, and education. He currently serves as the Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership and the Director of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship at Washington and Lee University.23

Professional Background

Margalus is known for his expertise in several areas:

Industrial and Product Design:: He has experience in developing industrial and product designs.1

Game Development:: Margalus has worked on analog and video game design projects.1

Maker and Design Community:: He has been involved in developing maker and design communities.1

Educational Program Creation:: Margalus has experience in creating educational programs and courses.1

Notable Projects

  • The 1K Makerspace Project: This initiative explored distributed fabrication and was developed from his work at Illinois PPE.1
  • Rewilding in Patagonia: A study abroad trip he conceived with a colleague in 2020.1
  • Medical Device Development: He directed student industrial design work for oncologists at the University of Chicago.1

Entrepreneurial Experience

Margalus has a rich background in the startup world. He has founded nonprofit maker spaces and run a video game company. Additionally, he has experience working with mid-stage startups.5

Current Role

As the Director of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship, Margalus leads the organization through extensive research and strategic planning.4 His appointment to this position was announced in March 2023.3

Jay Margalus describes himself as a "maker, designer, computer scientist, and outdoorsman"16, reflecting the diverse nature of his interests and expertise.

Highlights

Aug 29 · linkedin

I'm pleased to share a collaborative effort I was part of with a talented team of researchers at UofC and my former student, Amelia Schroeder, has recently been published in the Lancet's eBioMedicine journal. The digital pathology workstation project aims to make cancer diagnostics more accessible by leveraging deep learning technologies.

The study demonstrates that it's possible to achieve comparable accuracy in cancer subtype classification using a $230 workstation, as opposed to traditional high-cost equipment. This approach could significantly reduce the cost of cancer diagnostics, making it more feasible for low-resource settings to access precision medicine.

This work underscores the potential of open-source tools in democratizing healthcare and addressing global disparities in cancer care. I'm grateful for the support at both UofC and DePaul University that made this project possible, and I look forward to seeing its impact on healthcare accessibility worldwide.

More here:

Aug 28 · linkedin

Next episode of This Should Work* is live! This one's an interview with Ben Worth, VP of Academic Affairs at Mountain Gateway, which just received $2m to build a new Tech School and center. Ben's also a Washington and Lee University alum.

Give it a listen! (link in comments)

Related Questions

What are some of Jay Margalus's most notable projects?
How did Jay Margalus transition from game design to entrepreneurship education?
What is the 1K Makerspace project about?
How has Jay Margalus's work impacted the maker community?
What are the main goals of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship?
Jayson Margalus
Jayson Margalus, photo 1
Jayson Margalus, photo 2
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Location

Lexington, Virginia, United States