For decades, the boundary between a student’s academic project and a commercial product was a clear, if invisible, line. A chemistry student developed a formula, a design student sketched a prototype, and a teacher-in-training created a lesson plan—all as exercises in learning. However, as the global economy shifts toward intangible assets and generative AI blurs the lines of authorship, that boundary is disappearing.
At Illinois State University, the administration is betting that the ability to protect an idea is just as critical as the ability to conceive one. Through a targeted initiative supported by the Stephen and Sharon Hagge Innovation Institute, the George R. And Martha Means Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, and the Center for Integrated Professional Development (CIPD), the university is embedding intellectual property (IP) literacy directly into the curriculum across wildly different disciplines.
The program, which saw its second faculty cohort expand integration during the 2025-26 academic year, moves IP out of the law library and into the lab, the studio, and the classroom. Rather than treating patents and copyrights as afterthoughts for the few who might start a company, ISU is framing IP as a foundational professional skill for every graduate.
From Recipes to Revenue: IP in the Sciences
In the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, the application of IP is becoming a tangible part of food science. Dr. Erol Sozen, an assistant professor, has shifted his students’ focus from simple product development to strategic market positioning. In his courses, students developing sustainable food products must now navigate the complex choice between seeking a patent or maintaining a trade secret.
“I want students to think like real entrepreneurs,” Sozen said. “It’s not enough to create a good or sustainable product. They also need to understand how to protect, market, and sell their work in a competitive industry.”
This distinction is critical in the food industry, where the “expression” of a recipe may not be protectable, but the specific chemical formulation or a unique manufacturing process can be. By forcing students to distinguish between these two, Sozen is preparing them for a professional landscape where a lack of IP knowledge can lead to the immediate loss of a competitive advantage.
Empowering Educators and Tech Innovators
The initiative extends beyond the hard sciences into the College of Arts and Sciences, where the focus shifts toward copyright and fair use. Dr. Rachel Shively is integrating these concepts into teacher preparation, specifically for those specializing in world language instruction. For future educators, understanding copyright is not just about avoiding litigation—it is about knowing how to share and monetize their own instructional materials.
Shively emphasizes the use of Creative Commons licenses, empowering students to decide exactly how their digital content is used by others. This shift transforms the student from a passive consumer of educational resources into an active manager of their own professional assets.
Simultaneously, the School of Information Technology is grappling with the most pressing IP challenge of the decade: artificial intelligence. Dr. Elahe Javadi has integrated IP considerations into courses where students build AI-based applications and hardware. In an era where AI can generate code and art in seconds, Javadi requires her students to explicitly define and defend the originality of their work.
This critical thinking is echoed in the Department of Management, where Dr. Tobias Pret uses generative AI as a pedagogical tool. By requiring students to use AI to develop follow-up patents for existing inventions, Pret provides a practical exercise in how IP evolves and how new innovations build upon protected foundations.
The Economic Value of Ideas
While some faculty focus on the creation of IP, others are treating it as a financial instrument. In the finance department, Dr. Tim Trombley teaches students to view intellectual property as a scalable economic asset. His coursework examines how IP ownership directly influences a company’s ability to secure funding, the speed of its development, and its eventual market reach.
| Academic Discipline | Primary IP Focus | Practical Application |
|---|---|---|
| Food Science | Patents & Trade Secrets | Sustainable product formulations |
| Teacher Prep | Copyright & Fair Use | Instructional material licensing |
| Information Tech | Originality & AI IP | AI-based hardware/software systems |
| Finance | Economic Assets | Funding and scaling IP portfolios |
| Management | Patent Strategy | Generative AI for patent development |
Expanding the Cohort for 2026-27
The university has already identified the next wave of faculty who will bring IP literacy to their students in the 2026-27 academic year. This upcoming cohort represents an even broader cross-section of the university’s academic offerings:
- Media Ethics: Dr. Megan Hopper (School of Communication) will examine IP’s role in content distribution and access.
- Construction: Dr. Pranshoo Solanki (School of Technology) will have students analyze how patented systems dictate architectural and design decisions.
- Game Design: Dr. Greg Corness (School of Creative Technologies) will focus on the commercialization and licensing of gaming assets.
- Business Education: Dr. Nesrin Bakir (Department of Marketing) will prepare future educators to protect digital materials.
- Multimodal Writing: Dr. Autumn West (Department of English) will explore authorship and AI-related content creation.
By diversifying the disciplines involved, ISU is acknowledging that IP is no longer the sole domain of lawyers and corporate executives. Whether it is a game designer protecting a character’s likeness or a construction manager navigating patented building systems, the ability to navigate ownership is becoming a universal requirement for professional success.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. For specific guidance on intellectual property law, consult a licensed attorney or the university’s official IP office.
The next phase of the initiative will begin with the implementation of the 2026-27 faculty plans, with the university expected to evaluate the impact of these integrated curricula on student placement and entrepreneurial ventures in the following academic cycle.
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