New Book on Social Innovation Includes APLU Contributor

A new book on career pathways in social innovation and global sustainable development, Solving Problems that Matter (and Getting Paid for It), will be released on October 2. The book includes an expert brief from APLU’s Jim Woodell, entitled “The Secret Life of Universities as Economic and Social Development Hubs.” Woodell is APLU’s Assistant Vice President for Innovation and Technology Policy and serves as the staff lead for the association’s Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity (CICEP), and also the Association’s Council on Engagement and Outreach (CEO). Khanjan Mehta, Founding Director of the Penn State University’s Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program, and Assistant Professor of Engineering Design, edited the volume.

The book aims to help young people, and people at turning points in their careers, consider next steps through which they can harness the power of science, technology, and innovation to change the world. Fifty-four expert briefs and 100 career profiles stitch together a mosaic of perspectives, experiences, and actionable insights, illuminating the array of career pathways in social innovation and global sustainable development.

In addition to the APLU contribution from Woodell, leaders from USAID, Peace Corps, MIT, Engineers Without Borders, FHI 360, and others also penned expert briefs. The briefs offer practical insights into how different kinds of organizations work; how to find your first impact-focused job; the pros and cons of PhD, MBA, MPH, and MPA degrees; and how salaries and benefits work when you are placed in a developing country.

One hundred STEM innovators from the World Bank, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, Google, and dozens of social ventures, government agencies, nonprofits, academia, and corporations share their career profiles in the book. Profiles provide enlightening and inspiring inside stories of a social innovator’s role and responsibilities, career trajectory, and lessons learned along the way.

Solving Problems that Matter (and Getting Paid for It) is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com, and more information can be found at Mehta’s web site.