Paul Swamidass
Professor Emeritus | Auburn University
Paul Swamidass, Ph.D., is the author of the book, Engineering Entrepreneurship from Idea to Business Plan (A Guide for Innovative Engineers and Scientists), Cambridge University Press. He taught a combined class of engineering and business students for 14 years at Auburn University using the contents of this book before retiring after a 33-year career in university education and research.
Educated in mechanical engineering and management, he taught engineering and business students in blended teams to bring out the best in them in entrepreneurial thinking and practice. In his lectures, published papers and his book above, he explains how an engineering degree prepares one to be an inventor; his theme: “Non-inventing engineers are wasting their education.”
He is an inventor with four granted patents in the US and one in Canada; he secured all his US patents as a pro se patent applicant, without the services of patent attorneys. He teaches how inventors could apply for patents without the paid assistance of patent attorneys, when inventors cannot afford their services. The cost of legal services should not stop one from inventing—the book above shows the way.
As a professor at the Harbert College of Business, he served for 11 years as the Director of the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management at the Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University. Under his leadership, this center ran annual entrepreneurship or business startup contests for Auburn University students, with cash awards. Through the Center he assisted Auburn University commercialize inventions from the college of engineering.
He has authored several books and over 100 scholarly publications. He has been quoted or cited in The Economist (1994), the U.S. News and World Report, and the Asian Wall Street Journal.
Paul teaches and writes blogs on Biblical leadership. He and his wife worship at Lakeview Baptist Church, Auburn, AL.
Inventors Digest: Patenting without an attorney
Baltimore Sun: Riots are bad for business
Leadership Blogs: Christian Leadership Alliance
Leadership Blogs: Lead Like Jesus