Capacity Training Programs
Upcoming Program: April 10 – 14, 2023
Three courses are offered in the Capacity Training Programs. A participant may select to engage in three areas of
- Grant Writing
- Leadership
- Management
Instructor – Dr. Elizabeth Quansah
Dr. Elizabeth Quansah is the Director of Auburn University Outreach Global. She principally facilitates and promote global education, community development, and practical enrichment partnerships with universities, businesses, governmental agencies, and NGOs across the globe for effective and sustainable developmental programs. She occasionally teaches "AU undergraduate Global Fluency class" and is a regular instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn (AU OLLI). Elizabeth also leads administrators, faculty and students for research and exchanges, developed free medical programs for developing countries, and has expertise in negotiating MOUs, establishment of international academic and non-academic partnerships and sustaining them. She was also a contributor and co-editor for "AU in Africa Magazine, help organized the Engagement Scholarship Consortium's (ESC) 2017 National Outreach Scholarship Conference, a convener at ESC 2017 conference and remains active member of Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Elizabeth also served as an Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, for which she provided vision, revised the functions of the enrollment management department, reviewed and designed recruitment materials, admissions processes, and increased enrollment. She is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Instructor – Dr. Lakami Baker
Dr. LaKami Baker currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of the Government & Economic Development Institute (GEDI) in University Outreach and holds the Russell Foundation Professorship in Entrepreneurial Studies in the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University. In this role, she helps drive and support economic development and entrepreneurship growth initiatives across the state of Alabama. Additionally, she provides training to civic and elected officials as well as economic developers. Prior to joining GEDI, she served as the Managing Director of the Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship, where she guided students, faculty and community entrepreneurs to creatively generate business ideas, refine their plans to maximize success potential, and prepared them to pitch in front of judges and investors. She prepares entrepreneurs to pitch in front of judges and investors. During her four-year tenure, the student teams she worked with won or raised over $850K in external sources and earned over $930K in revenue. Additionally, the community startups she mentored won $150K in state competitions to grow their businesses.
Dr. Baker is certified to provide training, coaching and mentoring on the lean startup methodologies, value proposition design, and creating and developing sustainable business models by the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA) and also earned her Business Incubation Management (BIM) Certificate from InBIA. The BIM Certificate is the premier industry credential for the staff of incubators, accelerators, coworking spaces, small business development centers and other entrepreneurship programs. She has completed the I-Corps South’s Instructor Academy, serves on the teaching team for Regional I-Corps short courses and has developed structured curriculum for technology commercialization courses.
Baker serves as a co-principal investigator on a $590K grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce to develop an EDA University Center at Auburn University. The Center is focused on advancing regional commercialization efforts, entrepreneurship, innovation, business expansion, and developing a high-skilled regional workforce. She is the business expert on a research team awarded $1.275M to develop and commercialize biomedical implants and rehabilitative orthotics using additive manufacturing.
Baker earned her Ph.D. in Management from the University of Texas at San Antonio and holds a MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. Dr. Baker teaches courses in strategy and technology commercialization at the MBA and executive levels. Her academic research has appeared in top journals such as Academy of Management Journal, The Leadership Quarterly and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.
Prior to her academic work, Baker spent 11 years at 3M Corporation and held a variety of positions centered on engineering and product management. She served as the leader of the Electrical Supplies Business Unit, which had over $60 million in global revenue in the electrical construction and maintenance industry.
Instructor – Susan Elkins
Susan Elkins currently serves as an Administrator for Proposal Services in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Auburn University. She is a graduate of Cottey College in Missouri and holds a Bachelor's of Engineering from Auburn University. Elkins will bring aspects of proposal development to the workshop as she speaks about the grant process and grantsmanship.
Fee: $400 per course per person, fee includes non-degree certificate.
Payments by VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express are accepted.
Cancellation Notice:
- Refunds must be requested in writing and sent by email to outrglb@auburn.edu.
- Refund requests must be received by March 31, 2023 to receive a 50 percent refund.
- Beginning April 1, 2023, no refunds will be granted.
Dr. Elizabeth Quansah
Office of Outreach Global
Email: outrglb@auburn.edu
Tel: 334-844-5716
Last Updated: February 21, 2023