Meet Jared Hoppenfeld, Business Librarian
By Marketing and Communications | 02-23-2016
Work with Students
While there are many different library resources available to students at Texas A&M, many don’t know where to look for the information they need. One of Jared’s main roles is to help students find the resources they need through library informational sessions presented during their classes. After realizing that students were not actively learning during library information sessions, Jared changed the way his sessions were run.
Instead of staring blankly at a screen at the front of the room, Jared adds interactive elements to engage students throughout the lesson. Now most of his sessions meet in a computer lab setting where students have a hands-on approach to discovering new ways to do research. He also integrates online polling into his lessons to see what students are learning and how much they retain throughout the experience. Through this new approach, students come away from his lessons with a stronger understanding of how to find the information they need to conduct better research.
Work with Patents
Jared’s office is located on west campus, so he works closely with the Mays Business School, though he also has done a good deal of patent work with students from the school of Engineering. Last year he led a 2-hour pop up session with the Engineering
Innovation Center which was focused on patents. The pop up session was so successful, the EIC will be offering two more opportunities for students to take the session this spring.
As a representative of the United States Patent and Trademark Resource Center, Jared is a great resource to students wishing to understand the process of acquiring patents better. He has also worked with Startup Aggieland to determine the need of resources, and TREP members regularly contact him for help with research & patents.
Work with Veterans
Every summer since 2008, Texas A&M hosts a group of veterans who participate in the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Veterans with Disabilities program (EBV). Texas A&M is one of only 10 other institutions in the country that participates in the EBV. The program is aimed at veterans who served after 9/11 and have a service oriented disability who want to improve an existing business or start their own.
During the program, veterans spend 9 full days on campus attending classes and meeting with mentors to develop business plans to start their own or improve on existing businesses. Jared supports the program by helping veterans learn how to find the resources and data they need to make smart business decisions.
In order to ensure all EBV members around the country had access to the same materials, Jared worked to convince vendors to donate millions of dollars’ worth of resources. The donations allow EBV alumni to access a resource portal for one year, free of charge. Jared has also compiled an extensive list of free websites and public libraries near veterans where they can continue research for their business plans. Alumni also have access to free legal advice, graphic designers and other resources to help their businesses flourish.