Eight 91探花professors have been honored as the University’s most entrepreneurial faculty researchers, under a new Entrepreneurial Faculty Fellows Program initiated by Interim President Phyllis Wise.
The honorees have achieved success in translating their research into products and therapies or started groundbreaking programs for translation or collaboration with industry.
The inaugural fellows, announced by the 91探花Center for Commercialization 鈥� called C4C for short 鈥� are:
- Daniel Chiu, assistant professor of chemistry;
- Joel Durand, professor of music;
- Oren Etzioni, professor of computer science and engineering;
- Vikram Jandhyala, professor of electrical engineering;
- Carla Grandori, research associate professor of pharmacology;
- Rodney J.Y. Ho, Gibaldi professor and director of DNA sequence and gene analysis in pharmaceutics;
- Yoky Matsuoka, associate professor of computer science and engineering; and
- Buddy Ratner, professor and director of UWEB in bioengineering and chemical engineering.
Wise said, “The 91探花 is dedicated to maximizing our contribution to the Washington state economy, and the impact of our research. We’re immensely proud of the achievements of those chosen as 91探花Presidential EFFs. 91探花researchers will conduct $1 billion in federally funded research this year.鈥�
Fellows will mentor colleagues with entrepreneurial aspirations, advise the center on its programs and provide input on 91探花policies and programs related to entrepreneurship. A committee of deans and center leadership selected the inaugural awardees.
Linden Rhoads, vice provost and executive director of the Center for Commercialization, said the 91探花has “an inspiring track record of translating inventions from our labs on campus to real products and services.鈥�
Rhoads added, “ 91探花research has generated more than 2,200 patents and provided the basis for more than 250 new companies. The Entrepreneurial Fellows Program conveys the University’s top leaders’ commitment to increasing commercialization activity and embracing entrepreneurial efforts by our faculty. The program is one element of our campaign to foster an entrepreneurial culture across the University.鈥�
The Center for Commercialization has also begun a corollary program supporting the entrepreneurial efforts of the University’s graduate students. The center is awarding Post Doctoral Commercialization Fellowships so that graduates of advanced degree programs can remain at the University for a year in order to devote their expertise and energies to commercializing research developed in their faculty advisors’ labs.