The UNLV Office of Economic Development is launching an Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholars (EFS) Program this fall to forge stronger connections between UNLV researchers and the university’s growing innovation infrastructure.
The program, supported by the State of Nevada’s Knowledge Fund, consists of UNLV faculty ambassadors who will serve as liaisons between research faculty at UNLV and the Office of Economic Development. EFS faculty will share their own experiences working with economic development staff, and they’ll provide a crucial conduit for researchers on campus who want to learn more about invention disclosures, patent and licensing processes, industry collaborations, and other steps along the commercialization pipeline.
The initial Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholars includes:
- Anthony (Tony) Ferrar (Engineering/Science)
- Dustin Hines (Psychology/Neuroscience)
- John Menezes (Health Sciences/Medicine)
- Zhiyong Wang (Engineering/Science)
Over the next year, EFS faculty will host internal campus and industry networking events, and they’ll work on policies and related incentives to encourage faculty and student research engagement with economic development activities. The goal is to grow the EFS program, and the Office of Economic Development expects to provide opportunities for additional EFS participating faculty in the coming years.
An introductory campus event to learn more about the Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholars Program will be held in January, with details forthcoming. Interested researchers are now encouraged to connect with EFS faculty directly for support or to learn more about the program.