Faculty Innovation Fellowship
About The Fellowship
The Business-Higher Education Forum is launching a new fellowship program, supported by the ECMC Foundation, that provides the tools, resources, and space to design, develop, and lead innovations in establishing equitable talent pipelines that expand pathways to student success.
Collaboration between business and higher education is vital to ensure that higher education experiences pave the way for rewarding employment. Faculty fellows will be leaders empowered to drive positive change that position students for success and enables their institutions to be leaders in employer engagement.
Fellows will pursue new employer partnerships and gain the leadership and change-management skills necessary to successfully implement innovative practices beyond their classroom. Fellows will regularly meet over several months to develop their proposed pilot projects which will be vetted and tested by their cohort peers, BHEF staff, and national experts.
The 2024 Fellows
The inaugural cohort of 19 fellows represents seven disciplines ranging from business and hospitality to nursing, geosciences, and social sciences. Sponsoring institutions include public state systems, community colleges, independent universities, and public research universities, with nearly half being minority-serving institutions.
Connecticut State Colleges & Universities
Benjamin A. Abugri, MBA Director & Professor of Finance – Southern CT State University
Thomas J. Barron, Jr., Department Chair, Faculty, Business & Technology – Charter Oak State College
Michelle M. Kusaila, Professor, Accounting – Central CT State University
Drake University
Stacy Gnacinski, Associate Professor of Health Sciences and Associate Dean of Bright College
Georgetown University
Ifedapo Adeleye, Professor of the Practice of Human Resources Management, Vice Dean of Faculty
Yianna Vovides, Senior Director, Learning Design and Research, Professor of the Practice
Hudson County Community College
Elana Winslow, Associate Professor of Business
Peter Cronrath, Associate Professor of Business
Miami Dade College
Eric Cornish, Associate Senior Professor
Tommy Demos, Associate Professor, Film, TV & Digital Production
North Carolina State University
Huiling Ding, Professor of Technical Communication and Director of Labor Analytics
Scott Ferguson, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
San Diego State University
Alvin Henry, Associate Professor and Director of Asian American Studies
Byron Purse, Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
University System of Maryland: Coppin State University
Lori Harvin, Associate Professor and Interim Chair, BSN Nursing Education
Virginia Tech
John Alan Chermak, Collegiate Associate Professor, Environmental Geochemist
David Knight, Professor and Special Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Plan Implementation
Wake Tech Community College
Lorraine Powers, Associate Professor, Business Administration
Barry J. Tracey, Instructor, Hospitality Management
Point of Contact
For more information on the Fellowship, please contact Frank Avery, Managing Director of Partnerships, at frank.avery@bhef.com.
- Sign up to receive email updates about FIF.
- For a list of frequently asked questions, download this PDF.
- View the slides from the announcement webinar.
- Announcement: BHEF Announces Inaugural Cohort of Faculty Innovation Fellows
- Find more information about the fellowship curriculum and nomination process
Terrence Cheng, Chancellor, Connecticut State Colleges & Universities
Marty Martin, President, Drake University
Michele Masucci, Vice Chancellor, University System of Maryland
Christopher Reber, President, Hudson County Community College