Congratulations to the 2025 BHEF Faculty Innovation Fellowship Cohort
On Friday, January 17th, BHEF welcomed 28 new fellows and their host institution executive sponsors to the BHEF Faculty Innovation Fellowship experience. The fellows will join BHEF’s 19 inaugural 2024 fellows as part of BHEF’s growing national network of faculty innovators, appointed by their presidents and chancellors, to foster enhanced student success through their novel innovations in business-higher education collaborations.
About the 2025 Cohort
BHEF's 2025 cohort is the second fellowship cohort since launching the inaugural program in early 2024. By all measures, the program is in high-demand already showing why fellowships empowering faculty as agents of change are critical for the success of high-performing business-higher education partnerships. BHEF's 2025 cohort will:
- Welcome 28 new fellows selected from a competitive national search of BHEF members, a 47 percent increase over our 2024 cohort size
- Represent 18 institutions across 11 states, with 100 percent of 2024 institutions sending new fellows through the experience
- Include five MSIs (HBCUs, HSIs, and AANAPISIs), eight public universities, six R1 institutions, two community colleges, and four independent colleges, providing fellows with a diverse and well-rounded network of executive peers
- Welcome six new BHEF members and strategic partners who joined this past fall to take advantage of the fellowship including:
Buffalo State University (SUNY)
Clark University (MA)
State University of New York Cortland
State University of New York Old Westbury
University of New Haven (CT)
Wake Technical Community College (NC), and - Welcome a diverse cohort of roughly 45 percent women and a significant number of individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color.
About the Faculty Innovation Fellowship
BHEF, led by Chief Program Officer Jennifer Thornton and BHEF members Terrence Cheng (Chancellor, Connecticut State Colleges & Universities), Marty Martin (President, Drake University), Michele Masucci (Vice Chancellor, University System of Maryland), and Christopher Reber (President, Hudson County Community College) launched the Faculty Innovation Fellowship in early 2024 to help university presidents and chancellors empower innovative, promising faculty to deliver on key strategic initiatives for their institutions. Using BHEF’s Solutions Lab model, the program launched with the backing of ECMC Foundation for an initial two-year round of funding. BHEF members at the University System of Maryland, Drake University, and Connecticut State Colleges & Universities provided in-kind support as the inaugural cohort’s in-person session host sites.
Nominated faculty put forth a proposed real-world capstone project or "innovation" that they believe will enhance student success outcomes for their host institutions. Fellows then use the program’s three phases to channel innovative and entrepreneurial faculty into change leaders: innovation, change management, and leadership. From each session, fellows are provided extensive pre-reading and individual exercises, on-site expert training at three multi-day in-person sessions, and peer and expert mentoring through the cohort, BHEF members and staff, and a national network of expert professionals in business and industry engagement, economic and workforce development, strategic planning and innovation, and organizational executive leadership among other skills.
A Capstone Experience
BHEF’s 2025 fellows proposed a wide range of capstone projects spanning institutional, departmental, program-level, course-level, and research-level innovations. Select proposed capstone projects include:
- Launching industry-aligned advisory boards for in-demand tech jobs in semiconductor and nanoscience roles
- Development of novel course experiences for agriculture tech
- Accelerating integration of generative AI in curricular experiences
- Launching regional mentorship networks for liberal arts students
- Developing generative AI teaching and experiential learning initiatives
- Launching renewable energy training programs for industry,
- Expanding accessibility of industry-recognized cybersecurity credentials to community and state college students
- Launching a financial technology workforce innovation hub to embed industry experiences into curriculum
- Embedding industry partners and experiences into biotech trainings
- Launching a biomedical collaboration accelerator with industry
- Connecting regional makerspaces into experiential tech training for STEM and manufacturing occupations
2025 fellows will officially kick off their journey with their first in-person experience hosted by San Diego State University President Adela de la Torre where fellows will focus on cultivating their innovative mindsets and refining how they communicate about their innovation. As a backdrop, fellows will be immersed in the regional innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem anchored by SDSU and its novel industry partnerships with the burgeoning biotech industry through its new Mission Valley campus investments.
Fellows will convene next in Washington, DC, for a shared experience hosted by global consulting firm Accenture at their DC Cyber Hub (in Rosslyn, VA) and the brand-new Virginia Tech Innovation Campus where fellows will focus on developing their change management skills. Through this session, fellows will focus on developing strategies that connect their capstone projects into key institutional or regional initiatives to help drive support.
Finally, fellows will convene outside Dallas, Texas, at the State Farm Mutual Insurance Co.’s Richardson campus. There, fellows will focus on cultivating their leadership skills to serve as the real-world leaders to bring their innovation. Following the experience, fellows will gain access to the BHEF fellowship network, a national collective of fellows who will meet regularly virtually to provide mentorship and support across cohorts as the program continues.
At the conclusion of the program, fellows will work with BHEF staff and their executive sponsors to ensure a thoughtful and well-executed implementation of their capstone projects.
Interested in sponsoring a portion of the Faculty Innovation Fellowship, scholarships for fellows, or showcasing your own innovation to help faculty improve student outcomes?
Email Frank Avery, Managing Director, at frank.avery@bhef.com to learn more.
BHEF thanks its members and the ECMC Foundation for supporting this program’s mission to empower faculty as change agents in higher education.