Case Western Reserve University’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship is contagious—and at the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship, the buzz is spreading.
One exciting update is the expanding Veale Faculty Fellowship, which has increased in size to meet the growing needs of faculty at CWRU.
Designed specifically for faculty interested in exploring entrepreneurship as a path to market for their research, the Veale Faculty Fellowship program launched in 2022-23 for faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences and Case School of Engineering. The cohort was tight-knit and small, and an excellent starting point for the three faculty fellows to focus on learning how to communicate and formulate the value of their ideas.
“The program has functioned as a supportive environment for taking our research farther,” says Dr. Kati Daltorio, one of the inaugural cohort members and an engineering faculty member.
In the program, she explains, they are given space to ask questions about others’ experiences, while also gaining support (“cheerleading,” as Daltorio puts it) from people like Dr. Umut Gurkan, who joined the Fellows as a Mentor.
Dr. Brian Gran, a professor in the department of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences and another member of the initial cohort, agreed that the “opportunities to present ideas to mentors and to receive their feedback, criticism, and insights were crucial.”
“Standing at the board and behind PowerPoint presentations was daunting, but a lot of fun. One of the best experiences I have had here as a CWRU faculty member,” he added. “A game-changing experience.”
Looking towards the future, Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship senior director Mindy Baierl knew that those peer learning opportunities were the strongest part of the program. She could see that having a wider scope, with faculty members from more disciplines, would enrich those opportunities even further.
After a year of testing out the waters, it became clear that it was time to open the program to faculty University-wide.
“There’s a clear need to support curious faculty interested in exploring entrepreneurship,” she explains. “That need isn’t limited to one or two schools.”
“We want diverse backgrounds, pain points, potential markets and personalities to enrich the peer learning that happens in our cohort and ensure success.”
After an open application period in the spring, the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship is happy to announce the 2023-24 cohort of the Veale Faculty Fellows program. Below each name, listed alphabetically by last name, you’ll find information about their research area.
Meet the 2023-2024 Fellows
Jesse Berezovsky, College of Arts & Sciences
Applications of statistical mechanics to the structure of music
Changyong "Chase" Cao, Case School of Engineering
Soft electronics and Soft robotics
Christine Duval, Case School of Engineering
Radiochemistry separations (applications include nuclear medicine, mining, nuclear fuel)
Jenny Hawkins, Weatherhead School of Management
Microeconomic theory—industrial organization, antitrust, law & economics
Theresa Roma Jasinevicius, School of Dental Medicine
Holo-lens app: Jaws at Work (JaW) to illustrate how anatomy of jaws (TMJ - temporomandibular joint) can influence the anatomy of teeth
Shanina Knighton, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and Case School of Engineering
Self-management, infection prevention and control in older adults
Ya-Ting Liao, Case School of Engineering
Combustion and fire science
Valentin Rodionov, Case School of Engineering
Materials chemistry