Dior Kelley, assistant professor of genetics, development and cell biology (GDCB), and Jelena Kraft, GDCB assistant teaching professor, are among a group of 11 faculty from eight College of Agriculture and Life Sciences departments who have been chosen to participate in the 2024 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program. 

Each faculty member will receive funding to support proposed projects. Kelley will receive funding for “Curator of Art-Science,” while Kraft will receive funding for “Building Bridges: Connecting genetics teaching laboratory data to classroom analysis.”

Established in 2022, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program aims to foster and expand a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among CALS faculty. It was initiated by the Dean’s Office for Academic Innovation and Start Something CALS. Nine faculty were part of the inaugural cohort, made possible by funding from CALS Dean Daniel J. Robison and President Wendy Wintersteen.

Additional information about the program and links to stories about the 2022 cohort’s projects can be found on the CALS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows webpage.