Published: Dec. 7, 2017

In recent campus communications, you have likely noticed an increased focus on our strategic imperatives to shape tomorrow’s leaders, be the top university for innovation, and positively impact humanity­.

The growing buzz around the revitalized Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, the Academic Futures process and the CU Boulder Guarantee are a few examples of programs that are directly moving us toward those imperatives.

I’m excited to share with you another program that can be added to the list above—RIO Faculty Fellows, which was launched this past fall when the Research & Innovation Office (RIO) solicited applications for its inaugural cohort. Most of all, I’m delighted to introduce you to our first cohort of fellows.

RIO Faculty Fellows seeks to identify and develop tenured and tenure-track assistant or associate professors who are poised to lead significant collaborative projects, develop vision and deliver novel and impactful scholarly work. The program was founded and will continue to be led by Faculty Director Alan Townsend and Program Director Kirsten Rowell.

Founded on lessons from the successful Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, our program engages fellows as individuals and as a cohort on research and creative work leadership; collaboration and systems thinking; along with team building and academic management; scholarly communication and values; equity; ethics; and personal and professional coaching.

Perhaps its greatest promise is identifying a network of campus leaders, already experts in their respective fields, and equipping them to break down discipline-based silos on campus while strengthening the university’s reputation nationally and globally through deeper and wider collaborations beyond campus. Complementing programs such as the Excellence in Leadership program and the Faculty Leadership Institute, the RIO Faculty Fellows program is an investment in our faculty and in our university as a global leader in innovation and impact.

In addition to the cohort’s first intensive three-day retreat in January, the program framework includes several more focused retreats and a variety of informal networking activities throughout the year. I hope you’ll keep this program in mind as you think about opportunities for your most outstanding colleagues in the coming year. Applications for the next cohort will be accepted in September 2018.

Please join me in congratulating our first cohort of RIO Faculty Fellows. I know we’ll be hearing even more from them in the coming years!

Terri Fiez,
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation

Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation Terri Fiez

Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation Terri Fiez

RIO Faculty Fellows

Jennifer Balch: Geography; CIRES, Earth Lab

Robin Bernstein: Anthropology

Alison Boardman: Education

Samuel Boyd: Religious Studies; Jewish Studies

Zoe Donaldson: Psychology and Neuroscience; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

Alireza Doostan: Aerospace Engineering

Gordana Dukovic: Chemistry and Biochemistry

Rebecca Flowers: Geological Sciences

Fredy Gonzalez: History

Eve Hinckley: Environmental Studies; INSTAAR

Martina Miranda: Music Education

Beth Osnes: Theatre & Dance

Zhiyong “Jason” Ren: Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering

Greg Rieker: Mechanical Engineering

Fernando Rosario-Ortiz: Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering

Jennifer Shannon: Anthropology; CU Museum of Natural History