Faculty Fellows
This program is developed for our faculty to develop cutting edge, transformative experiences for students and pilot new initiatives. Fellows projects will open up opportunities for the Fellows themselves, students, the state of Alaska and the many institutional support staff who make UAF the premier research university in Alaska.
This is a year-long program focused on enhancing faculty involvement in Innovation and Entrepreneurship to establish an active, collaborative network of cross disciplinary and skilled faculty/post docs who are motivated to integrate an entrepreneurial mindset into their teaching, research and development.
Innovation Faculty Fellows are positioned as a vital part of UAF and tri-state RISE UP entrepreneurial ecosystem. Innovation Faculty Fellows learn key techniques on how to incorporate the Lean Startup Methodology into the design of their courses and effectively teach multidisciplinary teams on tackling real world challenges through research.
Faculty who are awarded a Fellowship :
- Are seen for their leadership in creating cutting edge experiences for students and in strengthening the Alaska innovation ecosystem.
- Gain recognition from their chairs and deans, Alaskan industry thought leaders, and students for taking the risks to effect real change.
- Have access to a team of supportive institutional and community leaders and thinkers who will help them implement their ideas.
- Get training in topics like Lean Methodologies, Design and Systems Thinking, or other innovation-related topics.
- Are paid a stipend and see the fellowship reflected in their workload and in tenure and promotion files.
Current fellows
2025-2026 Fellows
6 Fellows from across the university that include:
- Troy Bouffard, Assistant Professor, Director Center for Arctic Security and Resilience (CASR), College of Business and Security Management (CBSM)
- Chandler Kemp, Assistant Professor, Bristol Bay Campus (BBC)
- , Assistant Professor, Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering (CGEE), College of Engineering and Mines (CEM)
- Peter Westley, Associate Professor, Lowell A. Wakefield Chair in Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Department of Fisheries, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS)
- , Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science (CS), College of Engineering and Mines (CEM)
- Sarah Stanley, Professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
Past fellows
2024-2025 Fellows
11 Fellows from across the university that include:
- William Howard, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, College of Natural Science and Mathematics (CNSM)
- , Research Professor, Water and Environmental Research Center (), Institute of Northern Engineering ()
- Kay McMonigal, Assistant Professor, Department of Oceanography, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS)
- , Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Fisheries, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS)
- , Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science (CS), College of Engineering and Mines (CEM)
- Sarah Stanley, Professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
- Diana Wolf, Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Wildlife, College of Natural Science and Mathematics (CNSM)
- , Professor, Department of Social Work, College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
- , Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Natural Science and Mathematics (CNSM)
- , Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Systems Science, College of Natural Science and Mathematics (CNSM)
2023-2024 Fellows
6 Fellows from across the university that include:
- Christa Mulder, Research Professor, Department of Biology and Wildlife, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, (CNSM)
- Santosh Panda, Associate Professor, Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension (IANRE)
- , Assistant Professor, Business and Accounting, Community and Technical College ()
- Sarah Stanley, Professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
- , Professor, Alaska Indigenous Teacher Corps, College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
- Janice Dawe, Assistant Professor. Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension (IANRE)