July 10, 2024- Launched last year in the Fall of 2023, the University of Illinois Faculty Entrepreneurial Leadership Program (FELP) is a professional development program intended to maximize the socioeconomic impact of research and scholarship and cultivate a diverse community of faculty entrepreneurs across all University of Illinois campuses. The College of Veterinary Medicine’s Dr. Jim Lowe, the Associate Dean of Online Programs and Extension in the College of Veterinary Medicine is set to participate this Fall alongside nearly twenty other admitted faculty.

“I look forward to meeting leaders in the entrepreneurial space from across the University of Illinois system to share ideas and build collaborations to benefit the veterinary profession and animal owners,” Dr. Lowe stated.

Through workshops, the program will focus on supporting faculty in their development as entrepreneurs and enhance diversity and inclusion among faculty entrepreneurs. This includes enhancing entrepreneurial skills and self-efficacy and emphasizing the creation of new ventures from early-stage research. The program complements NSF I-Corps and other entrepreneurship resources, enhancing U of I’s entrepreneurial ecosystem across all three campuses.   

This initiative emphasizes the university’s dedication to nurturing a vibrant entrepreneurial community and achieving entrepreneurial excellence.