Alvin Henry and Byron Purse Selected for New Prestigious Faculty Innovation Fellowships at National Nonprofit
The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), based in Washington, D.C., selected two from SDSU to join the first cohort of 19 fellows from across the country.
Alvin Henry, associate professor and director of Asian American Studies and Byron Purse, professor, chemistry and biochemistry will join the inaugural cohort of the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) Faculty Innovation Fellows. These fellows represent 13 institutions across 10 states and come from a diverse array of disciplines including business and hospitality, nursing, and social sciences.
The Faculty Innovation Fellowship program provides the tools, resources, and space to design, develop, and lead innovations in establishing equitable talent pipelines that expand pathways to student success.
Fellows will participate in virtual and in-person sessions over several months on innovation mindset, change management, and leadership. They will also work with their peers and industry experts to develop projects that enhance student success through innovative employer collaborations.
“Collaboration between business and higher education is vital to ensure that higher education experiences pave the way for rewarding employment,” according to the BHEF. Faculty fellows are leaders empowered to drive positive change that position students for success.
A portion of Henry’s research has centered on employment trends for humanities and social sciences majors since his arrival to San Diego State University’s College of Arts and Letters last year. “With the new career-readiness courses we are preparing for fall in the College of Arts and Letters, this fellowship will give me even more material to share with our students as they find innovative skills to secure meaningful employment after graduation,” he said.
SDSU will have an opportunity to be a national model for workforce responsiveness through the faculty fellows, who are poised to influence peers around innovation and the work on their initiatives that will be implemented on campus.
