Published: Dec. 14, 2023 By

The Research & Innovation Office has announced the 2024 RIO Faculty Fellows cohort, which includes 16 faculty members from departments and research institutes across the campus. The diversity of disciplines included in the cohort embodies the breadth of excellence represented in CU Boulder’s research, scholarship and creative work.


The RIO Faculty Fellows program supports faculty in achieving their research and innovation goals and promotes collaboration through tailored training, experiential learning and leadership development opportunities. The program is also building a community of interdisciplinary, creative research leaders to help drive collaboration and innovation across the university through a series of intensive research leadership retreats and coaching.  

“I’m pleased to welcome the sixth cohort of RIO Faculty Fellows in 2024,” said Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation and Dean of the Institutes Massimo Ruzzene. “Our world-class faculty are the heart and soul of the research and creative work that creates lasting impact on campus and beyond. This new cohort adds to the growing body of faculty benefiting from this deep dive into honing leadership skills and applying it to their scholarship.”

“I’m thrilled to work with this new group of RIO Faculty Fellows. We have such incredible scholars across CU Boulder...to spend this time together focusing on leadership, collaboration dynamics and communication is such a privilege,” said Faculty Director Kirsten Rowell.

The RIO Faculty Fellows program

The RIO Faculty Fellows program identifies and develops individual leadership styles of tenured and tenure-track assistant and associate professors who are poised to lead significant collaborative projects, develop vision and deliver novel and impactful scholarly work. 

This and other faculty development programs including the Excellence in Leadership program, represent investments in CU Boulder faculty and in the 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. Applications for the 2025 cohort will be accepted in September 2024.