Rodney Priestley will become Princeton University’s first vice-dean for innovation next February, lending greater emphasis to its innovation and entrepreneurship strategy.
Princeton University has selected Rodney Priestley (pictured), currently professor of chemical and biological engineering, to fill the newly-created position of vice-dean for innovation.
Starting from February 2020, Priestley’s role will involve providing oversight of the university’s innovation and entrepreneurship activity, setting up resources to that end such as workshops, networking and training.
He will work in close cooperation with other elements of Princeton’s innovation ecosystem, including the offices of technology licensing and university advancement, and the office for corporate engagement and foundation relations.
Princeton hopes the role will offer an additional link between its academic talent and external partners from the nonprofit, corporate and government spaces.
Priestley joined Princeton as a faculty member in 2009. He is currently associate director for the Princeton Center for Complex Materials and director of graduate studies within the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
He is also co-director of Princeton’s new Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellows program, which aims to encourage greater diversity in the university by addressing underrepresented groups.
Priestley’s career began with a postdoctoral research fellowship at chemistry graduate school Chimie-ParisTech. He went on to co-found advanced materials startup Sphera Materials in 2013, serving as its chief scientific adviser for two years.
