On July 7, ten Athens State University faculty came together for the sixth and final session of the 2026 CORE Faculty Fellows program, capping off an intensive fellowship dedicated to advancing their individual research projects, strengthening ties across the cohort, and identifying new pathways to connect their work with local business and industry partners. Representing all three colleges, Arts and Sciences; Business; and Education; as well as Kares Library, Fellows presented updates on their research, exchanged feedback, and explored opportunities for collaboration across disciplines and beyond campus.
The CORE Faculty Fellows program is funded through the EPIIC (Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity) grant from the National Science Foundation. Beyond building faculty research acumen and a sustained community of scholarly support, the program is designed to help Fellows see new ways their existing work on campus can translate into meaningful partnerships with regional business and industry. Over six sessions, participants worked through project development, collaborative problem-solving, and, at this culminating meeting, mapping connections with external partners.
“One of the most exciting parts of this program is watching faculty realize that the research they’re already passionate about has real relevance to the businesses and industries right here in our region. This session was about helping them see those connections and start building the relationships to act on them,” said Dr. Katie Holm, Associate Professor and EPIIC Grant Principal Investigator.
The CORE Faculty Fellows program is part of Athens State University’s ongoing commitment to faculty development, research excellence, and regional economic partnership. For more information about the program, visit https://www.athens.edu/core-faculty-fellows/.
