Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) is pleased to announce that Dr. Isha Katyal has been named Associate Vice-President Innovation, leading applied research and innovation at the university within the CUE Innovation Hub (CIH). She will begin this role on October 1, 2022.
In this new role, Dr. Katyal will develop and execute a collaborative strategy that enhances the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the university. She will continue to advance the work started in her previous role as the Director of Innovation and Industry, including building easy-to-navigate pathways for industry and academia to collaborate, and providing resources for advancing ideas and research to benefit the broader community.
"External partnerships have been a priority and a strength for CUE since 2012. We are excited to have Dr. Katyal in this critical role to keep up the momentum of building connections with industry, government and CUE. Her expertise facilitating meaningful and large-scale partnerships and her dedication and passion for supporting inclusive, equitable and sustainable partnerships that benefit diverse communities make her an asset for CUE," says Dr. Manfred Zeuch, VP External and International Relations.
Since joining CUE in 2019, Dr. Katyal has demonstrated excellent leadership and has built strong working relationships with innovation and applied research-focused groups both within and outside CUE. She launched Innovation Launchpad @ CUE, a successful student entrepreneurial education program, and has been instrumental in securing provincial and federal funding for innovative technology and the development of industry-relevant continuing education programs.
Dr. Katyal holds a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Saskatchewan and has spent a significant amount of her career in supporting knowledge translation and coaching innovators in both Canadian post-secondaries and the private sector.
"It's exciting to be starting in this role when there is a lot of welcoming energy on campus for new initiatives that can benefit from strategic partnerships with industry, government and community. I look forward to engaging with the CUE community to understand their needs and building a cohesive unit that supports applied research and innovation at the university," says Dr. Katyal.
Introducing the CUE Innovation Hub
The portfolio Dr. Katyal leads has been restructured as the CUE Innovation Hub (CIH). The hub is part of CUE's External and International Relations, led by Vice President Dr. Manfred Zeuch, and brings together a collection of resources for innovators and entrepreneurs.
Created to foster a culture of creativity and innovation across the university, the hub brings together three existing units
- BMO-Centre for Applied Research and Innovation (launched in 2016)
- Concordia Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence (launched in 2019)
- McNeil Centre for Applied Renewable Energy (launched in 2020)
The following team members are part of the CIH
- Mike Wade, MBA, Dr. h.c., Director, Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence
- Mandira Das, MASc., P.Eng. Business Development Specialist
- Arul Prakash Pugazhendi, M.Sc., Machine Learning Developer
- Ed Boraas, BSc., Research Lead (part-time)
- Katie Mallard, BSc., Sustainability and Partnership Officer
Please reach out to Dr. Manfred Zeuch or Dr. Isha Katyal with any questions about this announcement or to learn more about the Concordia Innovation Hub.
