Entrepreneur in Residence

The Entrepreneur in Residence is a full-time leadership position within the College of Agriculture, Science & Technology at Delaware State University. This role is responsible for advancing the College’s innovation ecosystem through strategic capacity building, including the expansion of existing programs and the development of new initiatives that enhance scope, impact, and sustainability. As a forward thinking leader, the Entrepreneur in Residence remains at the forefront of industry best practices and emerging market trends, ensuring that the College’s programs are aligned with evolving workforce and innovation demands.

Serving as both a subject matter expert and an academic collaborator, this role bridges industry, research, and extension. This position plays a critical role in enriching the student experience by integrating real-world application with academic learning, bringing deep expertise, practical insight, and a strong appreciation for translating innovation into practice. Through mentorship, program development, and industry engagement, the role strengthens pathways from ideation to commercialization, positioning students for success in competitive and rapidly evolving sectors.

• Bridge academia and industry by integrating scholarly knowledge with real-world professional practice, ensuring students gain applied, workforce-relevant experience.
• Design and deliver high-impact programming, including guest lectures, bootcamps, seminars, and workshops that reflect current industry trends and emerging technologies.
• Mentor and advise students in applying theoretical concepts to real-world challenges, fostering critical thinking, innovation, and problem-solving through experiential learning.
• Advance student innovation and entrepreneurship, including mentorship of student-led projects, startups, competitions, and commercialization efforts.
• Guide student professional development, including portfolio creation, career readiness, and positioning for competitive opportunities.
• Facilitate experiential learning opportunities, including internships, fellowships, and project-based engagements with industry and government partners.
• Develop talent across the College, supporting both formal and informal mentorship structures that promote student success, faculty engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Cultivate and sustain partnerships with universities, industry leaders, funding agencies, and innovation ecosystems to expand opportunities for students and faculty.
• Serve as a strategic liaison between the College and external stakeholders (industry, government, and nonprofit sectors) to identify collaborative opportunities in research, extension, and workforce development that address societal needs.
• Strengthen the College’s external funding pipeline by identifying and supporting opportunities for fellowships, internships, sponsored research, and programmatic investments.
• Enhance industry–academia collaboration by aligning academic programs with workforce demands and facilitating applied research and innovation initiatives.
• Lead outreach and extension activities that translate research and innovation into community and industry impact.
• Integrate emerging trends and best practices into curriculum enhancement, student programming, and workforce initiatives.
• Provide technical mentorship and program leadership to student teams, developing training programs that strengthen technical expertise, academic rigor, and business acumen.
• Support resource development to enhance fieldwork, applied research, and extension capabilities across the College.
• Develop and implement strategies that deliver both foundational knowledge and applied, market-relevant skills aligned with evolving industry sectors.

• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience, with a preference for individuals who bring both academic and industry expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage multiple initiatives across diverse stakeholder groups within a complex organization.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, supported by a bachelor’s degree or equivalent…