(pictured: Claudia Reuter, Daniel Pak, Jiacheng Xie, Ali Maatouk, Jian Ding, Yanan Zheng)

The Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science and Yale Ventures have launched the inaugural Yale Engineering Innovation Fellows program, a six-month pilot program aimed at equipping advanced doctoral and postdoctoral researchers at Yale with the skills to bring groundbreaking technologies to market.

The inaugural cohort consists of five fellows from diverse fields within Yale Engineering, including computer science, biomedical engineering, applied physics, and electrical and computer engineering.  

• Yanan Zheng, Computer Science (Faculty Advisor/PI: Arman Cohan)  
• Daniel Pak, Biomedical Engineering, (Faculty Advisor/PI: James Duncan)
• Jian Ding (Electrical & Computer Engineering, (Faculty Advisor/PI: Leandros Tassiulas)
• Jiacheng Xie, Applied Physics, (Faculty Advisor/PI: Hong Tang)
• Ali Maatouk, Computer Science, (Faculty Advisor/PI: Rex Ying) 

Over six months, the Fellows will meet on two Fridays each month to work through a series of content and programming, designed to prepare them for real-world challenges on the path to commercialization. Focus areas include Fundamentals & Team Dynamics, Technical Differentiation & Development, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategies, Fundraising, and Pitch Development. 

“Since launching the Roberts Innovation Fund in 2022, we’ve seen an incredible range of projects emerging from Yale Engineering. We know that successful teams often include a post-doc with significant domain knowledge. Our goal in launching this program is to support more of those individuals with access to content, programming, and our growing mentor network, so that we may continue to cultivate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within Yale Engineering,” said Claudia Reuter, Director of the Roberts Innovation Fund. 

This hands-on program marks a key step in expanding the infrastructure that supports innovation and entrepreneurial growth within Yale’s engineering community, building on initiatives like the Roberts Innovation Fund to accelerate the commercialization of breakthrough inventions. 

For more information, visit Yale Engineering Innovation Fellows program.