The Purdue and Butler Innovation Fellows program—a new collaboration between faculty and staff at the two universities—launched April 12 with the Food Project, an event highlighting food and sustainability projects, research, art, and cooking demonstrations. Authors Dr. Terri Jett and Dr. Ken Foster discussed their books “Food Justice” and “How to Feed the World”.

The Innovation Fellows work together to advance undergraduate teaching and learning by identifying, testing, and piloting opportunities that will better equip undergraduate students with the transdisciplinary skill sets needed to succeed in the future economy. The Innovation Fellow’s goal is to take this interdisciplinary project-based piece and have it become integrated as a core curriculum experience. The Food Project included faculty and students from each university and across multiple disciplines discussing, studying, and presenting lessons learned about food sustainability. 

“The Food Project Exhibition event was one that motivated me and reminded me that we have great minds working on the grand challenges we face as a society,” Dr. Stephanie Hinshaw, Executive Director of Butler’s Transformation Lab, said. “Seeing how Purdue and Butler students and faculty are working to address food sustainability was motivating and encouraging. There’s much more work to do and that’s why events of this kind are important—as they spread awareness.”

Butler’s Transformation Lab is working with the Innovation Fellows. The Lab is a department within the Strategy and Innovation Office, and is tasked with taking future models of education or business from ideation to launch, and any step in between. 

Dr. Catharine Pangan, College of Education, and Dr. Thomas Hanson, Lacy School of Business, represent Butler in the Innovation Fellows Program. Dr. Edward Berger, Inaugural Associate Vice Provost for Learning Innovation and Director of the Innovation Hub, and Dr. Manoj Patankar, School of Aviation and Transportation, represent Purdue University.

If you are interested in learning more about the Innovation Fellows program or the Transformation Lab, please email transformation@butler.edu.