Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation (RIO) Terri Fiez named Phil Weiser as faculty director of the University of Colorado Boulder , effective Jan. 3. Weiser most recently served as dean of the Law School from 2011 to 2016.
"Phil is regarded across the community and on the campus as an incredible advocate for innovation and entrepreneurship,"听Fiez said. "It鈥檚 terrific to have him join the RIO team."听Weiser rounds out the RIO team driving the Innovation and听Entrepreneurship initiative, which also includes Fiez and assistant directors George Deriso and Sarabeth Berk.
CU Boulder faculty, researchers, postdocs, staff and students are at the heart of countless innovations, creations and collaborations that have changed the world over the years. The Innovation and听Entrepreneurship initiative aims to build on this rich history of innovation and entrepreneurship by engaging the entire campus and collaborating with the surrounding community to bring entrepreneurial mindsets and methodologies to faculty, staff and students. In so doing, the initiative advances Chancellor听DiStefano鈥檚 goal of making CU Boulder the go-to public university for entrepreneurship, startups and innovation.听
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative, an interdisciplinary, cross-campus initiative housed within the Research & Innovation Office, is charged with enhancing and elevating innovation and entrepreneurship efforts across campus, as well as collaborating with and engaging partners from the community. In so doing, it will further CU Boulder鈥檚 overall global reputation as a top innovation university.
"For over the last decade, CU Boulder has built an increasingly impressive set of activities and collaborations in the innovation and entrepreneurship arena,鈥� Weiser stated. 鈥淚 am delighted to work with Vice Chancellor Fiez and leaders across the campus and community to take it to the next level."
In addition to taking on this new leadership role, Weiser will continue in his current roles as the Hatfield professor of law and telecommunications听and executive director and founder of the . In his role as executive director of Silicon Flatirons, Weiser helped launch a number of campus and community entrepreneurship programs, including Startup Colorado, Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network,听Global Entrepreneurs in Residence,听Entrepreneurship Seed Award and听Governmental Entrepreneurial Leadership Accelerator.听
Weiser joined the CU Boulder faculty as a professor of law and telecommunications in 1999. As an internationally-known scholar, Weiser has researched issues related to entrepreneurship, innovation and law over the last two decades, publishing a number of books, law journal articles and popular pieces. Before becoming dean, Weiser served as senior advisor for technology and innovation to the National Economic Council director at the White House from April 2010 to June 2011. Prior to joining the White House, Weiser served as the deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department鈥檚 Antitrust Division.