Our Mission

UARF's mission is to transform and expand the region's innovation economy through entrepreneurship education, technology commercialization, application of UA research, and creation of new entrepreneurial ventures. 

Since its creation in 2001, UARF has become a significant source of support for both UA innovators and Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs.
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UARF is home to one of the nation's first I-Corps Sites, one of the first Ohio-awarded technology validation funds.UARF is also proud to be a member of the Northeast Ohio Entrepreneurial Signature Program.​​ 

Meet The UARF Team
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Dr. Suzanne Bausch

President of UARF
[email protected]​

Dr. Bausch is serving as the University’s chief research officer where she is responsible for growing the University's research enterprise including grants, contracts and sponsored programs; intellectual property administration, patent marketing and licensing; and oversight of programs to encourage basic, applied and funded research among faculty, staff and students.

​She will also oversee technology commercialization of University intellectual property and economic development; outreach to build relationships between the business community and the research enterprise; and provide general academic supervision of graduate education within the University.

Tricia Pihlblad

Coordinator
[email protected]​

Tricia joined the UARF Team in 2015 as both the Administrative and Event Coordinator. She is the first person you see when entering the UARF offices, she enjoys making sure all of our visitors feel comfortable and at home.  

​You will also see her buzzing around UARF events to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves and they are having a positive experience. Tricia attended the University of Akron and enjoys being part of the support staff that helps ambitious entrepreneurs navigate through their first steps of success.

Fred Carter 
Recruiter, Instructor, Mentor
[email protected]

Fred has over 25 years of experience launching products for Fortune 500 companies and leading customer segment development teams. Leveraging this extensive background, he started his own consulting company in 2022. Through networking, he connected with the team at UARF and began mentoring I-Corps participants. This mentorship evolved into a recruiting and instructing role at UARF.
Passionate about fostering entrepreneurship and community involvement, Fred actively volunteers and participates in youth career exploration programs. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities like backpacking and kayaking.

Hiba Fayoumi, Ph.D.
Instructor, Recruiter, Mentor
[email protected]  

Hiba Fayoumi is a faculty member of the University of Toledo's Mathematics and Statistics Department, specializing in pure mathematics, cryptography, and network security. By promoting collaboration across various departments, Dr. Fayoumi has successfully led interdisciplinary research teams to significant developments in information systems security and privacy. Her team participated in the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, focusing on a secure VPN solution for remote workers resistant to quantum computer attacks. 
Since participating in I-Corps, Dr. Fayoumi has taken on roles at UARF as mentor, instructor, and recruiter for research teams across Ohio, sharing knowledge in customer discovery and the business model canvas. She enjoys connecting academia with industry, and contributing to the advancement of technology and innovation.

Niraj Jaishwal
Entrepreneurial Program Intern​​

I am an International Student from Nepal. I am pursuing a major in Bachelor of Computer Science, a second Major in Applied Mathematics with focus in Data Science and a minor in Statistics. In addition to my academic pursuits, I'm actively engaged in a certificate program offered by Google in Data Analytics enhancing my skills for comprehensive analysis and problem-solving.
I ventured into entrepreneurship, operating a Small Scale business ( Bag Factory) back in Nepal, where I used to preform most of the technical to administrative work.
Combining my academic endeavors with real-world experience, I'm poised to tackle challenges with a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insight.

UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS

January 29, 2025  via Microsoft Teams
April 30, 2025   via Microsoft Teams
July 30, 2025    via Microsoft Teams
November 19, 2025   via Microsoft Teams

Email [email protected] for more details