Assistant Teaching Professor of Training and Development Pooneh Lari Selected to Join Business-Higher Education Forum Faculty Innovation Fellowship

Pooneh Lari, an assistant teaching professor of training and development in the NC State College of Education, has been selected to join the Business-Higher Education Forum’s Faculty Innovation Fellowship. 

The Faculty Innovation Fellowship is designed to provide members with tools, access to experts and the space to design, develop and lead innovations that establish pipelines and expand pathways to student success. 

Lari is one of 28 fellows selected from across the nation to join the 2025 cohort. 

“I’m truly excited about this fellowship opportunity because it allows me to expand the impact of my work in the Training and Development M.Ed. program,” Lari said. “It’s a chance to further integrate industry partnerships and real-world learning into graduate education while gaining the support and resources to refine and scale these efforts. More than that, it’s an opportunity to collaborate with professionals who are just as passionate about student success, explore new and innovative approaches and make a lasting impact on workforce development.”

Lari is passionate about workforce development and the impact that real-world learning can have for students, and is excited for the opportunity this fellowship provides to expand students’ access to employer-driven projects. 

As a Faculty Innovation Fellow, she said she is most looking forward to creating and implementing scalable frameworks for employer partnerships, mentorship programs and real-world learning that will benefit both students and employers.