Cele Stone tapped as Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships & Innovation
By: Norman Martin
Cele Stone, an expert in bridging operational and engagement gaps between academic institutions and business communities and a Davis College graduate, has been named Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships & Innovation, according to officials at Texas Tech's Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources. She officially steps into her new role on Feb 12.
“I am grateful to both Dean Krehbiel and Dr. Gordon Davis for their ambitious vision for the future of the Davis College.” Stone said. “The Dean has assembled a rock-star team to implement The Pursuit of Prime, and I feel extremely blessed to be a part of the team during these historic times.”
Stone brings an industry perspective to academia that enables rich partnerships, leading to sponsored research, increased giving, and internship opportunities for students.
“This initiative will allow the Davis College to provide exciting new opportunities for our students by connecting them with potential employers," she said.
Prior to joining Davis College, Stone served as Director of Strategic Partnerships & Innovation for the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER), headquartered at Texas Tech University. She was responsible for the core activities of the innovation ecosystem and industry relations across five partner institutions: Texas Tech, Florida A&M University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Stone founded her first agricultural company at age 27 and continues her entrepreneurial adventures with her husband, Evan. Part of their portfolio includes owning and operating a farm outside of Lubbock. In addition, she serves in the Innovate Texas Tech Mentor Program (iTTU), advising and integrating strategies for innovation within early-stage startups while leading efforts to help improve capacity for profitability and business growth.
Stone received her doctorate in Agricultural Education & Communications from Texas Tech. Her bachelor's degree is from Texas A&M University and her master's degree is from West Texas A&M.
Established in 1923, Davis College includes the departments of agricultural and applied economics, agricultural education and communications, animal and food sciences, landscape architecture, natural resources management, plant and soil science, and veterinary sciences along with multiple research centers and institutes. It has more than 100 tenure-track faculty, 2,748 undergraduate and 519 graduate students, and generates approximately $15 million in extramural research funding.
CONTACT: Clint Krehbiel, Dean, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or Clint.Krehbiel@ttu.edu
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Address
P.O. Box 42123, Lubbock, Texas 79409-2123, Dean's Office Location:Goddard Building, Room 108 -
Phone
(806)742-2808 -
Email
kris.allen@ttu.edu