Zahn Professor of Creativity and Innovation

About the Zahn Professorship

The Division of Research and Innovation partners with Faculty Advancement and Student Success to select one tenured faculty member to advance initiatives that foster creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship universitywide.

This professorship involves:

• a two-year appointment
• two course releases per academic year for the faculty member
• sering as Professor-in-Residence at the ZIP Launchpad
• participation in quarterly ZIP Launchpad Advisory Board meetings
• producing tangible, implementable outcomes such as new courses, interdisciplinary programming or experiential learning initiatives

Current Zahn Professor of Creativity and Innovation

Starting in Fall 2026, the Zahn Professor of Creativity and Innovation is George Youssef from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Past Zahn Professors of Creativity and Innovation

• Iana Castro
• Kaveh Abhari
• Guadalupe X. "Suchi" Ayala
• John Eger

Application Requirements

• Condensed CV (maximum five pages)
• One-page proposal describing a two-year vision, expected outcomes, and high-level implementation plan for Year 1 and Year 2
• Clear articulation of how the work advances innovation and entrepreneurship at SDSU

Selection Criteria and Process

The Zahn Professorship Selection Committee, composed of staff leaders in the SDSU innovation ecosystem, reviews and ranks the applications and shares these as advisory rankings to the Vice President for Research Innovation, Vice President for University Relations and Development, and Provost for approval.