Paul Cherukuri was recently named the University’s first chief innovation officer in August, a role within the Office of the Vice President for Research that was created to help expand student entrepreneurship and start-up activity at the University. In a conversation with The Cavalier Daily, Cherukuri outlined his vision to encourage students and faculty across all disciplines to develop startups and pursue innovative projects.
The University has charged him with expanding its innovation network by helping faculty and students turn ideas into real-world solutions. He is also responsible for deepening the University’s ties with businesses, government and community organizations, so students can more easily launch start-ups.
“I think U.Va. has that great opportunity to really exemplify [its sense of innovation] here in Virginia and also nationally and internationally,” Cherukuri said.
Cherukuri is now leading U.Va. Innovates, a University-wide initiative started in 2024 to encourage students wishing to create businesses and different initiatives of their choosing. He hopes to achieve this through University funding and institutional support for students, faculty, staff, alumni and local businesses.
He has also been named the Donna and Richard Tadler Professor of Entrepreneurship. The endowed Tadler Professorship that Cherukuri now holds was created in 2021 through a gift from alumni Donna and Richard Tadler, along with matching funds from the University’s Bicentennial Professorship Fund, to support entrepreneurship across Grounds. He will also hold faculty appointments in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the McIntire School of Commerce.
Cherukuri will also oversee efforts to strengthen collaboration across schools and connect research with industry and regional partners as part of the University’s recent push to encourage greater student innovation.
“There is this idea of being able to create new opportunities for society through what what U.Va. does and I think that's a wonderful thing,” Cherukuri said. “And if anything empowers students, it's the idea of giving agency to students.”
Before coming to the University, Cherukuri worked for Rice University where he served as a vice president for innovation and its first chief innovation officer. At Rice, Cherukuri led several major projects aimed at expanding the school’s entrepreneurship efforts.
He mentioned that Rice’s first president Edgar Odell Lovett was a University alumnus and that both universities had similar founding principles, including supporting academic freedom and upholding an honor code.
Despite not ever working for the University, he said these principles, as well as a shared spirit of innovation, makes it feel like a homecoming for him. Cherukuri also noted that Thomas Jefferson’s innovative academic model where students and faculty work together is what attracted him to the University.
“[The University] was founded off of an innovative mindset from Jefferson … [that] faculty and students are on equal footing,” Cherukuri said. “There isn't this idea that the faculty member is above a student, but it's this idea that is much more balanced … so then entrepreneurship weaves through that.”
Cherukuri added that he sees his new position as an opportunity to carry forward Jefferson’s vision of a University that advances knowledge for the public good. He said he hopes to create an environment where ideas can move seamlessly from classrooms and labs into practical applications that benefit communities in Virginia and beyond.
He emphasized his early interactions with the University’s Paul and Dianne Manning Institute for Biotechnology in developing new health technologies and observing other parts of the University that are creating nuclear, aerospace and AI advancements. In particular, Cherukuri discussed the importance of technology as a dominant part of the University’s future.
“We've got a lot of students who are creating AI companies … and I think it's not only the new frontier, but also the next wave of development that you're going to see out of [the University],” Cherukuri said.
Cherukuri said he hopes students will not only find opportunities through existing companies but also build their own. He emphasized that creating new ventures allows students to take ownership of their ideas and that he is eager to learn what students are interested in.
“If there are any students or faculty … who want to change the world, give me a call,” Cherukuri said. “That’s really what my office is here for.”
In his position, Cherukuri said that he would like to continue supporting an entrepreneurial spirit by having more startup companies, including those for profit and not for profit, and by working with different organizations and schools across Grounds.
He mentioned that the Karsh Institute of Democracy as well as the School of Law and Darden School of Business represent a large part of the University’s identity and that he would like to work with them to advance public policy and business innovation.
He added that he hopes students will not only pursue existing jobs, but continue to create new ones by starting their own companies. He believes this shift will strengthen the University’s culture of innovation, while empowering students to shape their futures and make a meaningful impact on society.
“I think, if anything, we're gonna be able to help the University grow and do even more than it's ever done before, so I'm excited,” Cherukuri said.
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