Erica Forzani and Visar Berisha
Erica Forzani, associate professor of chemical engineering and mechanical engineering in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, and Visar Berisha, assistant professor of electrical engineering for the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering with a joint appointment in the ASU Department of Speech and Hearing Science, are the Fulton Schools’ 2017 Entrepreneurial Professors.
Forzani’s research interests include the development of novel hybrid chemical and biosensors and the integration of sensors into wireless, non-invasive and inexpensive sensor devices. She is focused on health applications as well as environmental health and safety.
Berisha works to develop and apply new machine learning and statistical signal processing tools to better understand and model signal perception. His research focuses on speech, with a goal to develop reliable, data-driven models that can mimic aspects of human cognition.
The Fulton Entrepreneurial Professor Program, initiated in the 2011-2012 academic year, designates inventive faculty as Fulton Entrepreneurial Professors and provides them the opportunity to get their innovations into the market.
Fulton Entrepreneurial Professors receive support to pursue technology and product commercialization and start-up ventures. Support includes reduced instructional and service duties as well as opportunities for seed funding for prototype or proof-of-concept testing and researcher support to sustain activity in their research group during the appointment period. The Arizona Technology Enterprises Venture Capitalist Program provides mentoring and intellectual property help.
These distinguished faculty are selected annually through a competitive proposal process for one- to two-year terms. Fulton Entrepreneurial Professors can re-compete for subsequent appointments at the end of their terms.
Read more about the Fulton Entrepreneurial Professors Program.
