Transformative learning as part of faculty development in an academic biomedical innovation program

Faculty are central to higher education and workforce development. Recent significant disruptions including the pandemic, student demographic shifts, and technology advancements in artificial intelligence are challenging faculty member's status quo in their teaching and research practices. Faculty members will need to actively engage in professional development so that they can continually adapt to an evolving higher education landscape to ensure educational quality and innovation. The Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program is an academic biomedical innovation program that provides professional development and resources to help faculty members commercialize their biomedical innovations. Studies have shown that the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program can generate academic innovations that provide socioeconomic benefits such as improving human health and creating new jobs. However, less is known about the lived experiences of faculty members who have participated in the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program. Research is needed on the lived experiences of faculty members who have participated in this Program to better understand the professional development benefits for faculty and the learning benefits for students. This qualitative multiple case study explored the lived experiences of faculty members who have participated in the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program, the effects of the professional development offered through the Program on their teaching and research practices, and the faculty's perceived value of the Program for faculty and students. The findings of this study demonstrated that the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program can be a transformative learning opportunity for faculty. This transformative learning can result in positively impacting their teaching, their research practices, and their student experiences. This study adds to existing research on faculty professional development, the application of transformative learning in faculty development, and the impact of academic biomedical innovation programs.