For Beth Lambeth, it is all about helping others build connections.
In her newest role as South Dakota Mines associate vice president for research-innovation and entrepreneurship, that means helping students and faculty obtain the resources and partnerships available to turn their ideas into reality.
It is a role that she is passionate about.
“I am fueled by networking with leaders and industry mentors to create lasting connections and to make a difference,” she said.
Lambeth takes over the position vacated by her longtime mentor Joseph Wright. “My journey into technology transfer began at the University of South Dakota’s Office of Research,” Lambeth said. “At USD, I had the privilege of benefiting from Joseph Wright’s expertise in creating programs to foster innovation; his guidance was instrumental in developing my own programming initiatives. I worked to build bridges for inventors by connecting them with resources to advance their ideas.”
Lambeth said she is excited to build upon Wright’s successful programs like the Innovation Cycle and the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) initiative. “A cornerstone of his success has been cultivating a robust network of accomplished alumni and community partners who are passionate about supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. I’m eager to continue collaborating with these remarkable individuals who have so generously invested their time and expertise.”
Her first-year goal is to increase awareness and utilization of available resources for Mines students and faculty. “I plan to continue fostering the existing culture of exploration at Mines, encouraging researchers to consider new approaches and methodologies.”
She also plans on bringing her knowledge of startups and experience from her roles at USD, Sanford Health, and South Dakota Biotech to create new relationships and funding opportunities.
“I am committed to establishing new collaborations and leveraging existing stakeholder relationships to continue building a vibrant research environment at Mines. This important network of EIRs and other stakeholders will ultimately facilitate the development of additional high-impact research projects,” she said.
