Ole Miss names Halaby to lead innovation and economic engagement

Ole Miss named Dominique Halaby assistant vice chancellor for innovation and economic engagement, giving him a job built around technology transfer, intellectual property management, startup creation and a new venture fund for university-affiliated companies. He is set to begin Aug. 1, and the appointment reaches well beyond campus because it sits at the center of Oxford’s research economy and the county’s ability to turn ideas into jobs, licenses and business formation.

John C. Higginbotham, the university’s vice chancellor for research and economic development, said Halaby brings the experience and collaborative style needed to expand the school’s ability to convert research and ideas into new products, companies and opportunities. Halaby said Ole Miss and Mississippi are at a key point for innovation and economic prosperity. He arrives with more than 25 years in innovation and economic engagement, including work at Georgia Southern University, where he also secured more than $8.5 million in external grants and awards.

The post connects directly to offices Ole Miss already uses to court business activity. The Office for Research and Economic Development says it exists to translate innovation into progress and economic growth, while the Office of Technology Commercialization handles intellectual property and startup support from Insight Park. Business & Industry Engagement pitches companies on space, technologies, student talent and campus partnerships, and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship helps students create innovative businesses.

That existing pipeline has already produced measurable results. Ole Miss first earned the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation in 2019, had it renewed for another five years in 2025 and said fewer than 100 universities nationwide hold the distinction. In the renewal materials, the university said it had helped move more than five biomedical innovations into human clinical trials, contributed to dietary supplements that reached market and developed an infrasound sensor manufactured in Tupelo and sold around the world.

Halaby’s background suggests he will inherit a broad commercialization network rather than build one from scratch. Georgia Southern identifies him as the founding director of its Business Innovation Group, which includes the Center for Business Analytics and Economic Research, the Center for Entrepreneurial Learning and Leadership, the Area Small Business Development Center, the Innovation Incubator and Fab Lab. The university also lists him as associate vice president for innovation and commercialization.

For Lafayette County, the practical test over the next year is whether Halaby can widen the flow of company partnerships at Insight Park, turn more campus research into patents and licenses, create more internship pathways for students, and help produce new spinout firms tied to Ole Miss expertise. If those numbers move, the appointment will show up not just in university rankings but in downtown Oxford, local hiring and the county’s broader business base.