Burton D. Morgan Center program honored with entrepreneurship award

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) recently held its annual international conference in Chicago, where Purdue University’s Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, which houses the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, was named one of five finalists for the Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines Award.

The award submission was led by Nathalie Duval-Couetil, associate director of the Burton D. Morgan Center and the director of the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program. The award recognizes programming that advances and enables entrepreneurship education to multiple audiences across campus. 

“The Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program was one of the first cross-campus education initiatives at Purdue and has grown into one of the largest multidisciplinary entrpreneurship education programs in the country,” said Frank Dooley, senior vice provost for teaching and learning. “Serving over 1,800 students in over 200 majors each year, it is an excellent example of Purdue’s commitment to preparing students for the contemporary workforce and economy.”

The program is administered by the Office of the Provost and housed in the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship.  

The Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program is similar to a minor and is designed to complement a student’s major area of study. It helps students to develop the knowledge and skills that enable them to evaluate new venture opportunities, develop viable business models through market research and financial analyses, and acquire the business literacy and professional skills demanded by today's employers. Students develop an entrepreneurship and innovation mindset they will deploy throughout their careers, whether they choose to work in startups or established organizations.  

About the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program 

The Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program is the hub for cross-campus entrepreneurship education at Purdue University. Started in 2005, it is one of the largest multi-disciplinary entrepreneurship programs in the country, serving approximately 1,800 students each year. Housed in the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship and administered through Purdue’s Office of the Provost, the program empowers students in all academic disciplines to turn their innovative ideas into action. Learn more at purdue.edu/entr. 

About the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship 

The Burton D. Morgan Center is the gateway for innovation and entrepreneurship on campus.  It houses a number of programs and competitions for student and faculty entrepreneurs.  The Purdue Foundry, launched in 2013 by the Purdue Research Foundation to enhance the university’s robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, is housed here, along with Purdue Ventures, which provides and fosters meaningful access to capital and talent for Purdue entrepreneurs, and the certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation program. 

Writer: Kasie Roberson, roberso7@purdue.edu