November 26, 2007

Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy members to promote business at Purdue

Candiss Vibbert
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The program is part of the Kauffman Campuses Initiative at Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship.

"The academy's purpose is to identify and honor faculty with strong entrepreneurial interest, encourage brainstorming and networking among them and motivate them to add entrepreneurial concepts into existing courses or add new courses," said Candiss Vibbert, Discovery Park's associate director for engagement. "We are grateful for the support by the Kauffman Campuses Initiative that will allow the Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholar's designation to be recognized and celebrated across campus."

The members of the academy were nominated by deans and department heads and were selected by the Kauffman Campuses oversight committee. Academy members participate in a series of faculty workshops, lunches, dinners and meetings for networking, brainstorming and discussing development of Purdue's entrepreneurial curricula and activities.

Members of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy are: College of Liberal Arts: David Blakesley, professor of English; Mohan Dutta, associate professor of communication; Valentine Moghadam, professor of sociology and anthropology; Krannert School of Management: Mara Faccio, associate professor of management; College of Engineering: Stephen Heister, professor of aeronautics and astronautics; Alyssa Panitch, associate professor of biomedical engineering; College of Consumer and Family Sciences: Sandra Liu, associate professor of consumer sciences and retailing; College of Agriculture: Maria Marshall, assistant professor of agricultural economics; Marshall Porterfield, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering; and College of Technology:  James Mohler, assistant department head and associate professor of computer graphics technology.

Toward the end of each academic year, each faculty participant in this year's academy will be eligible to compete for 10 $5,000 awards that may be used for curriculum or student entrepreneurship development awards.

An additional component of the leadership academy is the development of a program designed to help them further their own and Purdue-wide entrepreneurship interests. One participant per year will be designated a Kauffman Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholar and will be given financial support to work within Discovery Park for one semester.

Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu

Source: Candiss Vibbert, (765) 494-9404, vibbert@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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