The award was announced as part of the “USASBE 2023: Driven By Dreams” annual conference. Left to right, Dennis Barber, awards committee co-chair; Julienne Shields, president and CEO of USASBE; Donald F. Kuratko, Sara Cochran, Susan Batchelder and Jeff McMullen, all from Kelley; Thomas Pittz, USASBE board chair; and Judi Eyles, awards committee co-chair.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University Kelley School of Business is the recipient of the prestigious 2023 USASBE Model Entrepreneurship Program Award, presented by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE).
The Model Entrepreneurship Program Award honors the institution with the most comprehensive, high-quality educational program that successfully trains future generations of entrepreneurs. It is one of the association’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Awards, which recognize “bold and innovative programs making an impact.”
“It was a pleasure to present the model program award to Dr. Donald F. Kuratko and Indiana University entrepreneurship faculty at the annual USASBE conference in January,” said Thomas G. Pittz, board chair of the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and associate professor at the University of Tampa. “We were delighted to honor Indiana’s outstanding achievements and are proud to have them as a part of the USASBE community.”
Ash Soni, interim dean of the Kelley School and the Sungkyunkwan Professor, said the award confirms what he and others believe – that the school is home to one of the finest entrepreneurship programs in the world.
“The Kelley School’s comprehensive entrepreneurship curriculum spans across all degree levels and even beyond the business school, thanks to innovative partnerships with several schools across campus as well as a customizable certificate in entrepreneurship available to all students at IU,” Soni said. “Combine that with a stellar faculty who are leaders in entrepreneurial research, and it’s easy to see how Kelley makes an impact. “
Donald F. Kuratko
“This is truly a remarkable award to receive from USASBE as they are the leading entrepreneurship organization in the world,” added Donald F. Kuratko, the Jack M. Gill Distinguished Chair and professor of entrepreneurship. “This award exemplifies the quality and dedication of our entire entrepreneurship faculty team. I am personally honored to have this recognition of our program as one of the very best in the world today.”
Founded in 1981, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship is an inclusive community of educators, researchers and entrepreneurs advancing entrepreneurship education through bold teaching, scholarship and practice. USASBE also publishes a peer-reviewed academic journal, Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy, and develops a variety of helpful resources and professional development opportunities for entrepreneurship educators as they create a positive impact.
In 2022, the association honored Kuratko – known to many as “Dr. K” – with its highest individual honor, the Max S. Wortman/USASBE Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship, which is given to an entrepreneurship educator who encompasses the ideals of entrepreneurial activity.
“Indiana is an example that other institutions can look to for how to authentically build their own world-class programs,” said Julienne Shields, president and CEO of USASBE. “It is not just what Indiana University built but also how they built it that is compelling as the top model program.”
Kuratko came to Kelley in the fall of 2004 to lead the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and to become the Jack M. Gill Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship. Under his leadership, the Johnson Center has become one of the nation’s leaders in entrepreneurship education, supporting groundbreaking faculty research that appears in top journals and books adopted by universities worldwide and through the Kelley School’s degree programs.
The Johnson Center has launched cross-campus initiatives with the Maurer School of Law and College of Arts and Sciences and has affiliations with the Jacobs School of Music and the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering. It also is home to the Entrepreneurial Innovation Academy for Kelley MBA students and the annual Clapp IDEA Competition and Velocity Conference.
A formal presentation of the award will take place on April 6 at the Kelley School. The award was announced on Jan. 21 as part of the “USASBE 2023: Driven By Dreams” annual conference hosted by Florida State University.
Editor’s note: You can learn more about Kelley’s entrepreneurship program through a video that was prepared as part of the school’s award nomination.