The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) named Dr. Eric Liguori Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year. He was also recognized for five years of service and commitment to entrepreneurship education. USASBE, which advances entrepreneurship education through teaching, scholarship and practice, honored Liguori during the group’s annual conference in Tallahassee. Read the full story here.

Liguori founded Rowan's School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and has helped develop an entrepreneurial culture at Rowan that spans colleges and curricula, from music and the arts to engineering, communication and business. USASBE published an interview with Liguori, which highlights the impact of his work over the years.

USASBE also recognized Dr. Susana Santos, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, with its Award for Excellence in Social Entrepreneurship Scholarship for her deep body of work into entrepreneurship as a means of moving from poverty to prosperity. Santos has been one of the driving forces behind SIE's free, community-based initiative, Accelerate South Jersey, which most recently offered SIE faculty guidance to 14 aspiring Camden, NJ -based businesswomen in a range of new ventures including fashion, food service and community agriculture.

Additionally, Dr. Michael Dominik, Senior Lecturer of Entrepreneurship, successfully presented his approach to building student confidence and comfort in the classroom by facilitating a mock in-class A/B test experiment during one of the conference sessions. Nick Bayer, Founder and CEO of Saxbys, and Melody Wozunk (Management '22) participated in a panel discussion about Saxbys' mission to further education and build leadership skills through their Experiential Learning Platform. Wozunk was the inaugural Student Café Executive Officer of Saxbys Café in Business Hall, which is run entirely by Rowan students.

The deadline to submit nominations for the Ross and Bryd Medallion Awards has been extended to 2/15/23. Students from all majors and at all degree levels are eligible.

The Ross Medallion Award for Entrepreneurial Engagement is given in honor of Dr. Linda Ross who taught at Rowan for 43 years and co-founded its entrepreneurship program, is awarded to the student most engaged in and supportive of Rowan's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Ross Medallion Awardees do more than just show up to events or participate in programs; they are entrepreneurial leaders who give back more to Rowan's entrepreneurial ecosystem than they ever hope to receive. Click here to submit your nomination.

The Byrd Medallion Award for Entrepreneurial Engagement is given in honor of Professor Kimble Byrd, a founding member of Rowan's entrepreneurship faculty and prominent member of the business community. The medallion is established through the generosity of Greg Payton, a former student of Professor Byrd's, who notes "Professor Byrd inspired me to think bigger and work harder. He emphasized the importance of service above self, academic achievement, perseverance, and an entrepreneurial mindset." The recipient of this award embodies these very traits that Professor Byrd worked tirelessly to instill in his students: service above self, academic excellence, perseverance and an entrepreneurial mindset. Click here to submit your nomination.

For more information of any of Rowan's student entrepreneurship programs or to learn how you can support entrepreneurship at Rowan, please contact Jess (Wolk) Vattima at wolk@rowan.edu.