Iowa State University Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship and the Ivy College of Business were honored with the prestigious Award for Exceptional Contributions in Entrepreneurship Research at the 2024 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) Conference, held at Babson College in Boston, Massachusetts in November.
Having received 106 submissions across leading institutions worldwide for the six categories awarded at the conference, this specific award highlights Iowa State’s exceptional contributions to entrepreneurship research and underscores the unique collaboration between the Pappajohn Center and the Ivy College of Business.
GCEC, the preeminent academic organization for university-based entrepreneurship centers, brought together over 700 attendees, including academics, professors, college administrators, center staff and directors, and entrepreneurship supporters. This recognition reflects the robust and innovative research produced by Ivy College of Business faculty in collaboration with entrepreneurship faculty and leaders across Iowa State’s colleges and divisions, as well as initiatives developed in partnership with the Pappajohn Center that enhance Iowa State’s reputation as a leader in entrepreneurship education and research.
The Ivy College of Business fosters world-class research across diverse topics, including the psychological dimensions of entrepreneurship, family business dynamics, startup crowdfunding, digital ecosystems, and the commercialization of technological innovation. This broad expertise contributes to understanding and advancing entrepreneurship while actively engaging with Iowa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and beyond.
“The outstanding research focused on entrepreneurship being generated by our faculty and having the opportunity to extend that research into applied programming through the Pappajohn Center is something for which we are incredibly proud.”
— Judi Eyles
A piece of this success is the Pappajohn Center Faculty Fellow program, which exemplifies the impactful collaboration between the Ivy College of Business and the Pappajohn Center. Through this program, faculty members serve as liaisons, bridging academic expertise and real-world entrepreneurship applications. Over the past three years, this initiative has catalyzed research synergy, enriching opportunities for students, entrepreneurs, and researchers.
“This GCEC award recognizes the exceptional synergy between our management and entrepreneurship department faculty and the Pappajohn Center, where our shared commitment to world-class research has created a vibrant ecosystem that advances both theoretical understanding and practical applications in entrepreneurship,” said Mike Howard, professor of management and entrepreneurship in the Ivy College of Business.
Judi Eyles, director of the Pappajohn Center, shared, “The Iowa State Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship was named a GCEC Nasdaq Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence in 2022, and it is exciting to receive continued recognition at this conference. The outstanding research focused on entrepreneurship being generated by our faculty and having the opportunity to extend that research into applied programming through the Pappajohn Center is something for which we are incredibly proud. We are happy to add the GCEC Exceptional Contributions in Entrepreneurship Research Award to Iowa State’s list of accolades, and we are even more thrilled to celebrate the innovative contributions of Iowa State’s entrepreneurship researchers.”
