United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Presents Entrepreneurship Lifetime Achievement and Advocacy Awards

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) presented its highly coveted John E. Hughes Award for Entrepreneurial Advocacy, the Max S. Wortman, Jr. Award for Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship, and the Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award during its annual conference in North Carolina today. These three awards provide USASBE's highest recognition to individuals who have demonstrated a significant leadership role in promoting entrepreneurship through their work and contributions to the field.

"Their authentic commitment to advancing entrepreneurship education and impact in developing entrepreneurs is felt both in their communities and throughout the world. The students they have directly and indirectly influenced through their ability to empower and engage other educators is immeasurable and USASBE is proud to honor them," says Julienne Shields, president and CEO of USASBE.

Entrepreneurship has become an important component of collegiate education and is now being taught at more than 3000 universities around the world. Over the past 40 years, USASBE has been a critical player in the broader adoption of entrepreneurship in collegiate programs. 

2022 Entrepreneurship Lifetime Achievement and Advocacy Award Winners:

USASBE Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award - Heidi M. Neck, Ph.D.

The recipient of the USASBE Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year award is Heidi M. Neck, Ph.D., the Jeffry A. Timmons Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies, Babson College. Dr. Neck is the Academic Director of the Babson Academy for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurial Learning, a dedicated unit within Babson that inspires change in the way universities, specifically their faculty and students, teach and learn entrepreneurship. The Babson Academy builds on Dr. Neck's work starting the Babson Collaborative, a global institutional membership organization for colleges and universities seeking to increase their capability and capacity in entrepreneurship education, and her leadership of Babson's Symposia for Entrepreneurship Educators (SEE) programs designed to further develop faculty from around the world in the of art and craft of teaching entrepreneurship and building entrepreneurship programs. Dr. Neck has directly trained over 3,000 faculty around the world in the art and craft of teaching entrepreneurship. Dr. Neck cites Babson Academy, Babson Collaborative, and especially carrying on the legacy of SEE as her greatest achievements - the ripple effect of educating educators extends far beyond her classroom.

The USASBE Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year is awarded annually to an individual who has provided distinguished leadership over a number of years within the field of entrepreneurship education. Winners have contributed substantive advancements to the way in which scholars think about and approach entrepreneurship teaching and learning.

"This award, particularly from USASBE, is truly special," said Neck. "I've always believed that how you teach is just as important as what you teach. Given the impact of entrepreneurship on the world, teaching this discipline comes with a different level of responsibility. We have to inspire our students to take action to change their world. I'm energized to keep moving forward and figure out what's next in entrepreneurship education."

Neck is the third Babson professor honored with the Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year award, following in the footsteps of esteemed professors Jeffry A. Timmons (2004) and William Bygrave (2008), whom Neck describes as "fathers of entrepreneurship at Babson."

John E. Hughes/USASBE Award for Entrepreneurial Advocacy - J. Fielding Miller

This year's recipient of The John E. Hughes Award for Entrepreneurial Achievement award is J. Fielding Miller, co-founder and CEO of CAPTRUST, an independent registered investment advisor. In 2015, Miller and his wife Kim funded the Miller School of Entrepreneurship at his alma mater, East Carolina University. The school was the first entrepreneurship program in the region and Miller has continued to be an active part of the program, in addition to serving on the Board of Trustees for the university.

Newly established in 2018, The John E. Hughes Award for Entrepreneurial Achievement recognizes an individual who, through significant and sustained entrepreneurial initiatives, has demonstrated a unique ability to accept and manage risk, exercise personal control, and acquire personal reward. The recipients should be an entrepreneur (new venture, corporate, and/or social) that is committed to entrepreneurship education and has demonstrated impact on the field of entrepreneurship, community leadership and philanthropic giving.

"I am honored to receive the John E. Hughes Award for Entrepreneurial Advocacy, especially for an initiative that is so near and dear to my heart. As entrepreneurs, it is critically important that we share our success and give back to the communities we serve. And one of the most important ways to give back is through helping to educate the next generation of entrepreneurial talent," said Miller.

Max S. Wortman/USASBE Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship - Dr. Donald F. Kuratko

This year's Max S. Wortman/USASBE Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship award went to Dr. Donald F. Kuratko of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, also known to many as "Dr. K." He has led the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation as its executive and academic director since 2004. During his tenure, the center has become a leader in entrepreneurship education, supporting groundbreaking faculty research that appears in top journals, books adopted by universities worldwide and through the Kelley School's degree programs.

Established in 2004, The Max S. Wortman, Jr./USASBE Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship was instituted on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the founding of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). The award is presented to a worthy recipient in recognition for a lifetime of entrepreneurial achievement that encompasses the ideals of entrepreneurial activity. Eligibility extends both to those whose life's pursuits supported and advocated entrepreneurial ideals as well as those who have pursued a lifetime of successful venture creation. The Awards Committee shall consider the originality, depth, breadth and impact of the entire body of the nominees' entrepreneurial pursuits and impact.

The award is especially meaningful to Kuratko because it is named for Wortman, a friend who was an early innovator who made a lifetime commitment to teaching and research in entrepreneurship.

"To receive this award is very special because of my friendship with Max. It's not just a name on an award, but it is an honor that reflects his values and what he stood for," Kuratko said. Anyone who receives this award gets attached to him in some way. His legacy will live on through each recipient of this honor and I feel I have contributed to his legacy. I also appreciate that it represents a body of achievements over a lifetime of work. It means the world to me."

The 2022 annual conference was the first hybrid conference in the organization's 40-year history and was an outstanding testament to USASBE's culture of inclusivity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit to carry forward the annual gathering as safely as possible.

About USASBE
Founded in 1981, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) is an inclusive community of educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs advancing entrepreneurship education through bold teaching, scholarship, and practice. Membership is open to all, as is attendance at USASBE's hallmark annual conference. 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. For more information, visit the USASBE website at USASBE.org or contact USASBE CEO Julienne Shields at [email protected].

SOURCE Babson College