Miami's Institute for Entrepreneurship an Ohio Center of Excellence

Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro named Miami University's Institute for Entrepreneurship an Ohio Center of Excellence in Cultural and Societal Transformation. The Institute for Entrepreneurship in Miami's Farmer School of Business emphasizes teaching excellence, real-world learning opportunities and social entrepreneurship programs.

The announcement was made Thursday, Oct. 20, at Miami. Miami’s Institute for Entrepreneurship is the first entrepreneurship program in the state to be designated as a Center of Excellence. It is the third Center of Excellence at Miami and the 48th such designation statewide.

“Miami University is to be commended for developing and maintaining a cutting edge program that encourages students to think and act like entrepreneurs,” said Petro. “Students who learn how to start businesses, and actually do start and run businesses while still attending classes, are exactly the type of students this state needs to grow our economy.”

The institute includes the Thomas C. Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which focuses on undergraduate teaching and research, and the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, which has been internationally recognized for its award-winning program that seeks to apply innovative solutions to persistent social problems. A unique feature of the Institute for Entrepreneurship is that it brings together students with different majors from across the university. This interdisciplinary approach encourages innovative thinking and prepares graduates to be leaders in their workplaces and in their communities.

The institute annually ranks as one of the top entrepreneurial programs in the nation and was ranked 15th in 2011 by The Princeton Review/Entrepreneur magazine.

At Miami’s institute, entrepreneurship is taught through immersion in real world experiences such as client projects, internships, student-run businesses and its own business incubator called the Red Hawk Hatchery.

Miami’s new Center of Excellence positively impacts the local and state economy by connecting students to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Cincinnati. The program has partnerships with several area businesses including The Brandery, a top-10 high-tech accelerator in the United States founded by Miami alumnus Dave Knox. The Brandery develops scalable businesses that bring jobs to Ohio.

Ohio’s Centers of Excellence position the University System of Ohio to be a magnet for talent and a leader in innovation and entrepreneurial activity. The Centers recognize distinct missions for each institution that are recognized by students, faculty and business leaders, while eliminating unnecessary competition for resources, students and faculty within the state.