USASBE Honors Outstanding Work Within Specialty Programs

USASBE Honors Outstanding Work Within Specialty Programs

SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) recognized individuals and programs for outstanding effort throughout the year during the 2026 USASBE Conference held in Salt Lake City.

“USASBE is proud to promote these chapters and individuals who have shown outstanding efforts and accomplishments within their specialty areas. Standing out among so much talent is not easy, but these award recipients have earned that honor!” says Jennifer Capps, USASBE CEO.

USASBE specialty programs exist to create spaces where people can find, connect and interact with others who share similar interests. Special Interest Group awards focus on outstanding work in topical areas such as Minority and Women in Entrepreneurship, Online Entrepreneurship Education and Social Entrepreneurship. Research paper and 3E awards focus on outstanding work in 2 of our major themed conference tracks - teaching and research. The Sigma Nu Tau awards recognize outstanding effort from among almost 60 campus chapters of the entrepreneurship honor society, Sigma Nu Tau, and the EE&P reviewer awards recognize outstanding contributions to Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy.

Recipients of this year’s specialty awards were:

Minority and Women in Entrepreneurship SIG 

• Mentor Award - Dr. Susan Batchelder, Indiana University
• Emerging Scholar Award - Dr. Carmella Lennon-Hill, Savannah State University 
• Emerging Scholar Award - Dr. Meg Weber, North Carolina A&T State University
• Practitioner of the Year - Whitney McElwain, The University of Texas at Austin

Online Entrepreneurship Education SIG

• Excellence in Teaching - Dr. Jeremiah Nelson, Catawba College

Social Entrepreneurship SIG 

• Excellence in Teaching - Dr. Eliada Wosu Griffin-EL, Robert Morris University
• Excellence in Scholarship - Dr. Debbi D. Brock, High Point University
• Excellence in Social Entrepreneurship Practice & Service Award - Dr. Nosakhere Griffin-EL, The Young Dreamers’ Bookstore

Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy 

• Outstanding Reviewer - Dr. Maha Tantawy, University of Windsor

Sigma Nu Tau 

• Outstanding Chapter, 1st Place - Western Carolina University
• Outstanding Chapter, 2nd Place (TIE) - Susquehanna University
• Outstanding Chapter, 2nd Place (TIE) - Virginia Union University

Paper Awards

• Best Empirical Research Paper - IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S THE ROOM: UNDERSTANDING IMPOSTOR FEELINGS THROUGH THE LENS OF CAPITAL EXCHANGE by Dr. Meg Weber, North Carolina A&T and Dr. Howard Haines, Central Michigan University
• Best Conceptual Paper - THE AI FOUNDER AS MEANINGFUL HETERODOXY: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR ADVANCING ENTREPRENEURSHIP PEDAGOGY by Dr. Jeff Augugliaro, Iona University and Dr. Aakash Sapru, Iona University
• Best Overall Paper - THE ROAD TO HELL IS FULL OF GOOD CONFIGURATIONS: DIVERSITY, GOVERNANCE, AND UNIVERSITY SPILLOVERS IN ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS by Bruce Lezana, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Entrepreneurship Experiential Education (3E) Competition for Educators *Sponsored by University of St. Thomas Schulze School of Entrepreneurship

• 1st Place - Sleight of Mouth: Gamifying the Language of Negotiation with ‘Objection Tennis’, Pete Williams, Deakin University
• 2nd Place - The Innovation Challenge-What Would You Do to Improve [Insert your institution], Georgann Jouflas, Tyler Liff, Kristen McGee, Mitch Hagy all with Colorado Mesa University
• 3rd Place - Scrumming Along on WHOP, Geoffrey Graybeal, University of South Carolina

Entrepreneurship Experiential Education (3E) Competition for Industry *Sponsored by University of St. Thomas Schulze School of Entrepreneurship

• 1st Place - LAPS: A Framework for Engaging Entrepreneurship Students, Justin Wilcox, Federico Mammano, TeachingEntrepreneurship.org
• 2nd Place - Pitch Perfect: AI Tools to Improve Student Presentations, Justin Wilcox, Federico Mammano, TeachingEntrepreneurship.org
• 3rd Place - Marketing Madness: Combining AI With A/B Testing, Justin Wilcox, Federico Mammano, TeachingEntrepreneurship.org

Mark your calendars for the 2027 USASBE conference, tentatively planned for February 10-13, 2027, in Louisville, Kentucky.

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 and Pedagogy, and develops a variety of helpful resources and professional development opportunities for entrepreneurship educators as they create necessary change and positive impact. For more information, visit USASBE.org

Contact

Jennifer Capps
Email: jcapps at usasbe dot org
Phone: 708-462-2332