Program Overview
The Business and Entrepreneurship (B & E) program harnesses the power of liberal arts education to prepare students for thoughtful leadership of and engagement with for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, and start-up ventures. Students learn about the role of business in society and skills in accounting, management, marketing, and entrepreneurship. They further gain depth within a focus area, including entrepreneurship, arts entrepreneurship, business analytics, global business, and natural resource management. Students go beyond the classroom through experiential learning, either doing an internship, practicum, or class consulting project.
Program Highlights
Develop Your Leadership Skills
Prepare to lead with purpose in businesses, nonprofit organizations, and entrepreneurial ventures after Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ.
Connect Ideas Across Disciplines
Bring together perspectives from the arts and sciences to develop creative solutions and turn ideas into action.
Gain Real-World Experience
Build practical experience through internships and hands-on learning that can lead to careers in marketing, sales, management, and nonprofit administration.
Learn to Lead Together
Strengthen your teamwork and communication skills through collaborative coursework and extracurricular experiences.
Spotlight
LAWRENTIAN SPOTLIGHT
Alumni Perspective
“My job as a management consultant requires solving complex business problems, sometimes in areas where I know very little. Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ taught me how to research, learn topics quickly, and create structure around complexity which is exactly what my day to day requires.”
Dylan Geary ’17, Associate at Kearney
Economics, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Chicago, Illinois
Types of Degrees
Students earn a BA in Business & Entrepreneurship or an Interdisciplinary Area in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Advising
At Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ, academic advising helps you shape an educational experience that reflects your interests, goals, and aspirations. Your faculty advisor will support you as you plan your path, connect with campus resources and communities, and make informed decisions that prepare you for a meaningful and fulfilling future.
Faculty
Engage deeply and collaboratively with professors who are experts in their field and committed to supporting your education.
Chair(s)
Claudena Skran (she/her)
Edwin & Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science and Professor of Government
Claudena Skran is Director of the Business & Entrepreneurship program and Professor of Government and the Edwin and Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science.As a the Director of…
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Michael Clayville (he/him)
Instructor of Music in Entrepreneurial Studies and Social Engagement
michael.clayville@lawrence.edu
I am a musician, educator, and entrepreneur whose work moves between the concert hall, the classroom, and the community. As a performer, I am passionate about drawing audiences deeply into…
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Mary K. Diederich
Instructor of Business and Entrepreneurship
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Mary Diederich brings a wealth of personal experience as an accountant and business owner offering tax and other consulting services to small businesses. Prof. Diederich…
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David Eliot Duncombe
Lecturer of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Government
Before starting to teach in 2017 as a professor, I had worked in business for almost 30 years. Twenty-seven of those years were spent at Kimberly-Clark, during which I managed…
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Gustavo C. Fares
Professor of Spanish
Fares’ topics of research include Latin American cultural studies, legal studies, visual arts, and border studies. He is the author of five books, among them: Domingo F. Sarmiento’s Argirópolis, A Critical Translation (New…
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Adam Galambos (he/him)
Dwight and Marjorie Peterson Professor of Innovation and Associate Professor of Economics and Special Assistant to the President
My research experience is in microeconomic theory and game theory, and these are fields that I teach as well. I also enjoy teaching in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. I…
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David Gerard (He, him, his)
John R. Kimberly Distinguished Professor of the American Economic System and Associate Professor of Economics
I am the John R. Kimberly Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics. A number of my courses are cross-listed in Environmental Studies, Government, Business, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. My…
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William Hixon
Gordon R. Clapp Chair of American Studies and Associate Professor of Government
Bill Hixon is the Gordon R. Clapp Professor of American Studies, Associate Professor of Government, and a member of the Environmental Studies faculty at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ. His teaching areas include…
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David Jerrett
Lecturer of Business and Entrepreneurship
David Jerrett brings over 35 years of executive leadership and management experience to his role in the Business & Entrepreneurship program. Prof. Jerrett teaches courses in Operations and Supply Chain,…
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Jonathan Lhost (he)
Associate Professor of Economics
Interests: Econometrics, Data Science, Industrial Organization, Game Theory, Microeconomics
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Van Nguyen (She/Her/Hers)
Assistant Professor of Economics
I joined the Department of Economics at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ of Wisconsin in the fall of 2022 as an Assistant Professor. My research interests include Measurement of Money Supply, Monetary Policy,…
View Full Profile Claudena Skran (she/her)
Edwin & Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science and Professor of Government
Claudena Skran is Director of the Business & Entrepreneurship program and Professor of Government and the Edwin and Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science.As a the Director of…
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Martyn Smith
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Religious Studies examines how groups of people find meaning in their lives and impart value to the world around them. My own central research question revolves around the relationship of…
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Timothy X. Troy (he/him)
J. Thomas and Julie E. Hurvis Professor of Theatre and Drama and Professor of Theatre Arts
Timothy X. Troy (playwright & stage director) is the Hurvis Professor of Theatre and Drama at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ. Regular teaching areas include acting, directing, script analysis, and playwrighting. Professor Troy’s…
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Brigid E. Vance (she, her, hers)
Associate Professor of History
Brigid E. Vance's research focuses on the intellectual and cultural history of dreams and dream divination in late Ming China. She also has research and teaching interests in early modern…
View Full ProfileLearning Spaces
Students have the opportunity to learn both in and out of the classroom. At the , students engage with guest speakers, participate in workshops on start-ups, or join the Business & Investment Club. Student consultants help solve real problems for “customers” such as local businesses and non-profits. In the D-term, students join B & E abroad to experience business culture in another country.
