Kelley entrepreneurship center ranked 4th in nation, survey says

American lore holds no more important backbone to the business foundation of the nation than the individual spirit of entrepreneurship. \nThe Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Kelley School of Business is ranked fourth overall in the nation, according to fellow entrepreneurship faculty, other university center directors and alumni, in the April 2005 issue of Entrepreneur magazine. \n"We want to be the No. 1 entrepreneurship program in the U.S. I want to make sure this happens," said Donald F. Kuratko, executive director and Jack M. Gill chair of entrepreneurship for the Kelley School. "This ranking shows we are on the right journey. I think IU is a phenomenal university anyway, and these rankings enhance our image -- students begin to call us. If they are already interested in coming to IU, the entrepreneurship program can convince them."\nAccording to other national rankings by Entrepreneur magazine, Kuratko is ranked the No. 2 entrepreneurship center director in the nation, based on peer feedback. The Johnson Center is also ranked in the top 20 of second tiers in the nation, according to TechKnowledge Point, the company that conducted the surveys.\nKuratko signed his contract in August and spent first semester assessing the entrepreneurship program from an outsider's point of view to better articulate his objectives when he took the Johnson Center helm in January.\nThe Johnson Center offers students five options of entrepreneurship study breadth: an undergraduate major or minor, a masters in business administration major or minor and a Ph.D. Kuratko said about 100 undergraduates are registered as entrepreneurship majors, about 30 graduate students are working toward an entrepreneurship M.B.A., and eight graduates are Ph.D. candidates.\nSue Artmeier, assistant director of the entrepreneurship department within the Kelley School, said she has noticed extreme growth and interest in the entrepreneurship program since she joined the Kelley faculty about six years ago.\n"A lot of (the interest) has come about because of our new executive director," Artmeier said. "A part of our ranking comes in anticipation of some of the programs he is leading. His direction will definitely keep us in the forefront."\nMaria Anton, executive editor of Entrepreneur magazine, said the primary demographic of her 575,000-circulation magazine is "small to mid-size business owners" who have children close to college age.\nKuratko said his objectives -- "the three buckets" -- for the Johnson Center include: academic excellence in teaching, developing a business interface with emerging entrepreneurships and integrating a network of investors to bring venture capital opportunities to Bloomington at least twice a year. He also said the quality of teaching and the classes taught differentiate IU's program from other nationally recognized programs.\n"The way we educate is from an entrepreneurial perspective," Kuratko said. "Students may or may not start their own business. We want to teach them more innovative ways of thinking, whatever field they choose to work in. This will open the door for employment opportunities in all business fields."\nTravis Brown, a first year entrepreneurial M.B.A. graduate student, said he committed to IU instead of other university entrepreneurial graduate programs because he heard word that Kuratko was coming to the Kelley School.\nBrown said he hopes to find work with a start-up company upon graduation, thanks in large part to the inspiration and influence of Kuratko's leadership.\n"I knew the entrepreneurial program was already strong, but I knew he would take it to a whole other level," he said. \nArtmeier said Kuratko's peer recognition "explains and shows" how well known and respected he is in the entrepreneurship field.\n"He is extremely enthusiastic about entrepreneurship and he has definitely brought excitement to the Center and to the Kelley School," she said. "I expect our programs will grow even more in the next couple years. It's great fun -- everyday we come in with better ideas about how to communicate with the students."\n-- Contact City & State Editor David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu.