About the Awards
The annual GCEC Awards are designed to showcase and celebrate the very best of university entrepreneurship! The nine distinct categories allow centers and leaders to select areas where they feel they are making the most impact. The 2024 awards will be presented at the GCEC Conference at Babson College on November 16. The deadline to apply for an award is August 26. You can register to attend the 2024 Conference here.
The GCEC Awards are chaired by Professor Gurpreet Jagpal, Pro Vice-Chancellor Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Suffolk. If you have questions, please email [email protected].
Criteria & Submission Process Past Winners Apply for a 2024 Award
Congratulations to the 2023 GCEC Award Winners
Each category has a winner. For some categories, where the judges deemed appropriate, schools were awarded ‘Highly Commended’.
Nasdaq Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, schools with less than 5,000 students:
- Winner: Kirzner Entrepreneurship Center at Francisco Marroquin University
- Highly Commended: Steven Dorfman Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California Lutheran University
Nasdaq Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, schools with more than 5,000 students:
Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center, schools with less than 5,000 students:
Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center, schools with more than 5,000 students:
Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation:
Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines:
- Winner: University at Buffalo Blackstone Launchpad
- Highly Commended: Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship at Iowa State University
Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education:
Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation:
Outstanding Student Engagement & Leadership, schools with less than 5,000 students:
Outstanding Student Engagement & Leadership, schools with more than 5,000 students:
Exceptional Contributions in Entrepreneurship Research:
- Winner: Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship
- Highly Commended: Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital at London Business School
GCEC Center of Entrepreneurial Leadership:
- Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The University of Texas at Dallas
2023 GCEC Legacy Award
The GCEC Legacy Award recognizes an individual for a lifetime of “pioneering work in advancing entrepreneurship in universities and/or directing a university entrepreneurship center that created a legacy impact on the field of entrepreneurship”.
Rebecca White, PhD
University of Tampa
James W. Walter Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship and Director of the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center
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Past GCEC Award Winners |
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| Category and Year Awarded | Award Recipients |
| Excellence in Specialty Entrepreneurship Education | |
| 2022 | Houston Community College – Office of Entrepreneurial Initiatives (OEI) |
| 2021 (2 awardees) | Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Texas at Dallas and NYU Entrepreneurial Institute, New York University |
| 2020 (3 awardees) | University of Colorado-Boulder (Entrepreneurship Center for Music)Georgia State University (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute)George Washington University (Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship) |
| 2019 | Rutgers University – Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (CUEED) |
| 2018 | Babson College (Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership) |
| 2017 | CUNY Graduate School of Journalism (Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism) |
| 2016 | University of Vermont (Sustainable Entrepreneurship MBA)Duke University (Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship) |
| 2013 | Ball State University (The Entrepreneurship Center) |
| 2012 | University of Florida |
| 2011 | Miami University (Institute for Entrepreneurship) University of Rochester (Center for Entrepreneurship) |
| 2009 | Rice University (Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship)MIT (MIT Entrepreneurship Center) |
| 2008 | University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill |
| 2007 | University of Illinois-Chicago |
| 2006 | University of Colorado at Boulder |
| Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation | |
| 2022 (2 awardees) | Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) and Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station |
| 2021 (2 awardees) | NYU Entrepreneurial Institute, New York University and Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Minnesota |
| 2020 (2 awardees) | Texas Christian University (Neeley Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation) + Northeastern University (Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education) |
| 2019 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Origin Ventures Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership |
| 2018 (2 awardees) | Stockholm School of EntrepreneurshipMichigan State University (MSU Entrepreneurship) |
| 2017 | University of Chicago (Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation) |
| 2016 | Arizona State University (Entrepreneurship + Innovation)Northwestern University (Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice) |
| 2015 | University of Maryland |
| 2011 | Carnegie Mellon University (Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship)University of Virginia (Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership) |
| 2010 | University of Missouri – Kansas City |
| 2007 | Rice University |
| 2006 | University of MarylandUniversity of North Carolina – Chapel Hill |
| Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation | |
| 2022 | Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Stanford University |
| 2021 (2 awardees) | Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Indiana University and Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| 2020 | Universidad Francisco MarroquÃn (Kirzner Entrepreneurship Center) |
| 2019 ( 3 awardees) | University of California, Berkeley – Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & TeachingCU Boulder – Deming Center for EntrepreneurshipTexas Christian University – Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation |
| 2018 | Baylor University (John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise) |
| 2017 | Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Finland (Oamk LABs) |
| 2016 | University of North Carolina – Greensboro |
| 2015 | University of Tampa |
| 2014 | University of Texas – Dallas |
| 2012 | Belmont University |
| 2011 | Villanova University (Insper Institute of Education and Research & ICE Center) |
| 2010 | University of Maryland – College Park |
| 2008 | Wake Forest University |
| 2007 | Ball State UniversityNorthern Kentucky University |
| 2006 | Boston University |
| Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines | |
| 2022 | Center for Research Innovation, Northeastern University |
| 2021 (3 awardees) | Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Colorado Boulder, Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Elon University and Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Texas Christian University |
| 2020 | University of Delaware (Horn Entrepreneurship) + The Pennsylvania State University (Center for Penn State Student Entrepreneurship) |
| 2019 | Florida State University Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship |
| 2018 | University of Massachusetts Lowell (DifferenceMaker Program)University of Utah (Lassonde Entrepreneurship Center) |
| 2017 | Villanova University (Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship Institute)University of Cincinnati (UC Center for Entrepreneurship and Commercialization – UC CEC) |
| 2016 | Cornell University (Entrepreneurship @ Cornell)San Diego State University (The Lavin Entrepreneurship Center) |
| 2014 | Northern Kentucky University |
| 2013 | University of Rochester (Center for Entrepreneurship)Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship |
| 2012 | Millikin University |
| 2011 | Wichita State University (Center for Entrepreneurship) |
| 2010 | University of North Carolina-GreensboroUniversity of Missouri – Kansas City |
| 2009 | Georgia Tech UniversityUniversity of North Carolina – Chapel Hill |
| 2008 | Wake Forest University |
| 2007 | University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign |
| 2006 | Pennsylvania State UniversityTemple University |
| Emerging Entrepreneurship Center | |
| 2022 (3 awardees) | SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN 5,000 STUDENTS: Dyer Center for Innovation + Entrepreneurship, Lafayette College SCHOOLS WITH MORE THAN 5,000 STUDENTS: Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship, James Madison University and Broward Center of Innovation, Nova Southeastern University |
| 2021 (4 awardees) | Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Iona College Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale, Yale University, ASPER-HUJI Innovate, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Miller School of Entrepreneurship, East Carolina University |
| 2020 (4 awardees) | Furman University (Furman Innovation and Entrepreneurship) + Eastern Washington University (EWU Center for Entrepreneurship) + Smith College (Jill Ker Conway Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center) + Boston University (Innovate@BU/BUild Lab IDG Capital Student Innovation Center) |
| 2019 (2 awardees) | Dartmouth College – Magnuson Center for EntrepreneurshipBrown University – Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship |
| 2018 (3 awardees) | Sydney School of EntrepreneurshipVirginia Tech (Apex Center for Entrepreneurs at Virginia Tech)Vanderbilt University (The Wond’ry) |
| 2017 (2 awardees) | University of New Hampshire (Peter T. Paul Entrepreneurship Center)Hofstra University (Entrepreneurship Center) |
| 2016 (2 awardees) | London South Bank (Clarence Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation)University of Texas at El Paso (Mike Loya Center for Innovation & Commerce) |
| 2015 | University of MississippiUniversity of Calgary |
| 2014 | University of Wisconsin – OshkoshBabson College |
| 2012 (new: first year award given) | Kansas State University |
| Outstanding Student Engagement and Leadership | |
| 2022 (2 Awardees) | SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN 5,000 STUDENTS: Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital, London Business School SCHOOLS WITH MORE THAN 5,000 STUDENTS: 707 Hub, Marquette University |
| 2021 (3 awardees) | SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN 5,000 STUDENTS:Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program, Clark University SCHOOLS WITH MORE THAN 5,000 STUDENTS: Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Auckland and Yazamut 360°, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| 2020 | University of Houston (Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship) |
| 2019 | Michigan State University – MSU Entrepreneurship |
| 2018 | University of Notre Dame (The IDEA Center)Georgetown University (Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative) |
| 2017 | Texas A&M University (Center for New Ventures & Entrepreneurship) |
| 2016 (new: first year award given) | Abilene Christian University (Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy) |
| Outstanding Contributions to Advancing the Discipline of Entrepreneurship | |
| 2013 | Rice University (Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship) |
| 2012 | Baruch CollegeUniversity of Arizona |
| 2009 | University of California BerkeleyTemple UniversityUniversity of Texas at Dallas |
| 2008 | Boston University and Wichita State University |
| 2006 | St. Louis UniversitySyracuse University |
| Exceptional Contributions in Entrepreneurship Research | |
| 2022 | Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, Florida Atlantic University |
| 2021 | Diana International Research Institute, Babson College |
| 2020 (2 awardees) | Texas A&M University (McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship) + Virginia Tech University (Apex Center for Entrepreneurs) |
| 2016 | Indiana University – Bloomington |
| 2012 | Indiana University – Bloomington |
| 2009 | Indiana University – Bloomington |
| 2008 | Baruch College |
| 2006 | Indiana University – Bloomington |
| GCEC Center of Entrepreneurial Leadership – Year – Location | GCEC Host Schools are recognized with this Special award |
| 2022 – Las Vegas | UNLV (Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation) |
| 2021 – Baltimore | Loyola University Maryland and University of Baltimore |
| 2020 – Las Vegas | UNLV (Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation) |
| 2019 – Stockholm | Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship |
| 2018 – Chicago | DePaul UniversityIllinois Institute of Technology (IIT) |
| 2017 – Halifax, Canada | Dalhousie UniversityUniversity of New Brunswick |
| 2016 – Rochester | University of RochesterRochester Institute of Technology |
| 2015 – Gainesville | University of Florida |
| 2014 – London, UK | University College London |
| 2013 – Kansas City | University of Missouri – Kansas City |
| 2012 – Washington, DC | Georgetown University |
| 2011 – Los Angeles | Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies – University of Southern California |
| 2010 – Pennsylvania | Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Pennsylvania State University & Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation – WU Vienna |
| 2009 – Houston | Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, Rice University |
| 2008 – Tucson | University of Arizona |
| 2007 – Syracuse | Syracuse University |
| 2006 – Northern Kentucky | Northern Kentucky UniversityUniversity of CincinnatiUniversity of Dayton |
| GCEC Legacy Award(Special Award) | “For pioneering and directing a university entrepreneurship center that created a legacy impact on the field of entrepreneurship” |
| 2022 (2 Awardees) | Duncan Moore – The Rudolf and Hilda Kingslake Professor in Optical Engineering Science, professor of optics and biomedical engineering and professor of business administration at the University of Rochester’s William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration Carol Reeves – Associate vice provost for entrepreneurship and the Cecil and Gwendolyn Cupp Applied Professorship in Entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business |
| 2021 (3 awardees) | LINDA DARRAGH – The Larry Levy Executive Director of the Kellogg Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative and clinical professor of entrepreneurial practice at Northwestern University JACK GILL – Professor of the practice of entrepreneurship at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business MICHAEL MORRIS – Professor of entrepreneurship and social innovation at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs |
| 2020 (3 awardees) | – Patricia Henriques-Dianne Welsh, Hayes Distinguished Chair and Professor of Entrepreneurship; Founder and Director Emeritus of the North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center; Founding Director of the Entrepreneurship Cross-Disciplinary Program at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Fulbright-Hall Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship for Central Europe (2015)Edward Roberts, David Sarnoff Professor of Management of Technology; Professor, Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management; Founder and Chair, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship; Faculty Director, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship |
| 2019 (2 awardees) | Sara Sarasvathy, Paul M. Hammaker Professor in Business Administration, University of Virginia Darden School of BusinessTed Zoller, T.W. Lewis Clinical Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School |
| 2018 | Dr. Harold P. Welsch, DePaul University |
| 2016 | Dr. Donald F. Kuratko, Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Indiana University – Bloomington |
| 2015 | Thomas J. (Tom) O’Malia, University of Southern California |
| 2012 (new: first year award given) | Dr. Rudolph (Rudy) P. Lamone, University of MarylandDr. Gary D. Libecap, University of Arizona & University of California-Santa Barbara |
| GCEC Entrepreneurial Support Award (Special Award) | |
| 2009 | Maggie Ailes-Ball State University Travis J. Brown-Indiana University-Bloomington |
| Nasdaq Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence | |
| 2022 | SCHOOLS WITH LESS THAN 5,000 STUDENTS: Babson College, The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship SCHOOLS WITH MORE THAN 5,000 STUDENTS: Iowa State University, the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship |
| 2021 | Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Trinity University McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship, Texas A&M University |
| 2020 | Miami University – John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship |
| 2019 | University of Chicago – Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation |
| 2018 | San Diego State University (Lavin Entrepreneurship Center) |
| 2017 | University of Tampa (John P Lowth Entrepreneurship Center) |
| 2016 | Syracuse University (Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship) |
| 2014 | University of Maryland |
| 2012 | Oklahoma State University |
| 2011 | Rice University (Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship) |
| 2010 | Baylor University |
| 2009 | University of Southern California |
| 2008 | University of Arizona |
| 2007 | MIT Entrepreneurship Center |
| 2006 | University of California – Berkeley |
| 2005 | Pennsylvania State University (Farrell Center for Corporate Entrepreneurship)University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler Center for Entrepreneurial Studies) |
| 2004 | Stanford University (Stanford Technology Ventures Program)Syracuse University (Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship)University of Portland (Center for Entrepreneurship) |
| 2003 | Texas Christian University (Ryffel Center for Entrepreneurial Studies)University of Notre Dame (Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies)University of Colorado-Boulder (Deming Center for Entrepreneurship) |
| 2002 | Babson College (Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship)Indiana University – Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship)St. Louis University (Smurfit Center for Entrepreneurial Studies) |
| 2001 | Columbia University (Eugene M. Lang Center for Entrepreneurship)Cornell University (Entrepreneurship & Personal Enterprise Program)University of Arizona (Karl Eller Center for Entrepreneurship)University of Illinois – Chicago (Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies)Wake Forest University (Angell Center for Entrepreneurship) |
| 2000 | Kauffman Foundation (Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership)University of Southern California (Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies)University of Maryland (Dingman Center for EntrepreneurshipBall State University (Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center)Carnegie-Mellon University (Jones Center for Entrepreneurship)Brigham Young University (Center for Entrepreneurship)San Diego State University (Center for Entrepreneurship)University of Virginia (Batten Center for Entrepreneurship) |
Note: Prior to 2006, the NASDAQ award was the only award presented at the GCEC Conference, and multiple schools were eligible to receive the award.