Ohio Northern University was awarded the 2015 Special Recognition in Entrepreneurship Education Innovation Award as part of United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Innovation Awards at the USASBE National Conference held in Tampa, Fla., from Jan. 22-25.

Each year, the award is given to up to three individuals or their respective institutions for innovation in entrepreneurship education at one or a combination of these levels: teaching, scholarship and outreach. ONU competed against Monmouth University and University of Texas Dallas.

Tammy Schakett, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at ONU’s Dicke College of Business Administration, attended the conference and nominated ONU. She said, “We were recognized for all three levels. These innovations in entrepreneurship are assessed in terms of creativity, quality and impact. These are peer awards in that candidates for the awards present to an audience of their peers at the annual conference and are awarded this honor based on a vote by the audience.” 

The Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Awards were established by USASBE to recognize excellence in entrepreneurship education at the programmatic level. Each is awarded on a competitive basis, with only one institution winning in each category in a given year.

USASBE is the largest independent, professional, academic organization in the world dedicated to advancing the discipline of entrepreneurship. With more than 1,000 members from universities and colleges, for-profit businesses, nonprofit organizations and the public sector, USASBE is a diverse mix of professionals that share a common commitment to fostering entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors.