Source: Jeffrey Hornsby, 785-532-4364, jhornsby@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-532-6415, kmayes@k-state.edu

Thursday, Sept 24, 2009

K-STATE'S JEFFREY HORNSBY NAMED TO THE BOARD OF GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP GROUP

MANHATTAN -- Jeffrey Hornsby, director of Kansas State University's Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship, has been named to the board of directors of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, a group representing nearly 300 university-based entrepreneurship centers and programs.

The consortium helps participating members collaborate and communicate on the specific issues and challenges confronting university-based entrepreneurship centers, ranging from well established and nationally ranked centers to new and emerging centers.

Hornsby, who is also the College of Business Administration's Jack Vanier Chair of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said serving on the board will help accelerate the further development of K-State's entrepreneurial center and lead to a high quality entrepreneurship curriculum.

"The Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers provides a forum for sharing best practices and a network of the leading programs in the country," Hornsby said. "It will be an honor to serve on the board and represent K-State."

K-State's Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship was launched in 2008 under Hornsby's direction, and with significant support from the office of the provost, college deans and the center's executive and internal advisory boards.

Since then, the center has initiated a speakers series, started a chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization for students, conducted its first entrepreneurship competition -- the Next Big Thing -- and had its first Celebration of Entrepreneurship awards banquet. This fall, a new bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship was launched and additional courses on topics directly related to the practice of entrepreneurship have been added to the College of Business Administration's curriculum. The center also will offer a new minor in entrepreneurship starting in fall 2010.

The center's future plans include bringing faculty and students from across disciplines together to foster entrepreneurship on campus and in communities across Kansas.