Following a national search, Larry Cox, director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will join Ball State's Miller College of Business as director of the Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center. He will also serve on the faculty for the college's highly ranked graduate and undergraduate academic programs.    

Cox succeeds Donald Kuratko, founding director of the university's entrepreneurship program, who left the university at the end of 2004.

"Larry's dynamic style and strong academic background, coupled with his experiences at the country's leading entrepreneurship foundation, make him an ideal choice to lead the college's entrepreneurship team," said Lynne Richardson, dean of the Miller College of Business. "His leadership will raise the visibility of the center, which is a valuable resource for Indiana's small businesses, and lead to greater opportunities for students to gain vital practical experience by helping companies overcome challenges and become more competitive."

From 1999 to 2003, Cox served as the director of research at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., which works with partners to encourage entrepreneurship and education.

During his time at Wisconsin's Weinert Center, which was ranked in the top 50 nationally for 2004 by EntrePoint.com and Entrepreneur Magazine, Cox was instrumental in starting several innovative programs, including:

• Venture Capital Spring Training – A two-day intramural "warm-up" competition in preparation for the national Venture Capital Investment Competition
• The Ground Floor – A series of brainstorming sessions with inventors, serial entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship students designed to aid in technology transfer and the initiation of new ventures
• $20 Challenge – A semester-long learning exercise that requires students to launch a new venture with $20

"I believe I can complement the strong team Ball State has in place and bring new ideas that will help build upon the university's outstanding record of achievement in the world of entrepreneurship," Cox said. "My goal is to encourage student achievement and stimulate entrepreneurial activity that will benefit Indiana."

Cox, who was born and raised in Denver, attended the University of Nebraska on a basketball scholarship from 1972 to 1976. Upon graduation, he worked on the staff of The Navigators, a collegiate Christian organization.

In 1985, he started his own company that sold industrial products to large manufacturers in the Rocky Mountain region. He then returned to the University of Nebraska, receiving a master's degree in management information systems in 1990 and a doctorate in strategic management in 1995.

While earning his advanced degrees, Cox served as the director of the Nebraska Business Development Center, consulting with hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs. His personal research interests include the dynamics of high-growth firms, the impact of entrepreneurship education and the cognitive processes of entrepreneurs.

(Note to editors: Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora may be reached for interviews by contacting Glenn Augustine, associate director of University Relations, at ggaugustine@bsu.edu or (765) 285-594. Richardson may be reached at lrichardson@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8192.)