The former director of entrepreneurial programs at Arizona State University is the new El Pomar Chair for Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Peg Bacon, provost, and Venkat Reddy, dean, College of Business, announced the appointment of Thomas N. Duening (Den-ning), as El Pomar Chair. He previously directed the Entrepreneurial Programs Office at ASU’s School of Engineering.
“Dr. Duening is a leader in business and in the development of entrepreneurs,” Bacon said. “We welcome him to this campus and this community as we seek to invigorate our economy with new ideas and new approaches.”
“Dr. Duening will be a great asset not only for the college in developing young minds to be future entrepreneurs, but also for our community in helping bring innovation and entrepreneurial knowledge to help technology companies succeed,” Reddy said.
Since 2004, Duening directed entrepreneur education and outreach efforts for ASU, establishing both undergraduate and graduate courses. He also launched the Arizona Technology Investor Forum. Previously, he was director of the University of Houston’s Entrepreneur and Venture Development Center and assistant dean for administration and executive programs in the UH College of Business. He previously served as president of U.S. Learning Systems and vice president for content development for Edgia, Inc., and owns a consulting firm. He is the author of 12 books on investing in entrepreneurship, including, “Technology Entrepreneurship,” released Aug. 19.
Duening earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
“I see a lot of potential for entrepreneurship in the Pikes Peak region,” Duening said. “We plan to make UCCS a key resource in advancing entrepreneurship and innovation in our community.”
Duening joins Michael Larson and Terry Boult as El Pomar Chairs. Larson joined the UCCS faculty as El Pomar Professor of Engineering and Innovation in 2006 and also serves as associate vice chancellor for research and innovation. Boult, El Pomar Professor of Innovation and Security, joined the UCCS faculty in 2003.
The three faculty chairs work through the El Pomar Institute for Innovation and Commercialization, to build university and community partnerships and to bring new ideas to the region. The Institute was established in 1990 by a $3.15 million grant from El Pomar Foundation to focus in areas such as funding for innovation, business innovation and research, seminars on innovation and economic development.
The College of Business enrolls about 1,100 undergraduates and 425 MBA and Distance MBA students. The college is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, an organization that accredits less than five percent of business schools worldwide.
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 30 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 8,000 students annually.