The Neeley School of Business announces a $500,000 pledge from Robert and Edith Schumacher  to establish the Executive Faculty Fellow in Innovation and Technology. Raymond M. Smilor, previously executive director of the Beyster Institute at the Rady School of Management at the University of California, is the first recipient.

 

 

The Schumachers’ pledge is in honor of their grandchildren, TCU graduates Corey Kyle (’08, MAc ’09) and Ryan Millett (’09). Robert J. (Bob) Schumacher graduated with an accounting degree from the Neeley School in 1950.

 

 

“This is a testament not only to the generosity of a valued Neeley partner, but also to the dedication of our faculty and staff who provide a challenging and rewarding educational experience for our students in and outside the classroom,” said O. Homer Erekson, John V. Roach Dean of the Neeley School. “This gift supports the recruitment of a leading international faculty member with expertise in innovation and technology, and supplements the educational experience for students interested in entrepreneurship with a focus on innovation and technology.”

 

 

Dr. Smilor has authored and edited numerous books on entrepreneurship. His expertise covers national and international entrepreneurship; management styles, systems and innovations; management and marketing strategies for technology companies; science and technology transfer and commercialization; and economic development in emerging economies.  He was a tenured professor at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas-Austin, serving as executive director of the IC2 Institute, an internationally recognized think-tank for entrepreneurship and economic development.  Prior to that, he served as vice president of the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.