Univ. of Maryland’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship Awarded for Excellence in Teaching, Student Activities

College Park, Md. – November 4, 2010 – The University of Maryland’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business won the top award for innovative teaching methods from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC). The organization recognized the Dingman Center with the “Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation” award at its annual conference at Pennsylvania State University on Oct. 23. This year, the center marks its 25th year of helping students and regional entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into successful startups.

The award is given to the entrepreneurship center committed to maximum current and future student benefit through excellence in teaching and pedagogy, demonstrated by activities to change and improve the way entrepreneurship is taught and learned. The awards committee pointed to the Dingman Center’s international student programs. Each year, the center sponsors international entrepreneurship experiences for students with a China Business Plan Competition in Beijing and a summer technology transfer program in Israel.

“This award is so exciting because it validates our curricular design for global collaborative learning environments,” said Asher Epstein, managing director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. “Our partnerships in China and Israel bring Smith MBA students to two of the most dynamic global entrepreneurship environments. Additionally, this is another wonderful recognition of the innovation and leadership the Dingman Center has demonstrated for 25 years.”

The GCEC recognizes top entrepreneurship centers at its annual conference with its “Excellence in Entrepreneurship” awards, selected by a panel of peer center directors.

The consortium provides university educators and entrepreneurship center directors from across the world the opportunity to collaborate on issues including center development, student initiatives, social entrepreneurship, and advances in entrepreneurship education. The GCEC's current membership totals 200 university-based entrepreneurship centers. The organization was started in 1996, co-founded by Dingman Center founder and former dean of the Smith School, Rudolph P. Lamone. Lamone started the Dingman Center 25 years ago with a generous gift from benefactor Michael Dingman, an international investor, businessman and philanthropist.

The Smith School is ranked among the best in the nation for its entrepreneurship offerings, according to rankings by U.S. News & World Report and Financial Times. In addition to its international programs, the Dingman Center supports student entrepreneurs and faculty research in entrepreneurship. It hosts weekly “Pitch” sessions and monthly competitions for entrepreneurs to get feedback and funding for their business ideas, culminating in the center’s annual Cupid’s Cup business competition, sponsored by alumnus Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour.

About the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship
The Dingman Center has been a hub of campus and regional entrepreneurial activity for 25 years. Among the Dingman Center’s resources are its Capital Access Network (CAN), a pipeline that connects startups from regional tech councils, incubators and state-funded institutions with a network of more than 40 active, accredited angel investors and venture capitalists for early-stage capital. The center also helps lead the University of Maryland’s Technology Transfer programs and provides MBA and undergraduate students at the Smith School with practical experiences and opportunities to pitch their business ideas, obtain feedback from experienced entrepreneurs-in-residence and access funding.

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.