Entrepreneurial education at Tufts University and the Derby Entrepreneurship Center (DEC) reached a new milestone this past week thanks to the Excellence in Curriculum Innovation in Entrepreneurship Award the center received on June 16 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
The prestigious award was presented to the Tufts team at the 11th Annual Deshpande Symposium Awards Reception. The award recognizes an exemplary commitment to, and success in, developing and offering innovative educational courses or programs that foster entrepreneurship education across an institution.
Accepting the award, Elaine Chen — Cummings Family Professor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship and Director of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts — said, “We are humbled and honored to join the ranks of higher ed trailblazers and past recipients of this prestigious award. It recognizes our commitment to, and success in, expanding equitable access to entrepreneurship education for all.”
DEC, part of Tufts Gordon Institute, is a hub for entrepreneurship education at Tufts University and offers an undergraduate entrepreneurship minor which is the largest minor at the University. DEC builds entrepreneurial leaders through academic courses and co-curricular programs and activities and empowers Tufts students, alumni, and community members to realize their purpose and lead with impact through innovation and entrepreneurship.
Kevin Oye, Executive Director of the Tufts Gordon Institute, commended the success of Chen and the team for their relentless commitment to pushing the boundaries of entrepreneurial education.
"Receiving this award is an honor for the entire team at the Derby Entrepreneurship Center and Tufts Gordon Institute. It recognizes the strides we have made in increasing entrepreneurship accessibility, and I am immensely proud of Elaine and the innovations in the curriculum she has made,” Oye said. “The team has expanded the reach of our entrepreneurship programming with a strong focus on underrepresented students, helping to unlock the entrepreneurial potential in all of our students at Tufts.”
