Dr. Earvin Balderama
The Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship named Dr. Earvin Balderama, Dr. Monique Bell and Professor Aaron Schuelke as Johanson Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows for the 2022-23 academic year.
The Johanson Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows Program provides support for faculty to incorporate entrepreneurship into the curriculum of new and existing courses. The fellowship program particularly focuses on developing curricula in areas that have not traditionally focused on entrepreneurship and innovation.
The Johanson Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program, originally known as the Coleman Entrepreneurship Fellows program, started at Fresno State in 2005 and continues thanks to a generous contribution from Larry and Patti Johanson.
Dr. Monique Bell
“The Johanson Fellows program provides a tremendous opportunity for faculty in various disciplines to teach students entrepreneurial skills that will enable students to identify and make the most of opportunities, overcome and learn from setbacks, and succeed in different environments and settings,” said Mendy Laval, Intrapreneur in Residence at the Lyles Center.
Laval said the entrepreneurial thinking taught by Johanson Faculty Fellows is valued by employers in all industries, essential for students who want to start their own businesses.
The newly named Johanson Fellows are developing innovative entrepreneurial curricula in several areas:
- Balderama, an assistant professor of mathematics, is designing a new course titled “Statistical Learning and Consulting,” a team-oriented and project-based class in which students will work together to provide statistical solutions to real-world problems.
- Bell, an associate professor of marketing, is creating a new course titled “Creativity and Entrepreneurship,” which will provide students from various disciplines with the opportunity to learn about processes and practices that foster the in-demand skill of creative thinking.
- Schuelke, an assistant professor in the film and media arts program in the Department of Media, Communications and Journalism, will infuse elements of entrepreneurship into an existing course titled “Narrative Filmmaking.” The course will focus on the business side of the film industry, which is a crucial element of the filmmaking process.
Aaron Schuelke
Balderama, Bell and Schuelke will also receive financial support to attend the Experiential Classroom, a clinic for training faculty in teaching entrepreneurship presented at the University of Tampa Sept. 15 through 18. They will join 75 other attendees from throughout the United States and around the world for the program on best practices in entrepreneurship education.
