Director of the U-Imagine Center for Integrative and Entrepreneurial Studies presso Ursinus College

Director of the U-Imagine Center for Integrative and Entrepreneurial Studies

The Director of the U-Imagine Center for Integrative and Entrepreneurial Studies at Ursinus College provides the vision and leadership for embedding entrepreneurial thinking and action across the curriculum, co-curriculum, and all Innovation Centers. The Director envisions, develops, organizes, plans, directs, and implements entrepreneurship-related initiatives in alignment with the U-Imagine 2.0 model. The Director is responsible for administering faculty, student, and community programs that inspire and equip participants to apply entrepreneurial approaches in every discipline.

Central to the role is scaling entrepreneurship beyond the Center itself, creating faculty capacity to integrate entrepreneurial pedagogy, and ensuring that students in all majors have meaningful opportunities to apply these skills through Innovation Center projects, courses, and ventures.

The Director oversees strategic student leadership initiatives, delegating day-to-day logistics to program staff and student project managers. The Director engages with Ursinus alumni, outside professionals, and an Advisory Board to cultivate partnerships, secure resources, and expand the College’s entrepreneurial ecosystem regionally and nationally. The development of a strategic integration plan for the Center and collaboration with Advancement on multi-year funding initiatives are key components of the role.

• Lead the development, design, implementation, administration, and evaluation of programs, faculty initiatives, and partnerships that inspire and amplify entrepreneurial thought and action across the College’s Innovation Centers, academic departments, and co-curricular programs.
• Develop and implement an annual strategic integration plan that details U-Imagine Center’s objectives within the broader APEX and Innovation Centers framework.
• Collaborate with college leadership and campus partners to embed entrepreneurial competencies into academic programs, faculty development pathways, and student career readiness efforts.
• Shape entrepreneurial and professional development initiatives that connect student innovation with career pathways and post-graduate success.

• Direct and oversee signature and emerging programs (e.g., BEAR Innovation, Digital Spark, Avenue V), ensuring each aligns with Innovation Center themes and provides interdisciplinary engagement opportunities.
• Integrate experiential entrepreneurship modules into multiple disciplines, leveraging Innovation Centers as delivery hubs for both credit-bearing and co-curricular opportunities.
• Design, implement, and support faculty- and student-led ventures, ensuring alignment with curricular goals and community impact priorities.
• Lead a faculty fellows program, mentor student project teams, and facilitate partnerships that connect ventures to real-world resources and markets.
• Design co-curricular and curricular programs that integrate entrepreneurial action with career exploration, networking, and workforce readiness skills.
• Oversee budget, strategic staffing, and resource allocation, delegating daily logistics to program staff where possible.
• Foster an inclusive environment that welcomes broad participation and collaboration across campus and community stakeholders.
• Facilitate a collaborative, energized network that bridges disciplines, Innovation Centers, and external partners.

• Design and lead an annual Faculty Fellows program to embed entrepreneurial approaches into courses across disciplines.
• Offer professional development workshops and summer institutes on entrepreneurial pedagogy, project-based learning, and venture design.
• Maintain a repository of teaching resources, case studies, and adaptable modules for faculty use.
• Collaborate with department chairs and Innovation Center directors to align entrepreneurship outcomes with curricular goals.

• Oversee the U-Imagine Specialty Scholarship program and ensure scholars engage in cross-center initiatives that model entrepreneurial leadership.
• Direct and support student innovation teams aligned to signature programs, with operational execution led by a program manager or lead student coordinators.
• Support student-led fundraising, sponsorships, and venture sustainability efforts.

• Engage with outside partners and alumni to create a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that enhances faculty and student work across all Innovation Centers.
• Build employer, alumni, and industry partnerships that simultaneously advance entrepreneurial ventures and expand career opportunities for students.
• Collaborate with Advancement, Alumni Relations, and Center directors to expand funding streams, sponsorships, and program endowments.
• Actively engage with the U-Imagine Center Advisory Council for strategic guidance, industry expertise, and donor cultivation.
• Lead development of multi-year funding strategies in partnership with Advancement, targeting operational sustainability and program innovation.
• Represent the U-Imagine Center and the College in regional, national, and international entrepreneurship education networks.

• A successful track record with a business startup and considerable entrepreneurial experience (7-10+ years).
• A strong functional background with operations, marketing, finance, accounting, legal, sales, and technical aspects of running a business.
• Substantial knowledge and experience in small business and entrepreneurial finance, operations, and marketing, as well as knowledge of startup issues faced by new entrepreneurs.
• Proven ability to connect entrepreneurial education with student career development and workforce readiness.
• Demonstrated experience building partnerships with employers, alumni, and external organizations to support student professional pathways.
• Strong understanding of higher education structures for student success, advising, and career services.
• Strong leadership experience and demonstrated ability to develop, direct, and implement new initiatives.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as business, entrepreneurship, marketing, consumer behavior, or innovation.
• Knowledge and experience in higher education preferred.
• One year of college-level teaching or equivalent preferred.
• Familiarity with the mission of a residential liberal arts college.
• Demonstrated skills in supervision, budget management, and problem-solving.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to lead strategic initiatives that integrate entrepreneurship with professional and career development.

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