SFA entrepreneurship center earns top international honor for interdisciplinary efforts

The Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers selected Stephen F. Austin State University's Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship as the winner of the Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines Award at the GCEC conference in October. Pictured, from left, are Matt Smilor, ACE director, and Dr. Hollie Gammel Smith, ACE executive director of community partnerships, accepting the award.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas -- Stephen F. Austin State University's Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship received the Exceptional Activities in Entrepreneurship Across Disciplines Award from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers at GCEC's annual conference hosted by the University of Calgary in October.

This award recognizes ACE as one of the top university entrepreneurship programs in the world for fostering innovation and collaboration across all fields of study. ACE is dedicated to creating, advancing and enabling entrepreneurship education opportunities for multiple audiences and units across campus. Criteria for the GCEC honor included creativity of multidisciplinary approach, measured impact across campus, and diversity of partners and stakeholders.

"Winning this award for entrepreneurship across disciplines is an incredible honor, and we're very fortunate and grateful to be recognized by the GCEC for our efforts," said Matt Smilor, ACE director. "It's a true testament to the hard work of our SFA faculty and all six colleges across campus who have worked tirelessly to ensure entrepreneurial thinking, methodologies and mindsets are available to all our students."

From its headquarters at the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, GCEC facilitates collaboration among global entrepreneurship center leaders with the goal of advancing, strengthening and celebrating the role universities fulfill in educating future entrepreneurs. More than 500 leaders from universities and colleges around the world participated in over 100 breakout sessions at GCEC's annual conference, during which educators shared their expertise and showcased their programs.

ACE, which recently received $40 million for its new facility from The University of Texas System, was established in 2023 to support innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurial growth across campus and East Texas. SFA's entrepreneurship academic program launched in fall 2020.

For more information on SFA's Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship, visit sfasu.edu/ace.