San Diego State professor and Lavin Entrepreneurship Center Executive Director Alex DeNoble received the distinguished Karl Vesper Entrepreneurship Pioneer Award on Sept. 28.

The College of Business Administration at SDSU announced DeNoble had won the award in a press release on Oct. 2. The Karl Vesper Entrepreneurship Pioneer Award is given to the “individual who has demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit in overcoming obstacles while implementing significant contributions that have been instrumental in the ongoing development of entrepreneurship as a field of study and research,” according to the press release.

The award was presented at an Experiential Classroom program at the University of Florida. The Experiential Classroom brings in 75 new professors from around the globe to educate them about teaching entrepreneurship, DeNoble said.

This year, there were only 10 nominees for the award.

“The Karl Vesper Entrepreneurship Pioneer Award is reserved only for the best of the best in the world of entrepreneurial education,” Chief Communications Officer for the College of Business Administration at SDSU Suzanne Finch said. “Dr. DeNoble justifiably was honored with this award for his 30 years of outstanding research and teaching excellence. On behalf of SDSU’s College of Business Administration, we are understandably proud of Dr. DeNoble for his many accomplishments during his tenure at SDSU.”

DeNoble is the fourth recipient of the award and was honored to have been chosen as an awardee.

“It was a complete surprise,” DeNoble said. “I’m really touched by it. I’ve been working on developing programs for 30 years, and to be recognized nationally is an honor.”

DeNoble said the award will also benefit SDSU’s entrepreneurship program.

“It adds prestige and rating to the entrepreneurship program,” DeNoble said. “It attracts alumni, donors and those who support our vision. It also attracts high caliber students, and will help us attract really motivated students.”

Throughout the course of his career, DeNoble has created many innovative programs at SDSU, including launching a cross-campus minor in entrepreneurship. He currently has two new programs awaiting approval from the academic senate: a music entrepreneurship program, and including the Lavin two-year intensive internship program in the academic catalog.

Photo Courtesy of  SDSU NewsCenter.