The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs hosted the 2025 Sonneborn Lecture, “Corporate Entrepreneurship: How Research Shaped a Field,” presented by Donald F. Kuratko, professor of entrepreneurship, at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the Whittenberger Auditorium at the Indiana Memorial Union.
The Sonneborn Award and Lecture recognizes an IU Bloomington faculty member whose research, creative activity, and teaching have made a significant impact on their field and the university community.
“Being the honoree of the 2025 Tracy M. Sonneborn Award is truly a remarkable achievement in my professional career,” Kuratko said. “I am deeply humbled and honored to receive one of Indiana University’s most prestigious awards. For me, it represents the pinnacle of my 22-year research and teaching career at IU.”
Kuratko, known to many as “Dr. K”, is a nationally recognized scholar and leader in entrepreneurship. He has published more than 200 articles in top academic journals and authored 30 books, including Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice (12th ed., 2024), Corporate Innovation (2nd ed., 2025), and New Venture Management (4th ed., 2026).
“Dr. Kuratko’s groundbreaking scholarship, transformative teaching, and unwavering commitment to student success embody the highest ideals of Indiana University,” wrote Dan Li, executive associate dean for faculty and research and the L. Leslie Waters Chair in International Business, and Erik Gonzalez-Mulé, chair and Randall L. Tobias Professor of Leadership, both in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington. “His research and teaching have redefined entrepreneurship education, inspiring generations of students and scholars.”
As the co-founder of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, Kuratko has helped shape the field of corporate entrepreneurship and guided organizations in integrating entrepreneurial strategies into their cultures. His work continues to influence scholars and practitioners around the world.
“Corporate entrepreneurship is a topic domain to which Dr. Kuratko has a strong commitment,” wrote R. Duane Ireland, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. “The corporate entrepreneurship literature would be dramatically less robust and less influential without Dr. Kuratko’s contributions. His scholarship influences entrepreneurship research being completed on a global basis.”