CLEMSON --- William B. Gartner has been named the Arthur M. Spiro Professor of Entrepreneurship at Clemson University, effective June 1.

Joining Clemson from the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California, Gartner brings 25 years of experience in entrepreneurship education and research. He has published and presented more than 100 articles and papers on new venture creation and entrepreneurial behavior.

"We are pleased a world-class scholar like Dr. Gartner is joining the Spiro Center team," said Jerry E. Trapnell, dean of Clemson's College of Business and Behavioral Science. "His appointment will help us significantly enhance entrepreneurship teaching, research and outreach programs across the university.

At Clemson, Gartner will help enhance the entrepreneurial reputation of the College of Business and Behavioral Science within the academic and business communities. He will also create Ph.D. and post-doctoral fellowship programs in entrepreneurship for the Spiro Center.

Gartner commented, "I am very excited to be joining excellent faculty who have demonstrated a significant leadership commitment to entrepreneurship research, teaching and practice. I was drawn to Clemson's mission to infuse entrepreneurship in other disciplines such as engineering, the sciences and humanities."

Gartner is a founder of the Entrepreneurship Research Consortium, which initiated, developed and managed the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED), a multi-million dollar research project that identified nascent entrepreneurs and followed their progress over a five-year period. His PSED research explores how entrepreneurs find and identify opportunities, recognize and solve start-up problems, and take action to successfully launch new ventures.

The most-cited author of entrepreneurship articles since 1986, Gartner's research has been published in the field's top publications. He has won awards from the Academy of Management, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, and the Babson-Kauffman Entrepreneurship Research Conference. In addition, he is involved in exploring ways to promote business development at city, county and state levels through changes in government regulations and licensing.

"Dr. Gartner will be a tremendous resource in our outreach efforts to the business community," said Caron St. John, director of the Spiro Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. "We will involve him in our work with regional economic development groups, inventors and entrepreneurs, and in our efforts to build seed and angel investing networks in the region."

Gartner's previous experience includes positions at the University of Virginia, Georgetown University and San Francisco State University. The Washington native received his degrees (BA, MBA and Ph.D.) from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is an active member of the Academy of Management, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and the American Economics Association.