Dyer Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Wins National Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education

The DYER Fellowship Program is a distinctive, multi-year experience that empowers students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset through hands-on mentorship, real-world problem-solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Open to students from all majors, the program supports fellows as they identify challenges, build creative solutions, and gain practical experience that extends far beyond the classroom. The DYER Fellowship is unique in its cohort-based model that emphasizes building entrepreneurial capacity through action-based learning, equipping students with the skills to think like entrepreneurs, regardless of whether they pursue startups, social ventures, or innovation-driven careers.

“We are thrilled that USASBE has recognized the DYER Fellowship Program as a national model for co-curricular innovation,” said Rita Chesterton, Bradbury Dyer ‘64 Director for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. “Entrepreneurship education is about more than launching ventures—it’s about cultivating adaptable, creative, and resilient problem-solvers who can shape the future in any field. This award is a testament to the dedication of our faculty, staff, alumni, mentors, and community partners who make this work possible.”

Each year, USASBE’s Excellence in Co-Curricular Innovation Award recognizes an outstanding program that fosters entrepreneurial learning beyond the traditional classroom. The award committee praised the DYER Fellowship for its immersive, interdisciplinary approach and its effectiveness in preparing students for entrepreneurial success. The selection process was highly competitive, with institutions from across the country submitting programs for consideration.

The Dyer Center’s achievement highlights Lafayette College’s commitment to integrating entrepreneurship into a liberal arts education, ensuring that students from all disciplines have the opportunity to develop creative problem-solving skills and bring innovative ideas to life. This recognition reinforces the Dyer Center’s role as a leader in entrepreneurship education and underscores its mission to inspire and equip students to create their own futures.

For more information about the DYER Fellowship and the Dyer Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, visit dyer.lafayette.edu.