Florida State University’s Susana Santos, the Jim Moran Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, was inducted as a Justin G. Longenecker Fellow of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, according to a March 16 announcement. This fellowship is considered one of the highest honors in entrepreneurship education.
The recognition highlights sustained excellence in entrepreneurship education, research, and service. Induction into the Longenecker Fellows is highly competitive and based on nomination, with honorees making lasting contributions to both scholarship and practice in entrepreneurship.
Santos was nominated by Michael Morris from the University of Notre Dame for her leadership roles within USASBE, including serving as a board member, conference chair, editor, and doctoral program leader. Her research focuses on how entrepreneurship can help communities address poverty through sustainable economic development.
“Dr. Santos exemplifies the spirit of the Longenecker Fellows,” said Jeff Hornsby, chair of the Fellows and professor at the University of Missouri Kansas City. “Her scholarship advances a global dialogue on the role of entrepreneurship in addressing poverty, while her leadership within USASBE has strengthened our community and helped shape the next generation of entrepreneurship scholars. She has made a lasting and meaningful impact on our field.”
Susan Fiorito, dean of the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, said: “We are incredibly proud to see Dr. Santos recognized as a Longenecker Fellow, one of the highest honors in entrepreneurship education. Her dedication to research, teaching and service exemplifies the excellence of our faculty and reflects the Jim Moran College’s commitment to advancing entrepreneurship that creates real and lasting impact.”
Morris also commented on Santos’ career: “Susana’s career has been defined by intellectual rigor and purposeful impact,” he said. “She is a thought leader whose work pushes us to rethink how entrepreneurship functions in contexts of poverty and disadvantage, and her leadership within USASBE has strengthened the infrastructure that supports entrepreneurship education worldwide. She is profoundly deserving of this honor.”
Santos becomes the third FSU faculty member inducted as a Longenecker Fellow after Eric Liguori in 2021 and Wendy Plant in 2024. The honor further underscores Florida State University’s role in advancing entrepreneurship education.
