Sara Cochran

Dr. Sara L. Cochran earned a B.A. in accounting from a liberal arts institution, Drury University in Springfield, MO where she took advantage of the liberal arts opportunities to study abroad in London and earn a minor in global studies. Dr. Cochran also holds a MA in communications from Drury and a PhD from the University of Missouri. She serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) and has published in outlets such as the Journal of Small Business Management and the Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy. On the IU campus, Dr. Cochran is the advisor for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) and the faculty advisor for the Alpha Xi Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha. In addition to her passion for higher education and entrepreneurship, Dr. Cochran enjoys traveling and sewing, most recently making lots of masks. During the 2020-2021 school year, Dr. Cochran will be teaching LAMP X-333 “Managing Business Functions” for the LAMP Honors Certificate.

Areas of Expertise

Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurship in Higher Education, Women Entrepreneurs, Women Business Students, Gender in Entrepreneurship

Academic Degrees

• PhD, University of Missouri, 2017
• MA, Drury University, 2006
• BA, Drury University, 2004

Professional Experience

• Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives, University of Missouri System
• Interim Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Missouri
• Assistant Director and Special Instructor, Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship, Drury University
• Founder and Consultant, Pomegranate Enterprises
• Proprietor and Founder, Treehouse Treasures
• Director of Special Events and Promotions, Pyramid Foods, Springfield, Missouri
• Administrative Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Empowerment in South Africa Program, Cape Town, South Africa

Awards, Honors & Certificates

• Best Paper Award, DSEF Papers at USASBE, Direct Selling Education Foundation, 2020
• Doctoral Dissertation Award, Association for Research in Business Education, 2019
• 20 Under 40 Honoree, Columbia Business Times, 2019
• Emerging Scholar Award, USASBE Minority & Women Entrepreneurship SIG, 2019
• Graduate Certificate in Online Education, University of Missouri, 2018
• Schulze Publication Award, Entrepreneur and Innovation Exchange, 2018
• Fellow, Direct Selling Education Foundation, 2018
• Barbara K Townsend Memorial Dissertation Award, University of Missouri, 2015
• Doctoral Consortium Fellow, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 2015
• Finalist, Young Professional of the Year, The Network for Springfield’s Young Professionals, 2013
• Certified Diversity Professional, Diversity Training University International, 2010

Selected Publications

• Cochran, S. L. (2021). Donning their capes: Women entrepreneurship students emerge as superwomen. In C. Mathews, S. Santos, and E. Liguori (Eds.) Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy 2021. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
• Cochran, S. L. (2021). Direct selling as a path to business ownership: Molly’s Mary Kay journey. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, in press.
• Cochran, S. L. (2020). Students need entrepreneurship courses now more than ever. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Exchange.
• Cochran, S. L. (2019). What’s gender got to do with it? The experiences of U.S. women entrepreneurship students. Journal of Small Business Management, 57(S1), 111-129.
• Cochran, S. L. (2019). Women in higher education. In V. Crittenden (Ed.), Go-to-market strategies for women entrepreneurs: Creating and exploring success. Bingley, UK: Emerald.
• Cochran, S.L. (2017). Every College Student Should Take a Course in Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Exchange.
• Cochran, S. L. (2016). A Unique Student Angel Investing Fund. In M. H. Morris & E. Liguori (Eds). Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.