Michael R. Bowers is Professor of Entrepreneurship and founding Director of the newly created Center for Entrepreneurship at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), in Daytona Beach FL. In his time at ERAU Mike has created the TREP EXPO, showcasing innovative ventures from the faculty, students and alumni; served as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation and spoke at the 44^th Annual Space Congress.  Until recently, Dr. Bowers served as Dean of the Donald W Maine College of Business, and interim Dean of the College of Technology at Davenport University in Grand Rapids MI.

Prior to his time at Davenport, Michael was Professor of Marketing and the founding Academic Director of the Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship in the Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College. During his tenure, the Center was twice recognized as one of the top 25 graduate programs in the country by Entrepreneur Magazine and the Princeton Review. The Rollins MBA is recognized as one of the best MBA programs in the U.S (Bloomberg’s, Forbes, US News & World Report, Princeton Review).

Dr. Bowers has worked extensively with startup and second stage companies as they develop their business and growth models. In 2009, Mike completed a sabbatical project working as the Chief Marketing Officer at Blue Orb, a second stage software company competing in the gaming industry.  In addition, he has conducted several sales, marketing and strategic planning conferences for prominent banks, health care systems, other businesses and professional associations around the U.S.

In the spring of 2012, Dr. Bowers visited the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand as the J.A. Valentine Fellow.  During the summer of 2010, Mike gave a series of lectures on entrepreneurship at EuroMed University in Marseilles France. He has also lectured at the Catholic University of Portugal – Lisbon.

Previously, Michael served as Chair of the Management, Marketing and Industrial Distribution Department and a tenured Professor of Marketing in the Graduate School of Business at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) with a secondary appointment in the Department of Health Administration, School of Health Related Professions. Dr. Bowers was also a Senior Scientist in the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education (COERE) and a Senior Scholar in the Sparkman Center for International Public Health Education at UAB.  While at UAB, Michael taught a class in high technology entrepreneurship.

Dr. Bowers’ research interests include entrepreneurship, product/quality management, customer loyalty, management of organizational innovation and strategic planning, primarily in service industries.  Michael has published over fifty articles in several journals including: the Journal of Business Research, the Journal of Services Marketing, the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, the American Journal of Medical Quality, Medical Care Review, Hospital and Health Services Administration, Health Care Management Review, the Journal of Health Care Marketing, the Journal of Retail Banking and the Journal of Marketing Education.  Michael served as a member of the editorial review board for the Journal of Health Care Marketing from 1990 to 1997. He served as a reviewer for several journals including the Journal of Service Research and the Journal of International Entrepreneurship. Michael has written several articles for magazines such as Bank Marketing and The Bankers Magazine.  Michael was a co-author of the book Bankers Who Sell.

Dr. Bowers has received several awards for teaching and research including the 1996 UAB Presidents Award for Teaching Excellence and the 1990 Ingalls Award for outstanding educator at UAB.  Dr. Bowers’ teaching interests are in entrepreneurship, marketing strategy, services marketing, sales management and health care marketing.

Dr. Bowers received his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Texas A&M University in 1985.  Mike was a Doctoral Consortium Fellow for the American Marketing Association.  He is a member of Alpha Mu Alpha and Beta Gamma Sigma honorary societies.  Michael is an active member of several professional associations including the American Marketing Association, and the Academy of Marketing Science.

Before beginning his doctoral studies, Michael was an instructor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where he also received his MBA.  Prior to beginning graduate work, Dr. Bowers was employed for three years with Ortho Pharmaceutical as a sales representative.  He received several sales awards in this position.  Michael received his BA degree from Florida State University.