On May 1, Lindsay Mahony assumed the role of assistant dean for entrepreneurship and strategic initiatives at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business. Mahony formerly served as assistant head in the college’s Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.
Through this newly created position, Haslam’s Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI) will now report to the dean’s office. The ACEI will continue its strong connection to the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship through entrepreneurship curriculum, student development and research engagement.
This realignment emphasizes entrepreneurship and innovation as strategic priorities for the college and positions the ACEI to expand its regional engagement while growing its role as a campus-wide asset.
A New Position for Strategic Priorities
As the new assistant dean for entrepreneurship and strategic initiatives, Mahony will strengthen collaboration across college departments and centers, as well as university partners, to advance entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development.
“Haslam has outstanding assets across faculty, staff and programs,” said Mahony. “In this new role, I will intentionally connect those strengths across the college, the university and external partners, aligning curriculum with industry needs, expanding hands-on learning opportunities and creating clearer pathways for collaboration. By bringing these efforts together, we can increase access to meaningful coursework and programming, better prepare students for evolving workforce demands and entrepreneurial opportunities and build initiatives that are more impactful than any one unit could achieve alone.”
Stephen L. Mangum, Haslam’s dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair, agreed that the new assistant dean position is key to a collaborative approach.
“As Haslam continues to expand its impact in entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development, it is important to intentionally connect and strengthen the college’s role as a partner across the university,” he said.
A Center on the Rise
For the ACEI, the new reporting structure supports continued growth in student programming, interdisciplinary engagement, external partnerships and university-wide collaboration.
ACEI executive director Breanna Hale explained that both Mahony’s position and ACEI’s new reporting structure come at a time of momentum for entrepreneurship and the center.
“As entrepreneurship continues to intersect with areas such as technology, economic development, applied learning and the future of work, this transition better positions the ACEI to contribute in broader and more integrated ways,” she said. “We are energized by what this change means for our students and for the many alumni, donors, parents and partners who help make our work possible.”
About the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The ACEI, housed in Haslam, is the front door to entrepreneurship at UT. It connects Volunteers with expertise, resources and collaborators at UT and across the regional ecosystem to advance ideas, tackle bold challenges and turn entrepreneurial ambition into results. At the ACEI, Volunteers are empowered to identify opportunities and take bold action to create value through new ventures.
About the Haslam College of Business
Founded in 1914, Haslam sets the standard in developing future business leaders whose work positively impacts the world. More than 11,000 undergraduate, graduate and executive education students are taught by 290 faculty with dedicated staff members facilitating their needs. Haslam programs consist of seven departments and nine undergraduate majors. Its eight centers, institutes and forums, as well as its myriad graduate and executive education programs, reach across the for profit, not-for-profit and governmental sectors of business, with a heavy emphasis on impactful research. UT was founded in 1794 and was designated as Tennessee’s land-grant institution in 1879.
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Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu
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