Among the first signs of trouble for California’s Proposition 37 and Washington’s Initiative 522 were critical newspaper editorial writers who found flaws in the food-labeling measures, both of which ended up narrowly failing at the ballot box.

But this year in Oregon and Colorado, anyone looking to newspaper editorials for an early cue on how Measure 92 (OR) or Initiative 105 (CO) are going to come out will have to be satisfied with mixed results. (more…)

Dr. Norman Borlaug, known as the “Father of the Green Revolution,” would have turned 100 on March 25 this year. He dedicated his life to feeding the world by improving the health and yields of cereal crops. To honor his legacy a Borlaug Summit on Wheat for Food Security set out to continue his work throughout the world.

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In a forthcoming article in the Journal of Business Venturing, EMAC researchers Kolympiris, Kalaitzandonakes and Miller examine where university-employed scientists start their firms.

The authors find that proximity to venture capital firms and key research infrastructure, such as medical schools, may help to attract new firms and create entrepreneurial environments that can boost local employment and encourage economic growth at large.

Nevertheless, the personal characteristics of academic entrepreneurs dominate the choice of location. For instance, academic entrepreneurs at later stages of their career are considerably more likely to start their firm away from their academic homes. These findings, therefore, suggest that a deeper understanding of the location choice of firms spawned by universities may require more attention to the characteristics and incentives of the academic entrepreneurs that establish them.