Susana Santos’ research contributes to a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurial activity can serve as a mechanism for social and economic mobility. (Photo provided by Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship)
Florida State University’s Susana Santos, the Jim Moran Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, has been inducted as a Justin G. Longenecker Fellow of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) — one of the highest honors in the field of entrepreneurship.
Induction into the Longenecker Fellows recognizes individuals who have demonstrated sustained excellence in entrepreneurship education, research and service, and whose careers have made a lasting impact on the discipline. Admission is highly competitive and by nomination only, with each fellow having made sustained contributions that advance both entrepreneurship scholarship and practice.
Santos was nominated by Michael Morris of the University of Notre Dame, who highlighted her record of leadership and service to USASBE, including roles as a board member, conference chair, editor and doctoral program leader. He also underscored her scholarly contributions, particularly her research examining how entrepreneurship can help uplift communities and combat 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.”
Santos’ research focuses on poverty alleviation, community-level entrepreneurship and inclusive innovation, contributing to a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurial activity can serve as a mechanism for social and economic mobility. Her work has been published in leading academic journals and informs both policy and practice across diverse global contexts.
“We are incredibly proud to see Dr. Santos recognized as a Longenecker Fellow, one of the highest honors in entrepreneurship education,” said Susan Fiorito, dean of the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. “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.”
“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.”
– Susan Fiorito, dean of the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship
Morris reflected on Santos’ leadership within the USASBE and the impactful research she provides.
“Susana’s career has been defined by intellectual rigor and purposeful impact,” Morris added. “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. Eric Liguori, Jim Moran Professor and Associate Dean, was inducted in 2021, and Wendy Plant, retired executive director of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, was inducted in 2024.
The honor further underscores FSU’s leadership in entrepreneurship education and scholarship, and the Jim Moran College’s growing influence in shaping the global conversation around entrepreneurship as a force for economic development and impact.