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Career businessman, scientist and entrepreneur Brandon Price has been named the inaugural Ben J. Rogers Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies in the College of Business at ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ.

As the Rogers Chair, Price will work with the colleges, institutes and centers – primarily the College of Business and the Center for Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (CICE) – at LU to teach business planning, aid in starting up innovative enterprises, engage in outreach to area businesses and entrepreneurs, and connect the university to business and academic communities throughout North America, Latin America and Europe.

Price, who holds a Ph.D. in biophysics, is actively engaged in entrepreneurial start-ups, including , a Florida-based clinical-stage company developing a treatment for brain cancer, and , a Michigan-based company developing a retinal metabolic imaging tool for early detection of diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Significant academic accomplishments during three decades of work in biophysics, and leadership in establishing numerous successful biotech start-ups are part of the exceptional experience Price brings to his new role, LU officials said.

The Ben J. Rogers Chair in Entrepreneurship was established as part of a long-range plan to make entrepreneurship an area of excellence in the College of Business. The gift from the Rogers family honors the legacy of Ben J. Rogers and the role ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ has played in the Rogers’ lives.

“Our father, a champion for higher education, had enormous faith in ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ and its ability to foster an environment for students to achieve,” said Regina Rogers. “He would be very proud of the chair that has been established in his name and excited about the outstanding qualifications of Dr. Price. Dr. Price is a visionary, whose stellar reputation and depth of knowledge and experience, will have a transformative impact on students for generations to come.”

“We are very pleased to have Brandon Price as the Ben J. Rogers Chair,” said Henry Venta, dean of the College of Business. “He brings not only outstanding academic credentials but practical entrepreneurial experience from an exceptional career that will enhance his leadership in this vital area for the college and for Southeast Texas. The endowment and the name – because of the great reputation of Ben Rogers – have enabled us to attract an individual of the highest caliber.”

“My brother, Dr. Arvey Rogers who is a graduate of ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ, and our family extend special thanks to Dr. Venta and Paul Latiolais for their roles in introducing Dr. Price to ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ,” Rogers said.

Price, who holds a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, has more than 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, and co-founded Biogenin, a Mexican company that develops and licenses human and veterinary pharmaceuticals for Latin American markets.  He has been CEO of four biotechnology start-ups, and has worked for Cardinal Health and Ortho Diagnostic Systems, A Johnson & Johnson company.  In addition, Price co-founded the Institute for Cell Analysis at the University of Miami (Fla.) and the International Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Guadalajara.  He has authored more than 50 articles in the scientific and business literature.

He has served as board chair of the Virginia Biotechnology Association, Maryland’s counterpart, MdBIO, and was named 2001 Biotechnology Leader of the Year in Virginia.  Price sits on the board of directors of four companies and chairs the advisory board for the Professional Science Management Program in Bioinformatics at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.

He is also visiting professor at the University of Guadalajara School of Business where he teaches the course “Entrepreneurism and Planning for Innovation Driven Companies” and is an adjunct professor in the College of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.