Areas of Expertise

Entrepreneurship education, women entrepreneurship students, women's entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship pedagogy

Academic Degrees

• PhD, University of Missouri
• MA, Drury University
• BA, Drury University

Professional Experience

• Director of Entrepreneurship Initiatives, University of Missouri System
• Interim Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Missouri
• Assistant Director and Special Instructor, Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship, Drury University
• Founder and Consultant, Pomegranate Enterprises
• Proprietor and Founder, Treehouse Treasures
• Director of Special Events and Promotions, Pyramid Foods, Springfield, Missouri
• Administrative Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Empowerment in South Africa Program, Cape Town, South Africa

Awards, Honors & Certificates

• Faculty Service Award, Kelley School of Business, April 2023
• Finalist, FACET Innovate Awards for DEIJ-Informed Pedagogy (1 of 3), 2022
• Teaching Award Recipient, Dr. James E. Mumford Excellence in Extraordinary Teaching Award, FACET, 2021
• Best Paper Award (1 of 4), DSEF Papers at USASBE, 2020
• Doctoral Dissertation Award, Association for Research in Business Education, 2019
• 20 Under 40 Honoree, Columbia Business Times, 2019
• Emerging Scholar Award, USASBE Minority & Women Entrepreneurship SIG, 2019
• Graduate Certificate in Online Education, University of Missouri, 2018
• Schulze Publication Award, Entrepreneur and Innovation Exchange, 2018
• Barbara K Townsend Memorial Dissertation Award, University of Missouri, 2015
• Doctoral Consortium Fellow, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 2015
• Finalist, Young Professional of the Year, The Network for Springfield’s Young Professionals, 2013
• Certified Diversity Professional, Diversity Training University International, 2010

Selected Publications

• Cochran, S. L., and Kuratko, D. F. (2023). How trends in society and research impact entrepreneurship pedagogy. In A. C. Corbett, L. Marino, & G. A. Alsos (Eds.). Advances in entrepreneurship, firm emergence, and growth, Research on entrepreneurship education evolution and future, Volume 23.
• Cochran, S., Larlos-Hernandez, G. J., Walmsley, A., and Lopez-Castro, I. (2022). Innovative educators: The state of undergraduate entrepreneurship education. In the United States. In G. J. Larlos-Hernandez, A. Walmsley, & I. Lopez-Castro (Eds.) Theorising undergraduate entrepreneurship education. London: Springer Nature.
• Cochran, S. L. (2021). Donning their capes: Women entrepreneurship students emerge as superwomen. In C. Mathews, S. Santos, and E. Liguori (Eds.) Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy 2021. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
• Cochran, S. L. (2021). Direct selling as a path to business ownership: Molly’s Mary Kay journey. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 4(3), 515-526.
• Cochran, S. L., Foster, L. Q., and Anserson, A. L. (2021). So where’s Momma? Selling coffee in the Ozarks. The Case Journal, 17(5), 660-672.
• Cochran, S. L. (2021). Creating a space for women entrepreneurs. Rutgers Business Review, 6(2), 161-167.
• Cochran, S. L., Coughlan, A. T., Crittenden, V. L., Crittenden, W. F., Ferrell, L. K., Ferrell, O. C., Luce, W. A., & Peterson, R. A. (2021). Direct selling: A global and social business model. New York, NY: Business Expert Press.
• Cochran, S. L. (2020). Students need entrepreneurship courses now more than ever. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Exchange.
• Cochran, S. L. (2019). What’s gender got to do with it? The experiences of U.S. women entrepreneurship students. Journal of Small Business Management, 57(S1), 111-129.
• Cochran, S. L. (2019). Women in higher education. In V. Crittenden (Ed.), Go-to-market strategies for women entrepreneurs: Creating and exploring success. Bingley, UK: Emerald.
• Cochran, S.L. (2017). Every College Student Should Take a Course in Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Exchange.
• Cochran, S. L. (2016). A Unique Student Angel Investing Fund. In M. H. Morris & E. Liguori (Eds). Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.

Edited on March 21, 2025