Brandon Ofem, Ph.D.

Dr. Brandon Ofem is an Associate Professor in the Global Leadership and Management Department in the Ed G. Smith College of Business. Brandon earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Strategy/Entrepreneurship from the University of Kentucky in 2014. His dissertation examined the collaborative and entrepreneurial practices of economic development organizations in eastern Kentucky, one of the most persistently distressed regions in the United States. Dr. Ofem has published research articles in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Business Venturing, Economic Development Quarterly, Small Business Economics, International Journal of STEM Education, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, among others. He has also coauthored three book chapters on social network analysis and over $1.5 million in funded research projects from the National Science Foundation. His research interests include interorganizational collaboration, entrepreneurship, social networks, STEM education, and the strategic drivers of firm performance in an increasingly digital and AI-driven competitive landscape. His teaching interests include strategic management, entrepreneurship, and research methods. He also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Kentucky and a B.A. in economics from Transylvania University.

Education

Ph.D. Business Administration, University of Kentucky
M.B.A. University of Kentucky
B.A. Economics, Transylvania University

Courses

MGMT 4219 - Strategic Management

Research

Selected Publications:

  • Ofem, B., Phillips-Hernandez, J.M., Lauer, D., & Palmer, J. (2023). Leveraging university networks in university powered accelerators: Best practices and lessons learned. Metropolitan Universities Journal, 34(3).

  • Uzuegbunam, I., Ofem, B., Fox, J., & Nambisan, S. (2023). The angels’ share hypothesis in new firms. Small Business Economics, 61(2), 843-865.

  • Uzuegbunam, I., Pathak, S., Taylor-Bianco, A., & Ofem, B. (2021). How cultural tightness interacts with gender in founding teams: Insights from the commercialization of social ventures. Journal of Business Venturing, 36(4), 106-127.

  • Ofem, B., Polizzi, S.J., Rushton, G.T., Beeth, M., Couch, B., Doering, J., Konz, R., Mohr-Schroeder, M., Roehrig, G., & Sheppard, K. (2021). Looking at our STEM teacher workforce: How to model self-efficacy. Economic Development Quarterly, 35(1), 40-52.

  • Ofem, B., Arya, B., Ferrier, W.J., & Borgatti, S.P. (2020). Entrepreneurial orientation, collaborative engagement, and performance: Evidence from rural economic development organizations. Economic Development Quarterly, 34(3), 269-282.

  • Uzuegbunam, I., Ofem, B., & Nambisan, S. (2019). Do corporate investors impact entrepreneurs’ IP portfolio? Entrepreneurial finance and intellectual property in new firms. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 43(4), 673-696.

  • Ofem, B., Arya, B., & Borgatti, S.P. (2018). The drivers of collaborative success between rural economic development organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 47(6).

  • Borgatti, S.P., & Ofem, B. (2010). Overview: Social network theory and analysis. In Social Network Theory and Educational Change. Harvard Education Press.

Research grants:

  • Rushton, G.T., Mohr-Schroeder, M., (Principal investigators), Beeth, M., Polizzi, S.J., Roehrig, G., Sheppard, K., Ofem, B., (Co-principal investigators). (April 2017 to March 2021). “A research study of teacher retention and network formation in Noyce communities of practice.” National Science Foundation: Noyce Research Track. $1,026,372.
  • Ferrier, W.J. (Principal investigator), Borgatti, S.P., Jensen, J., Knight, E., Nah, S. (Co-principal investigators), Ofem, B. (Project manager and coauthor). (June 2011 to May 2013). “Cognitive, relational, and strategic drivers of organizational effectiveness.” National Science Foundation: Innovation and Organizational Sciences Program. $485,553.
Brandon Ofem, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Contact Info

Email: ofemb@umsl.edu
Phone: 314-516-6146
Office: 216 Anheuser-Busch Hall

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