ALAN D. MEYER is the Lundquist Professor of Entrepreneurial Management at the University of Oregon’s Charles H. Lundquist College of Business. Alan leads the college’s research program focusing on new ventures and he directs the college’s academic programs, which invite entrepreneurship students to put theory into practice in the New Venture Competition, and then roll up their sleeves and launch their own businesses in our Student Business Incubator.

Before entering academia, Alan worked as an industrial engineer, a market researcher, a steelworker, and a ski instructor. While attending high school in Seattle, he played keyboards with the Majestics, a rock and roll band whose repertoire consisted of “Louie Louie”, “Twist and Shout”, and three other songs that require playing only the chords C, F, and G. Alan’s musical career peaked when he momentarily shared the stage with Jimi Hendrix. This proved a turning point for them both, as Jimi’s musical career soon took off, while Alan’s collapsed.

Alan regrouped and went on to receive a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He left Berkeley trained as an organizational theorist whose research is grounded in sociology. Alan has become widely known for his research on organizational innovation, change, and strategic management. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Management, a member of the Academy’s Board of Governors, and Associate Editor-in-Chief for the journal Organization Science. He has served on the faculties of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Cornell University.

Alan and his wife, Nancy, have two children: Lauren (age 16) and Andrew (age 11). Their family also includes Barley, a 5-year-old Golden Retriever who refuses to chase tennis balls and hates the water.