Michael E Cummings

Michael E Cummings serves as a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship & Venture Inn department at the University of Arkansas's Walton College of Business, where he joined the faculty in 2017 after teaching positions at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of Minnesota. His research bridges entrepreneurship with social impact, environmental sustainability, and global migration dynamics through rigorous empirical analysis.

Education:

• PhD in Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship, University of Minnesota
• JD, Brigham Young University
• MPA in Public Management, Brigham Young University

Research Focus:

Cummings investigates how crowdfunding platforms empower marginalized entrepreneurs, the governance implications of migrant remittances in developing economies, and creative synergies between artists and business innovators. His work uniquely integrates legal expertise (as a licensed Arkansas/Minnesota attorney) with entrepreneurial scholarship, revealing how diaspora communities shape venture investment landscapes and how artistic perspectives foster organizational innovation. Current projects examine carbon market effectiveness and gender dynamics in education crowdfunding.

Publication Trends:

His 2020-2022 publications show three dominant threads: (1) diaspora engagement's role in venture capital formation across 40+ developing nations, (2) methodological innovations in social impact measurement for entrepreneurs, and (3) boundary-spanning collaborations between artists and business creators. Appearing in Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, this work consistently links micro-level entrepreneurial behavior to macro-level institutional change.

Scientific Recognition:

• Responsible Research in Management Award, Academy of Management Fellows (2022)
• Best Paper Award, Southern Management Association Entrepreneurship Track (2022)
• Schulze Research Awards for both Research Insight and Education/Teaching (2021-2022)
• Multiple Academy of Management division runner-up awards (2016-2020)

Professional Engagement:

Cummings serves as Associate Editor for Business and Society and on editorial boards of Small Business Economics and Journal of International Business Policy. His legal practice includes consulting for Arkansas's Entrepreneurial Law Project, while media contributions address contemporary issues like remote nursing regulations and youth data privacy. He teaches Business Foundations courses and mentors students through Walton College's entrepreneurship initiatives.