Photo: Pat Piasecki
When students visit his office, Vedula often asks them to play chess (1). “We’ll have an informal game and talk about the issues they are having,” says Vedula, who also has a Rubik’s Cube, pingpong paddle, and miniature beanbag toss (2) on his desk. He keeps these games partly to relax students, particularly undergraduates, who may be nervous meeting with a professor. He also hopes to encourage playfulness, which is a critical part of the entrepreneurial process, he says.
Vedula’s research centers on the intersection of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and geography. A recently published paper of his, for instance, looks at the regions of the country with the highest adoption levels of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
Vedula admits that publishing research is a long, trying process. Once data is collected, papers are put together and sent to journals, which may request revisions or outright reject the submission. “As a researcher, you have to be persistent,” he says. If the process leaves Vedula feeling frustrated, he’ll seek out inspiration, either looking at a sign (3) he keeps above his computer or wandering down to Blank’s co-working space and speaking with some of the young entrepreneurs there.
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