The Center for L.I.F.E. (Leading the Integration of Faith and Entrepreneurship) at Miami University is pleased to announce the 5th Ph.D. Seminar on Religion and Entrepreneurship, which will take place on Thursday, July 30, 2026, the day before the Academy of Management (AOM) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.
We are now accepting applications from doctoral students interested in research at the intersection of religion, faith, and entrepreneurship.
Hosted by the Center for L.I.F.E., this one-day seminar is designed to help doctoral students explore theoretical, methodological, and topical opportunities for research in this emerging area. Participants will engage with leading scholars and peers while developing ideas aimed at publishing in top-tier management and entrepreneurship journals.
This seminar is part of the broader L.I.F.E. research community, which will host its 6th L.I.F.E. Research Conference in 2026. Since its inception, the conference has brought together 1,000+ scholars from 50+ countries to advance scholarship at the intersection of faith and entrepreneurship.
Featured scholars include:
Saulo Dubard Barbosa - EM Lyon
Allan Discua Cruz - Lancaster University
Jessica Jones - Miami University
David Townsend - Virginia Tech
Brett Smith - Miami University
Past seminar participants include:
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Joel Adams - Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Washington and Lee University | PhD from Indiana University
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Rebecca Peets Arwine - Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Cincinnati | PhD from the University of Tennessee
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Sean Dwyer - Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Oklahoma | PhD from Baylor University
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Kylie Heales - Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Organizational Theory at the University of Saskatchewan | PhD from University of Alberta
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Amanda Lawson - Ph.D. student at the University of Cincinnati
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Jose Cerecedo Lopez - Assistant Professor of Management & Entrepreneurship at Elon University | PhD from University of Texas at San Antonio
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Trevor Israelsen - Assistant Professor of Organization Theory at Penn State | PhD from the University of Victoria
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David Park - Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Syracuse University | PhD from University of Washington
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Ashley Roccapiore - Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Auburn University | PhD from the University of Tennessee.
Participants from prior seminars have gone on to publish faith and entrepreneurship research in journals such as: Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Venturing, and Small Business Economics.
Apply to be part of the seminar here:
https://miamioh.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3WC8Ht0Z0d7HplA
For questions, please contact Tara Hoppe (HoppeTL@MiamiOH.edu).
For those interested in learning more about the L.I.F.E. program, you can visit our website: www.lifemiamioh.com and watch videos from past L.I.F.E. Research Conferences on our YouTube channel: Center for L.I.F.E. at Miami University - YouTube
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Brett Smith
Miami University
Oxford OH
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