About

Caroline E. W. Glackin, Ph.D., is the Thomas Family Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Thomas College of Business and Economics.  She has a passion for education, entrepreneurship, and economics empowerment and thrives on supporting youth and adult journeys to success.  At UNC Pembroke, she teaches undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship courses, conducts quantitative and qualitative research, and contributes to the university, profession, and community through service.  Dr. Glackin is the faculty advisor for the UNCP chapters of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO) and Sigma Nu Tau Entrepreneurship Honor Society.

Dr. Glackin earned a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware, an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an AB from Bryn Mawr College.  Her dissertation, entitled Taxonomy of Microloan Borrowing with Application to Customers in Two U.S. Microloan Programs has been the source of considerable policy and research opportunities designed to support entrepreneurial success.

She worked in the private, public, and sectors including business ownership.  Most recently Dr. Glackin served as Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economics Empowerment at Fayetteville State University.  Previously she was in the entrepreneurship faculty at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and served as the Edward N. Snyder Endowed Chair.  Dr. Glackin also was Assistant Vice President for Development at Delaware State University and served on faculty and as Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Economic Development.  Prior to entering academia, she was the executive director of U.S. Treasury certified community development financial institution, First State Community Loan Fund.  She also owned and operated several entrepreneurial ventures spanning manufacturing, retailing, publishing, and consulting.  Her corporate experience includes the DuPont Company, American Bell, Bell Atlantic, and American Management Systems.  She has also served as Co-chair of the Governor's Task Force for Financial Independence (Delaware) and as chair of the Delaware Commission for Women and was founding President of the Forum of Executive Women Delaware.  Dr. Glackin has been awarded the She Knows Where She's Going Award from Girls Incorporated, the Minority Business Advocate of the Year award (Delaware), Educator of the Year for the Direct Selling Education Foundation and numerous other recognitions. 

Dr. Glackin's primary research interests are Entrepreneurial Financing, Entrepreneurial Education and Pedagogy, and Women and Minority Entrepreneurship.  This research is focused on advancing entrepreneurship education and telling the stories of entrepreneurs facing and overcoming challenges.  Selected publications are highlighted below.

Recent Peer-Reviewed Articles and Cases, and Books and Book Chapters

Modeling Independent Sales Representative Performance: Application of Predictive Analytics in Direct Selling for Improved Outcomes. (2023). Article with M. Adivar. Journal of Marketing Analytics. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-023-00236-4.

Improving Location Decisions for Nonprofit Retailers: Applying Operations Research and Customer Discovery. (2023). Article with B. Adivar. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 52(6), 1778-1798. https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640221146934. 

Using the Power of Machine Learning in Sales Research: Process and Potential. (2022). Article with M. Adivar. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 43(3), 178-194, DOI: 10.1080/08853134.2022.2128812

A Makeover for Dudley’s Q+. (2021). Case study with S. Altobello. The CASE Journal, 17(5), 723-745. https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-11-2019-0107. CASE of the Year award.

Improving Entrepreneurial Competencies in the Classroom: An Extension and In-Study Replication. (2020). Article with S.E. Phelan. New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, 23(2), 79-96. https://doi.org/10.1108/NEJE-04-2020-0005

A Cautionary Note on Microcredentialing. (2020). Article with S.E. Phelan. Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy, 4(12). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2515127419899599

Contemplating Cash: Matte Beauty LLC. (2020). Peer reviewed case study. International Journal of Instructional Cases, 4.

Entrepreneurship: Starting and Operating a Small Business 5e. (2020). With Steve Mariotti. Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Entrepreneurship: Starting and Operating a Small Business 5e, Instructor’s Manual. (2020). Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Harvesting Tom Seely Furniture: An Owner’s Decision. (2020). Case study in Entrepreneurial Finance: Concepts and Cases, 2e, Chapter 10, Gina Vega, and Miranda Lam. Routledge/Taylor & Francis. 

Making the Numbers Work for Decisions: Eco Excellence Express Cleaners, LLC. (2020). Case study in Entrepreneurial Finance: Concepts and Cases, 2e, Chapter 8, Gina Vega, and Miranda Lam. Routledge/Taylor & Francis. 

Calculating Cash – Matte Beauty LLC. (2020). Case study in Entrepreneurial Finance: Concepts and Cases, 2e, Gina Vega and Miranda Lam. Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

Alarming Issues: The Case of the Corrupt Security Industry CFO. (2019). Case with L. Bible. SAGE Business Cases Originals.

Traci Lynn Jewelry: An Entrepreneur Maximizing Shining Opportunities. (2019). The Case Journal/Emerald Publishing, 15(5), 378-396. doi: 10.1108/TCJ-01-2018-0007. Finalist for Emerald Publishing Best Case Study. Winner of USASBE and DSEF Best Case awards.

Academic Courses Taught

Undergraduate: Entrepreneurial Creativity and Discovery, Entrepreneurship in Action, Entrepreneurial Thinking, Entrepreneurial Finance, Entrepreneurial Strategy, Entrepreneurship and New Venture Formation, Trends in Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship I, Entrepreneurial Operations and Financing, Small Business Management, Principles of Management, Marketing Research, Senior Seminar in Finance, Financial Management, Consumer Financial Planning, Commercial Bank Management, Business Communications, and Principles of Microeconomics. 

Graduate: Entrepreneurship (MBA), Entrepreneurial Finance (MBA), Organizational Leadership and Behavior (MBA), Organizational Development and Change (MBA), Foundations of Economics (MBA), Community Development and Nonprofit Leadership (MPA/MA), and Managerial Economics (MBA). Multiple courses in seminars and workshops as noted below.

Honors and Awards

• University of North Carolina System Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching 2024. Fayetteville State University, Broadwell College of Business & Economics nominee.
• Educator of the Year 2023. Direct Selling Education Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona (2023 Jun).
• 3E Excellence in Experiential Education Exercises. Third Place – Opportunity Island: An Adventure in Entrepreneurship. With Jay Azriel. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Tallahassee, Florida. (2023).
• Emerald Best Case Award 2022 – CASE Journal – Emerald Publishing. (2022 Jun).
• Educator Innovator of the Year. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Minority and Women Entrepreneurship Special Interest Group, Raleigh, North Carolina. (2022).
• 3E Excellence in Experiential Education Exercises. Second Place – The Magic Cookie Jar: Cash Flow Made Easy. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Raleigh, North Carolina. (2022).
• Emerald Best Case Award 2020 – CASE Journal - Finalist, Emerald Publishing. (2020 Jun).
• Best Paper – Predictive Models of Independent Salesforce Performance: The Case of Direct Selling Micro-Entrepreneurs. M. Adivar as co-author. Direct Selling Education Foundation at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, New Orleans, Louisiana. (2020).
• Best Paper – Coloring Outside the Lines: Combining Customer Discovery & Multicriteria Decision Making Approaches in the Case of a Habitat for Humanity Restore. Burcu Adivar as co-author. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Wake Forest University, St. Pete Beach, Florida. (2019).
• Best Empirical Paper – Coloring Outside the Lines: Combining Customer Discovery & Multicriteria Decision Making Approaches in the Case of a Habitat for Humanity Restore. Burcu Adivar as co-author. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, St. Pete Beach, Florida. (2019).
• Outstanding Online Course Design Award – Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation - Fayetteville State University, Office of Faculty Development. (2018).
• Best Teaching Case – Traci Lynn Jewelry: Maximizing Shining Opportunities - United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Wake Forest University, Los Angeles, California. (2018).
• Best Teaching Case – Traci Lynn Jewelry: Maximizing Shining Opportunities – Direct Selling Education Foundation at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Los Angeles, California. (2018).
• Best Conceptual Case - Entrepreneurial Environment and Culture in Direct Selling Entry Decisions of Hispanic Entrepreneurs: An Acculturation Approach. S. Gibbs as co-author. Direct Selling Education Foundation at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Los Angeles, California, (2018).
• Best Panel Presentation - Women Entrepreneurs and Early-Stage Venture Financing. Research panel with C. Brush, S. Gibbs, C. Liu, K. Kovacs, and S. Mah. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Los Angeles, California. (2018).
• Edward L. Snyder Endowed Chair in Business Administration – Shepherd University
• Outstanding Reviewer – 52^nd Annual Meeting – Eastern Academy of Management (2015)
• Faculty Excellence Award in Scholarship - Shepherd University (2012)
• Best Case – Canine Conundrum A Case Study in Ethics and Crisis Management. J. Azriel and R. Porter co-authors, CASE Association Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (2012).
• Outstanding Reviewer – 49^th Annual Meeting – Eastern Academy of Management (2012)
• She Knows Where She’s Going Award - Girls Inc. (2000)
• Minority Business Advocate of the Year - Delaware – U.S. Small Business Administration (2000)
• Gloeckner Business Plan Award – The Wharton School (1983) – First Business Plan Competition
• Doctoral Tuition Scholar – School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy – University of Delaware
• Delta Phi Alpha – Epsilon Kappa Chapter - German Honor Society – University of Delaware
• Omicron Delta Epsilon – International Economics Honor Society – University of Delaware
• Best Team – Delaware State University – Delaware Center for Enterprise Development (2005)