About the Institute
The purpose of the McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise is to
promote scholarly activity and educate students about the role of free enterprise
and entrepreneurship in enhancing economic growth as well as to encourage students
to contribute and participate through entrepreneurism in creating a better America.
The Institute is funded through the generosity of the Robert and Janice McNair Foundation
which also funds centers at multiple other universities across the nation supporting
entrepreneurship and free enterprise education. Robert and Janice McNair are committed
to developing a new generation of entrepreneurial leaders who have both the technical
skills and the philosophical understanding of how free enterprise system forms the
basis of economic opportunity and prosperity for individuals in our country.
Inspiring students to pursue entrepreneurship
The primary activity of the McNair Institute at the University of South Carolina is
to offer a range of courses, experiences, and educational resources to inspire in
students an appreciation of how free enterprise and entrepreneurship serve as a catalyst
for economic growth in the Unites States and the world.
The highlight for lively dialogue with entrepreneurs occurs at the annual Capstone
Conference sponsored by the McNair Institute where students meet with successful entrepreneurs
to hear about their challenges, failures, and successes.
The McNair Institute is located at 1430 Senate Street (the former State Archive at
the corner of Senate and Bull Streets), Suite 106, Columbia, SC. For mailing purposes,
the University ZIP code is 29208.
To contact the Institute, please call (803) 777-1717.
About the Staff
Dirk Brown, faculty director
Dirk Brown is the faculty director of the University of South Carolina's McNair Institute
for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise. Dr. Brown is a seasoned executive with a
strong track record of developing, marketing and licensing disruptive, proprietary
technologies. He has written over 30 technical papers and journal articles, holds
over 25 patents, and is an active member in a number of professional societies.
Brown holds an M.B.A. from San Jose State, a Ph.D. (Materials Science) and M.Eng.
(Applied Physics) from Cornell University and a B.Sc. (Engineering) in applied physics/electrical
engineering from Queen's University in Canada.
To contact Dirk Brown, call the Institute or email browndd@mailbox.sc.edu.
Jonathan Fletcher, assistant director, curriculum development
Dr. Fletcher spent over 30 years as a consultant in the area of budgeting and planning
in the areas of healthcare, forestry, petroleum exploration and production, maritime
transport, apparel, manufacturing, steel, statistical process control, and public
policy decision making. He has published four books, one entitled Human Drama Across the Curriculum: A Systems Educational Approach, that emphasizes the story as the basis for understanding the motivations and results
of the creative life, and another entitled SCRAM: Avoiding Catastrophic Failure, that develops a broad understanding of risk management from a host of stories involving
both human and technological failure. He has a Ph.D. (Mineral Economics) from Penn
State, a M.S. (Geology) from the University of South Carolina, and a B.A. (Chemistry)
from the University of the South. He has taught a wide range of management-related
courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and has been involved in the
development of a number of different companies that focus on various aspects of the
understanding and implementation of complex decision-making systems.
To contact Jonathan Fletcher, call the Institute or email fletcherj@sc.edu.
Kristina Hooks, assistant director, partnerships and events
Kristina Hooks brings a broad range of experience from the business, government, and
nonprofit sectors including work in higher education, auditing, and retail. She holds
an M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina, an M.P.A. from the University of
South Carolina and the College of Charleston, a B.S. (Business Administration) from
the College of Charleston, and a B.A. (Corporate Communication) from the College of
Charleston.
To contact Kristina Hooks, call the Institute or email khooks@email.sc.edu.
