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Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
We empower entrepreneurial thinkers—whether you’re launching a venture, building a family business, creating social impact, or driving innovation inside an organization. Turn ideas into action.
Start your entrepreneurial journey
At Central Michigan University, the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship is more than a program—it’s where students from every major turn ideas into real impact. As Michigan’s first Department of Entrepreneurship, we’re a hub for hands-on learning, innovation, and mentorship.
Here, you’ll:
- Build an entrepreneurial mindset that sets you apart in any career path—launching ventures, shaping social missions, advancing family businesses, or driving innovation inside established companies.
- Collaborate across disciplines to create projects that matter.
- Learn from alumni, faculty, and industry leaders who’ve built their own paths.
- Gain real-world experience through workshops, hackathons, and pitch competitions.
- Compete in the New Venture Challenge, where students win up to $10,000 in cash and grants to grow their ideas.
Whether you want to start something new or transform what already exists, the Institute is your launchpad.
Take the next step!
When you’re ready to get started, stop by Grawn 164 to join the team or visit the Idea Den in Grawn 166—your space to brainstorm, build, and take the next step.
Questions?
On Friday, April 26 the Dow Event Center in Saginaw hosted the annual Research Symposium for the CMU College of Medicine and CMU Medical Education Partners. This event was the ninth joint symposium celebrating the research accomplishments of faculty, residents, fellows and students.
Over 150 abstracts were submitted for the symposium; of these twelve were chosen for oral presentation and 132 were displayed as posters. The research topics were diverse, spanning multiple disciplines and including studies from the Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw and Detroit campuses as well as some from outside research institutions.
All the posters and oral presentations were evaluated, and the winners in each category were announced at the end of the event. The monetary awards were generously provided by our valued partner, the Saginaw County Medical Society Foundation.
Oral Presentations
- First place: Alan Ross and Deepti Sanku
- Second place: Kayleigh Crane
- Third place: Nick Chiaramonti
Basic Translational Research
- First Place: Nick Chiaramonti
- Second Place Tie: Anna Coleman and Chad Martin
- Third Place: Payton Wolbert
Case Reports
- First place: Camille Chan
- Second place: Kikelomo Sekoni
- Third place 3-way Tie: Lindsay Davis, Sachin Singh and Nicholas Sirhan
Clinical Research
- First place: Alexia Lucas
- Second place: Hannah Yang
- Third place Tie: Sharat Kamath and Spencer Williams
Population Health
- First place: Michelle Azar
- Second place: Anthony Mufarreh
- Third place Tie: Mikelina Djekovic and Bahar Salehi
Quality Improvement/Medical Education
- First place: Catherine Barrington
- Second place: Nathan Klausner
- Third place: John Lowry
The Louis and Yvette Saravolatz Research Scholar Award was awarded to Jenna Zoerman for her project titled “Bioluminescent Probe for Serotonin Detection in Migraines.” Zoerman will receive a paid position with CMU to continue her research for 7 weeks over the summer under the guidance of mentor Eric Petersen, Ph.D. The award also helps cover costs associated with the publication and presentation of the research findings.
As the Plenary Speaker, the Symposium welcomed Dr. Louis Saravolatz, M.D., M.A.C.P. who shared his presentation “Resident/Student Research and how to make it happen!!” Dr. Saravolatz shared knowledge from his wealth of expertise in the medical and research communities. Currently he is serving as the chair of Internal Medicine at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit and is directing the development of their Thomas Mackey Center for Infectious Disease Research. Dr. Saravolatz has also held several roles in the American College of Physicians (ACP), both at the state and national level, most recently completing his four-year term as Governor of the Michigan ACP.
Throughout his career, Dr. Saravolatz has won numerous awards including the Michigan ACP Lifetime Achievement Award and he is a recipient of Mastership in the American College of Physicians, which recognizes outstanding and extraordinary career accomplishments and notable contributions to medicine. Together with his family, he initiated the Louis and Yvette Saravolatz Summer Scholarship Award which has been awarded by the CMU College of Medicine since 2021.