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The Bradbury Endowed Scholarship for Student Entrepreneurship is made to honor the memory of Greg Bradbury and his commitment to Michigan State University (MSU) and its education mission. The endowment is established through a gift of his friends and colleagues on the Board of Directors of Drawbridge, Inc., a company Greg was instrumental in helping to found along with Dr. Jeff Grabill and Dr. Bill Hart-Davison. Grabill, Hart-Davidson, and their colleague Mike McLeod have invested and disclosed technologies that would become a software service called Eli Review. Eli Review, in turn, became the basis of a successful business venture — Drawbridge, Inc. — shepherded by Bradbury, who served as its CEO for over ten years throughout its startup and growth periods. Today Eli is used worldwide by tens of thousands of students and teachers every day. 

 

Greg was an enthusiastic supporter of entrepreneurial education and even encouraged two professors from the College of Arts & Letters to take their fledgling ideas for educational technology to market. Greg saw in Eli Review the chance for the transformative power of learning that he recognized as a hallmark of MSU to be shared with people worldwide. We will be forever grateful for his guidance, vision, tireless enthusiasm, and belief in the power of education to make a better world. 

 

With this scholarship, the Board of Directors at Drawbridge, Inc. wishes to support ambitious and exemplary students from various academic colleges and areas of study across the institution engaged in entrepreneurship education at MSU. Specifically, this scholarship should help students in the early stages of creating a venture, including student founders in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

 

 

ELIGIBILITY

To be considered for the Bradbury Scholarship for Student Entrepreneurs, student recipients will be awarded to qualified applicants based on the following criteria:
a). In good academic standing at Michigan State University.
b). A current member of the Venture Creation Program or who has indicated a commitment to become a member of the Venture Creation Program at the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
c). Have a demonstrated commitment to entrepreneurship, leadership potential, and/or capacity to contribute to their chosen professional area, community, or both through past or current experiences including, but not limited to, volunteer involvement, internships, employment, coursework, participation in student groups/organizations and/or research experience as well as a personal statement.
d). Preference: Pursuing a Minor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
e). Preference: Applicants with demonstrated financial need. 

PAST RECIPIENT

2024

MUTUNGA MUKEKU
College of Arts & Letters

DR. BILL HART DAVIDSON

Bill Hart-Davidson is a co-founder and Senior Researcher at the WIDE research center. His research lies at the intersection of rhetoric theory and user experience, emphasizing developing software resources that visualize and provide feedback for learners in informal and formal environments. His recent work focuses on computational rhetoric and its applications for both rhetorical scholars and non-specialists working in various domains, including informal learning, public policy, and health care. Bill is also co-inventor of Eli Review and co-founder of a spinoff company, Drawbridge Inc., that provides Eli and other learning and research services.

DR. JEFF GRABILL

Dr. Jeff Grabill, currently serving as the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Student Education at the University of Leeds, leads the University's overall education strategy. Before joining Leeds, Dr. Jeff Grabill held the Associate Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Technology position at Michigan State University and was also a faculty member there. In addition to these roles, Dr. Jeff Grabill co-founded Drawbridge, an educational technology company.

With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Jeff Grabill's expertise encompasses many areas. This includes strategic planning and budgeting, enrollment strategy and planning, academic and educational innovation, student success, IT and digital transformation, online education, entrepreneurship, intellectual property development, and fostering culture and community-building among staff and students.