"The Cornell Hotel School has a longstanding record of producing graduates who go on to become successful entrepreneurs in new ventures, family businesses and corporations," said David W. Butler, dean of the School. "It is critical that we formalize our commitment to this important field of management."

Evans, a graduate of the Cornell Hotel School and the Johnson Graduate School of Management, served most recently as senior vice president of Human Resources for ARAMARK's Uniform and Career Apparel Group. In that capacity he played a key strategic role in building ARAMARK's reputation as a creative and entrepreneurial leader in the industry.

Evans will work closely with Hotel School faculty and alumni, other industry leaders and the Cornell academic community to further strengthen entrepreneurship at the School.

"Ed is an ideal choice to lead this new Center," said Leo Renaghan, the School's associate dean for academic affairs. "He has helped drive many successful entrepreneurial ventures with ARAMARK and he is respected by industry leaders. Ed will work with our faculty, our alumni and our broad industry network to build a thriving Center that draws on the best our field can offer in entrepreneurial thinking and practice."

A native Ithacan, Evans will begin his new po sitioninmid-November. "I look forward with great excitement to working in a world-class academic community committed to producing leaders in both entrepreneurial practice and education," Evans said.

"Working from the strong base already built by the faculty, staff and alumni, we can create a Center that is truly distinctive in further exploring and enabling entrepreneurship across the many communities of interest served by our School."