People
Steve Carpenter
Steve Carpenter, BSME/MBA, serves as the Director, Research Startups at Penn State’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization. In addition, Steve works for the Smeal College of Business Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship as the Program Administrator for the Garber Venture Capital Fund and teaches Entrepreneurial Finance, MGMT870, to Smeal graduate students. Steve has served as a director or observer on 12 company boards since 2008 and has 18 years of experience with Life Sciences Greenhouse Investments providing seed and early-stage investments in promising life sciences companies in Pennsylvania. Prior to joining LSG Investments, Steve served more than 20 years in a variety of management and engineering positions primarily leading operation start-ups and new product launches. Steve earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from Penn State focusing on venture capital, entrepreneurship, and finance.
Dr. Shawn M. Clark
Dr. Shawn Clark is Director of the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Michael J. Farrell Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Smeal College of Business. He teaches courses in corporate innovation, entrepreneurship, business planning, strategic management, enterprise modeling, project management, and management consulting. His current research focuses on business architecture modeling, corporate innovation, and the strategic alignment of business and information technologies. He has consulted with and helped manage projects for IBM, Lockheed Martin, Oracle, Ford Motor Company, Disney, U.S. Marine Corps, NSA, Chubb Insurance, Providence Gas, and Brooklyn Union, among others. In addition to careers in consulting and academia, Shawn has launched new business ventures and filled a variety of product and software application development roles. Shawn earned his Master’s in Organizational Behavior of Science degree at Brigham Young University and Ph.D. in Business Administration at Penn State.
Dr. Jeanette K. Miller
Dr. Jeanette K. Miller is an Associate Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University. She is the Associate Director of the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Faculty Director for the Doctorate of Business Administration program at Smeal. She is also the faculty advisor for Happy Valley Capital, a student organization at Penn State interested in venture capital and external funding.
Prior to coming to academia, Dr. Miller worked in emerging markets for over a dozen years, specializing in economic development and business startups in emerging markets. During her career, she has had leadership positions with the US Government, worked for multinational management consulting firms, and is also an entrepreneur. Although her primary focus is teaching, she continues research in the areas of new venture creation, measurement of impact of social enterprises and funding of new ventures.
Mary Beth Aber
Mary Beth is an experienced administrative professional with over 30 years in higher education and professional services. She currently serves as the Administrative Support Coordinator for the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Penn State. Since joining the center in 2021, she has led the day-to-day management of operations, including budgeting, financial reporting, human resources, scholarship administration, event planning, and faculty support. Her work ensures operational efficiency and provides a strong foundation for the center’s strategic and programmatic success.
Prior to her current role, Mary Beth spent more than a decade at Penn State Law in a series of advancing positions, including Cocurricular Program Coordinator and Administrative Coordinator. She began her career as Office Coordinator at Emert & Associates, P.C., a public accounting firm in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Mary Beth holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Lock Haven University and is known for her collaborative approach, strong institutional knowledge, and commitment to mission-driven service.
Janell Howe
Janell is an administrative professional with over 25 years of experience at Penn State. She currently serves as Administrative Support Assistant - Senior Support for The Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship and The Garber Center for Venture Capital Investment. In this role, Janell processes financial transactions, assists with budget monitoring, and tracks expenditures to ensure financial accuracy and compliance. She also maintains the websites for both centers and collaborates with diverse stakeholders to execute events and manage confidential legal documents.
Previously, Janell supported the Nittany Lion Club in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations, where she played a key role in budget management and assisted major gift officers. Her extensive experience includes administrative support for the College of Education’s Center for Science in the Schools and the Prevention Research Center in the College of Health and Human Development.