Kyle L. Grazier, associate professor of heath care finances and director of the Sloan Program at Cornell University, has been named a J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise at Cornell.

Grazier will investigate the unique conditions under which the art and science of entrepreneurship applies to the health care industry. She will explore innovation in the start-up, collaboration, diversification and management of health care organizations as well as the philosophies and risk-taking behaviors of their leaders through interviews and case studies to allow in-depth analyses of processes and outcomes. In the spring, Grazier will invite health care entrepreneurs to Cornell to share their experience and wisdom through a workshop. This forum will be the foundation for a semester-long course in health, health care and entrepreneurship the following year.

Grazier, an expert on health care finance, particularly payment systems and reimbursement methodologies and policies, was on the faculty at the University of California at Berkeley and Yale University prior to her joining Cornell in 1992. At Berkeley, where she received a master's degree in public health and a doctorate in administrative sciences, she was named the first Sweesy-Womack Chair in Medical Research and Public Health.

The Clark Professorships are a key element of the Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise (EPE) Program, a university-wide effort to make Cornell a national leader in entrepreneurship education. The professorships are intended to support faculty in developing or revising courses, developing outreach programs for small businesses, or conducting applied research -- all with a small business or entrepreneurial focus.