Michael Crooke is: A) former CEO of Patagonia and Revolution Living (parent company of Flexcar); B) a former Navy SEAL; C) the University of Oregon's first Professor of Practice; D) helping the Lundquist College's new Business Innovation Institute redefine the space where entrepreneurship and sustainability intersect. The answer is all of the above. Last month, we welcomed Crooke as the first Avamere Professor of Practice, a nontenured professorship made possible through a generous private gift to the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship, which is part of the college's new Business Innovation Institute. In this new role, Crooke will serve as an advisor and mentor to student venture teams, and create and teach a capstone course integrating multiple traditional MBA disciplines of entrepreneurship, finance, and operations with social and resource stewardship considerations. "We are thrilled to make such a high-profile appointment with our first Avamere Professor of Practice," said Lundquist College of Business Dean Kees de Kluyver. "Michael will not only provide our students with direct high-level industry insights and expertise, but he will also elevate the profile of the college and our growing entrepreneurship and sustainable business programs." The UO has a long tradition of bringing in experienced professionals to interact with students, but the Professor of Practice classification did not exist until this year. In an effort led by de Kluyver, the UO undertook the detailed process of formalizing the position at the state level, so that all schools in the Oregon University System may take advantage of this dynamic new approach to learning. Read more about Crooke and the UO's new Professor of Practice classification.