Steven F. Tello, is Associate Vice Chancellor for Entrepreneurhip and Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he works to to develop and implement strategic initiatives related to entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development. He is also Associate Professor of Management & Entrepreneurship in the Manning School of Business and Co-Director of the University's Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2). These joint appointments allow him to combine his passion for teaching with research examining how to best promote the commercialization of emerging technologies, and the engagement of students in entrepreneurial exploration.

In 2012, Tello introduced the DifferenceMaker program to campus. The DifferenceMaker program enages UMass Lowell students, faculty and alumni in extra- and co-curricular activities meant to  encourage creative problemsolving, innovation and entrepreneurial activity acrosss campus, community and disciplines. In April 2012, the first annual DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge awarded $25K in award to 10 student teams committed to developing new products, services and organziations that address challeging contemporary issues.

Tello co-founded the Manning School of Business's undergraduate concentration in Entrepreneurship in 2007 and founded the interdisciplinary MS in Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship in 2010. He serves as the campus liaison to the Merrimack Valley Sandbox, an entrepreneurial outreach program supported by the Deshpande Foundation, and is a member of the Sandbox Leadership Team.

Prof. Tello's research interests include technology innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship, assessment in online education, and technology-facilitated management education. Current research projects include:

• examination of the relationship between decisionmaking and technology commercialization success factors,
• technology entrepreneur use of social networks
• network resource support of the technology commercialization process,
• application of Web 2.0 technologies to Management Education,
• the impact of embedded assessment in web-enhanced courses.

Educational Background

Dr. Tello received his Doctorate of Education in Leadership in Schooling from the Graduate School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2002. He received his M.B.A. from the Isenberg School at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Lowell. His dissertation examined the relationship between technology-mediated interaction and student retention in online education programs.