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Martin Ruef CV

Jack and Pamela Egan Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship
Sociology
PO Box 90088, Durham, NC 27710-0088
2200 West Main Street, Suite 770, Durham, NC 27705
CV

Overview


My research considers the social context of entrepreneurship from both a contemporary and historical perspective. I draw on large-scale surveys of entrepreneurs in the United States to explore processes of team formation, innovation, exchange, and boundary maintenance in nascent business startups. My historical analyses address entrepreneurial activity and constraint during periods of profound institutional change. This work has considered a diverse range of sectors, including the organizational transformation of Southern agriculture and industry after the Civil War, African American entrepreneurship under Jim Crow, the transition of the U.S. healthcare system from professional monopoly to managed care, and the character of entrepreneurship during early mercantile and industrial capitalism.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Jack and Pamela Egan Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship · 2013 - Present Sociology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor in the Department of Sociology · 2013 - Present Sociology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Core Faculty in Innovation & Entrepreneurship · 2018 - Present Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published April 10, 2023
Ditching a Friend Who Is Not Like You Can Deepen Social Inequality
Published December 8, 2022
How to Use AI to Generate Creative Ideas
Published July 6, 2022
Three Ways Collaborative Partnerships can Sustain Mission and Ministry

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Recent Publications


The Unpeculiar Institution: Patterson's Global Perspective on Enslavement

Journal Article Ethnic and Racial Studies · March 20, 2025 Over the course of a distinguished career, Orlando Patterson has become the most prominent social scientist examining enslavement on a global scale. In this review essay, I consider the distinctive advantages offered by Patterson’s historiographic approach ... Full text Cite
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Education, Training & Certifications


Stanford University · 1999 Ph.D.
Stanford University · 1994 M.A.
Virginia Polytech Institute and State University · 1990 B.S.