Gene W. Poor, ’66, M.Ed. ’68, Ph.D., 2025 Professional Achievement Award Recipient
“Kent State didn’t just give me an education. It gave me a future I never could have imagined, built on the foundation of professors who believed in transformation, mentorship and the radical possibility that anyone—even an eighteen-year-old kid with terrible grades and no plan—can find their way home.”
An esteemed educator, entrepreneur, author and speaker, Gene Poor, ’66, M.Ed. ’68, Ph.D., was the Endowed Scott Hamilton Professor of Entrepreneurship for Bowling Green State University’s College of Business for more than 20 years until he retired in 2020. He is also founder of LifeFormations, a globally recognized animatronics company, featured at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Great Wolf Lodge and other major venues.
“LifeFormations ultimately became the pinnacle of my entrepreneurial journey - not just another business, but a vision realized through former students who believed in creating products eventually seen by millions of visitors at Disney Parks and Universal Studios.”
Gene’s path to success wasn’t typical. After high school, he briefly worked at his family business. Two high school teachers encouraged him to attend college despite his poor academic performance, and after saving money from working at a Ford Motor plant, he enrolled at Kent State.
William Heasley, an industrial arts professor, inspired him to succeed and helped transform his life.
“I convinced him to let me become his student assistant, shadowing him everywhere, absorbing everything,” said Gene. “I attended conferences with him, shared meals, studied not just what he taught but how he thought, how he navigated the academic world that had seemed impossible to penetrate just months before.”
Gene started teaching at Kent State as a graduate assistant in the School of Technology and then became an instructor for the school. He went on to pursue a Master of Education at Kent State and later earned a Doctor of Philosophy in educational administration and supervision from Bowling Green State University (BGSU). Gene became an assistant professor in Industrial Education and Technology at BGSU and held several positions in that school before joining its College of Business as the Endowed Hamilton Professor Entrepreneurship.
A distinguished professor, he has inspired students as an outstanding mentor, helping many achieve entrepreneurial success. A former student, Kevin King, reflected on his mentorship and kindness.
“It was his friendship, encouragement and mentorship that resulted in my success achieving a Master of Instructional Design in April of 2022 at the age of 64 years old with a disability and a 4.0 GPA. I call him Genius! He is joyful when he finds out how something works, caring when you need mentoring and sensitive when you need encouragement. He always has time for you. He is a very kind and genuine person. Gene never views anything but possibilities, and he dreams so big it literally stretches you personally and professionally.”
Gene is also a philanthropic supporter of education. He donated $120,000 to establish a creativity and innovation development laboratory in the College of Business at Bowling Green. He also founded the Visual Communication Technology program and developed Bowling Green’s entrepreneurship minor.
Well respected in his field, Gene was inducted into the Kent State Hall of Fame for the College of Education, Health and Human Services, was honored with the Northwest Ohio Entrepreneur Award from Ernst & Young and was inducted into the Toledo Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. He is a member of BGSU’s College of Business’ Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, where Carol Cartwright, former Kent State and BGSU president, referred to him as a “living legend” on campus.
He has authored and co-authored eight books and numerous articles on technology, business, creativity and innovation, and has presented across the United States, Europe and Middle East. Gene’s expertise has been valued by Fortune 100 and 500 companies including 3M, Honeywell, Marathon Oil, Owens Corning, IBM, Sherwin-Williams and Kellogg.
Gene will always be thankful for his Kent State education.
“Kent State didn’t just give me an education. It gave me a future I never could have imagined, built on the foundation of professors who believed in transformation, mentorship and the radical possibility that anyone—even an eighteen-year-old kid with terrible grades and no plan—can find their way home.”
