The John Richard Binford Memorial Award

Sadek Showkat is the recipient of the John Richard Binford Memorial Award, which honors a former chairman of the Department of Psychology. This award recognizes a doctoral degree recipient who excels in scholarship and has contributed to other areas within the discipline such as leadership, teaching, or service.

Sadek Showat received his Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Louisville in August 2024, an MBA in Human Resources from the University of Dhaka, and a B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Prior to joining academia, Sadek worked for a decade in technology ventures across Bangladesh, India, and China, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer at a multinational conglomerate.

Sadek’s research focuses on entrepreneurship at the intersection of marginalized communities and psychological interventions, with specific interests in social entrepreneurship, resourcefulness, peace, and hope. He has conducted field research in the Rohingya refugee camp, presented at leading academic conferences, and developed undergraduate courses in organizational behavior and entrepreneurship. Sadek has received numerous awards for research, teaching, and service, including a 2023 “Dare to Care” Dissertation Scholarship from the Responsible Research in Business and Management and the “Most Promising Junior Entrepreneurship Scholar Award” at the 2022 Virtual Summer Seminar in Entrepreneurship Research.

Dr. Daniel Bennett, his dissertation advisor, writes that “I have had the privilege of working with and mentoring numerous Ph.D. students, both here at UofL and at several other leading institutions, and Sadek stands out among this group for his dedication to growth as a scholar and educator and for demonstrating the potential to emerge as a national leader in our profession by developing an exceptional networking model and providing substantive service to the broader academic community.”

After his August graduation Sadek took a job as an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Loyola University Chicago, Quinlan School of Business.