Tara St. Clair

Expertise

Tara St. Clair serves as the Program Director for the Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. In her role, she provides critical direction for the development and implementation of programs in the Encova Center. Her expertise lies in developing strategies to implement new programs and expand existing programs. St. Clair has a strong commitment to building innovative initiatives that create synergistic relationships between the academic world and the community. St. Clair has developed and implemented a number of initiatives across the state including her newest program, IgniteWV. She is also an adjunct instructor for the WVU Chambers College of Marketing Department. In 2023, St. Clair became the programming subcommittee chair for the Chambers DICE committee.

A Parkersburg native, St. Clair has a passion for collaboration. She co-founded the West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in 2019 and currently serves as the Co-Chair for the ecosystem and Bridging Innovation Week. She also is a co-founder of the company Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Experts.

Education

• Ph.D.ABD Higher Education Administration, WVU 
  M.A., Higher Education Administration, WVU
  B.S.B.A., Business Administration, WVU

Honors Awards

• 2019 Awardee, Kauffman Foundation Research-to-Practice Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
  2020 Awardee, WVU Excellence in Community Engagement
  2021 College Award of Distinction for Outreach
• 2023 Named West Virginia Young Gun Class of 2023
• 2023 Graduate, Leadership West Virginia