Colby Taps UW-Madison's John Surdyk to Lead Halloran Lab

Colby College has named John Surdyk director of its Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship, bringing in a University of Wisconsin–Madison veteran who spent nearly 22 years building entrepreneurship programs that served thousands of students.

Surdyk directed the Initiative for Studies in Transformational Entrepreneurship within the Wisconsin School of Business before joining Colby. There, he built and scaled cocurricular entrepreneurship programs that embedded entrepreneurial principles across campus for all student segments, according to Colby News.

The Halloran Lab, launched in 2022 and funded by Trustee Emeritus Todd Halloran '84, promotes entrepreneurship through student training, mentorship, and funding for commercial startups and social enterprises. It bridges a traditional liberal arts education with practical business skills via competitions, a mentorship network, innovation and maker spaces, and experiential learning including off-campus trips.

"John brings a tremendous amount of experience and insight into this role, and we're thrilled to welcome him to Colby. He is innovative, energetic, and enthusiastic," said Provost and Clara C. Piper Professor of Environmental Studies Denise Bruesewitz, who led the search committee. "The programs he developed in the entrepreneurial realm at the University of Wisconsin were modeled nationwide, and his expertise and his generosity as an educator have directly impacted the lives of thousands of students."

A track record of scaling programs

At UW–Madison, Surdyk helped establish the StartUp Learning Community for incoming students across all majors, offering classes, cocurricular activities, and grants. The program distinguished UW from most similar initiatives, which typically focus on supporting seniors.

He also developed immersion programs, including the nationally lauded Morgridge Entrepreneurial Boot Camp for graduate students in science and engineering. That program has reached more than 1,200 students since its inception in 2007.

His other roles at UW included deputy department chair for the Department of Management and Human Resources and teaching faculty member at the Bolz Center for Arts Administration. In 2025, he won the peer-recognized Gaumnitz Excellence in Instruction with AI Award, honoring professors who integrate artificial intelligence tools into their curriculum. The Wisconsin School of Business also honored him with its Distinguished Service Award in 2025 and the Mabel W. Chipman Award for Teaching Excellence.

Before joining UW in 2004, Surdyk was managing partner and cofounder of Re-Envision Consulting LLC, which helped technology startups and entrepreneurial nonprofits research markets, evaluate opportunities, and develop growth strategies. He earlier served as an associate at Navigant Consulting and as an analyst at Stanford Research Institute Consulting. He holds a B.S. in earth systems science from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Wisconsin School of Business.

Why Colby

Surdyk said Colby's reputation as an exceptional liberal arts college, its commitment to entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary learning, and its engaged student body drew him to the role.

"Colby is doing pioneering work across its curriculum and programming, and so much of it is centered on improving people's lives," he said. "It's a private college with an extraordinary public-spiritedness, and I found that really compelling."

During a spring visit to campus, conversations with students impressed him. "I am very excited about working with students who see the world more broadly," Surdyk said. "There is a general notion within the entrepreneurial community that a lot of impetus behind entrepreneurial action is rooted in empathy for others. A place like Colby is a fantastic setting for this work because a liberal arts education is all about developing the ability to put yourself in other people's positions, through literature, the arts, and in other areas."

He also pointed to the range of labs already operating at Colby. "The programs that are most successful are those that focus on student capabilities, confidence, and connections, and that's exactly what Colby's labs are designed to deliver. The foundation is already in place, and I'm excited to build upon it as director of the Halloran Lab."

A new home in 2027

The Halloran Lab currently operates from the F.W. Olin Science Center. It will move into Levine's Discovery Headquarters when it opens in a renovated Runnals Building in fall 2027. The 40,000-square-foot building will feature flexible project rooms, maker spaces, offices, and an adaptable open multipurpose central creative core. It will serve as a hub where students pursue projects backed by the Halloran Lab, the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and Colby's other academic labs.

Surdyk's appointment positions the lab to scale its reach just as that expanded physical footprint comes online in 2027.