Mentoring In Action: MAB and Judge Panels in Strategic Marketing 

The Marketing Advisory Board joined the Marketing Capstone Course on April 24th, providing our graduating seniors invaluable insights into navigating early career paths in marketing and business. Panelists, Amy Cropper, Seth Lytton, and PearAivey Street, together with Moderator Donna Wertalik, shared honest experiences about the non-linear nature of their journeys, emphasizing the importance of staying curious, coachable, and open to change. They also highlighted the value of taking initiatives, embracing discomfort as growth opportunities, and building authentic connections. Students learned that failure and pivoting are both expected and valuable in shaping a fulfilling career. The students in Strategic Marketing also presented their final projects to a panel of judges, consisting of Don Gresh, Marc Kaplan, Rodney Kimbangu, Steve Kleiber, Michelle Seref, Cierra Simmons, and Phil Xiang, on April 29th and May 1st,receiving constructive, insightful feedback on their final projects and more broadly advice on business communication, personal branding, and strategic storytelling.

Register NOW: The Unconference Tackles Tech and Trust

The Unconference (VT Co-chairs: Broderick Turner and Shane Wang) is happening June 17th and 18th at the Innovation Campus. The Unconference addresses some of the urgent and complex challenges faced by consumers and the organizations that serve them. Attendees will discuss how businesses can serve as better stewards of technological progress, ensuring their products, services, and practices contribute positively to consumers and society. The Unconference features presentations from more than 30 scholars across a variety of disciplines including Marketing, Management, Computer Science, and Economics. There is also a special mixed methods workshop. 

Register NOW: https://myscp.org/events/boutique/alexandria2025/

From Theory to Practice: Undergraduate Research that Matters

The Marketing Department offers a unique 3-credit course—MKTG 4994: Undergraduate Research—each semester to give marketing majors hands-on research experience. Following a competitive selection process, students are paired with faculty mentors to explore real-world marketing and consumer issues. Working one-on-one with faculty, students engage in all phases of the research process, from hypothesis generation to data analysis. Weekly seminars curated by Professor Shreyans Goenka provide essential research tools and theories, complementing their practical work. The semester ends with a formal research presentation, encouraging synthesis and reflection. This program fosters curiosity, offers an immersive introduction to research, and prepares students for graduate study or research-based industry roles.

Where Marketing Meets Security: Dr. Shilpa Rao’s Interdisciplinary Research

Dr. Shilpa V. Rao was recently awarded the Security, Privacy, and Trust Grant from the Pamplin College of Business for her interdisciplinary cybersecurity research. Her work investigates the marketing and organizational determinants of security vulnerabilities. She is collaborating with faculty in the Department of Business Information Technology to extend this line of inquiry. Her ongoing research contributes to a deeper understanding of how firms navigate the evolving challenges of technology adoption and risk management. She focuses specifically on inter-firm relationships, IPOs, and digital risk management. She integrates these emerging insights into her teaching in AI and analytics courses. Read more here.