Professor of the Year: Dr. Joie Hain

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Joie Hain
Assistant Professor of Marketing

School: Clayton State University

Location: Morrow (metro Atlanta), Georgia

Dr. Joie Hain is a 2015 graduate of Kennesaw State University with a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in marketing. She holds an MBA in finance from Mercer University and a BSBA in accounting from Auburn University. Joie’s research interests include the financial services sales force and its management, as well as digital marketing and its continuous evolution. 

Joie joined Clayton State University in the fall of 2018 and was awarded Professor of the Year for the College of Business in May 2020. She currently teaches digital marketing and social media marketing to both undergraduate students and the MBA Concentration in Digital Marketing students. Utilizing her 25 years in financial services sales, she also teaches professional selling. Joie previously taught principles of marketing, personal marketing, marketing research and analysis, and study-abroad courses at Clayton State University. Prior to joining Clayton State University, she taught digital marketing, social media, principles of marketing, and advertising courses as an online adjunct assistant professor at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

A building on the Clayton State University campus where Dr. Joie Hain teaches
Clayton State University campus

On top of being an awarded professor, she consistently received the Gold Award or higher from the Georgia Mortgage Bankers Association for superior sales volume during her 25 years in entrepreneurship and commission-based financial services sales. Joie excelled in customer loyalty as well as sales performance, ranking high in the corporation’s sales volume at the large bank where she worked. 

Joie is engaged in her community with a 19-year membership in Rotary International with 100% attendance. She supports the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Council and, at a global level, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. 

Joie has two daughters, a son-in-law, and a grandson with whom she spends all her available time. 

We asked Dr. Joie Hain a few questions. Her answers are below.

WHAT STUKENT COURSEWARE HAVE YOU USED?

At Clayton State University, we are in our third year of several digital-marketing-focused degrees. At the graduate level, we have an MBA concentration in digital marketing. We also have a digital marketing graduate certificate. For our undergraduates, we have a BBA in marketing with a digital marketing concentration, plus a digital marketing minor that a non-business major can obtain. This year, we implemented an accelerated degree program.

Digital Marketing Essentials Bundle

I have three classes where I use Stukent materials:

All of these classes are taught online for both graduate and undergraduate students.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT, EITHER AS A PROFESSOR OR AS AN INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL?

I have been very fortunate in my career. As a professional salesperson, I consistently received annual sales awards. My last industry award was in 2018 from the Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia for being a high-volume sales award winner for 10 consecutive years. After earning my doctorate in 2015 and deciding to leave the industry, my good fortune continued. In 2018, Clayton State University offered me an academic home. I was awarded the 2019 Professor of the Year for our College of Business, and of course I am so overwhelmingly honored to be the inaugural Stukent Professor of the Year! When I was notified of this very high Stukent honor, it was an emotional moment for me! 

Overall, I think my greatest career accomplishment is being trusted to share my years of work experience, professional skills, and course materials with my students. This is a huge responsibility — to ensure that what is provided in the classrooms is accurate, current, relevant and forward thinking. Stukent, with its courseware and simulations, plays a large role in this success.

WHAT IS YOUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY?

My philosophy is that, as professors, we need to provide strong theoretical foundations as well as practical applications to allow students to develop knowledge and decision-making skills for their academic, career, and personal success. In the field of digital and social media marketing, we teach processes that may be outdated by the end of the semester due to rapid industry changes. As students learn theory, they also need to develop the ability to apply it to evolving technical applications. I feel it is not adequate to teach the “how” or steps of what to do in this field — as we must also teach the “why,” so learnings can be applied in this ever-changing environment.

WHY DID YOU BEGIN TEACHING?

I’m not sure that I woke up one morning and said that I want to teach at a college. It is more of a life journey. Over my career, I have taught many seminars, and continuing-education classes as a service to my clients. I always enjoyed these opportunities. When I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I watched the doctorate ceremony and decided that, one day, I would do that too! Fast forward many years to me helping my oldest daughter find her master’s degree program, and that undergraduate vision came back. I started looking at doctorate programs. I am a widow, having lost my husband several years earlier, and decided it was time to make a career change. 

Five years and lots of challenges later, I graduated with a doctorate while working full time. When I graduated, I had never set foot in a classroom as an instructor. Before I quit my job, I decided to try teaching and taught digital marketing as an adjunct professor. During this time, I discovered that working with the students was very energizing and something I truly enjoyed. Recently, someone asked me if I wished I had become a professor earlier in life. I really think the journey traveled is what makes this such a special, daily opportunity!

Dr. Joie Hain in Hungary for a study-abroad course
Joie in Hungary for a study-abroad course

WHAT IS MOST REWARDING ABOUT BEING AN EDUCATOR?

I truly enjoy working with my students through their learning processes and classroom successes! Even more so, it is very exciting to hear when my students graduate, obtain their dream jobs, and apply the skills they learned in class. I look forward to staying in touch with my students as alumni and hearing of their ongoing successes! 

Thank you, Joie, and congratulations!

CONNECT WITH JOIE HAIN

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