Learn, Prepare, Share, and Network in Salt Lake City, Utah!

June 12-14

JUNE 12, 2024

Networking Day in Park City

ProfCon provides professors with the opportunity to learn about the latest in their industry, network with experts in the field, and gather practial learning tips for teaching their best course.

11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Leave from Salt Lake City Marriott University Park

At 11:30 a.m., Networking Day participants will meet up to travel to Park City. Lunch will be provided on the bus ride. 

Olympic Park Active Adventure

Photo courtesy of Utah Olympic Park

Attendees who select this excursion will choose one of the following activities:

  • 2 ½ hour hike
  • Action Tower
  • Alpine Slide
  • Extreme Tubing
  • Extreme Zip Line
  • Freestyle Zip Line
  • Discovery Ropes Course

These participants will have access to the Ski Museum and 2002 Winter Games Museum.

Olympic Park Sightseeing Adventure

Photo courtesy of Utah Olympic Park

Attendees who select this excursion will participate in a bus tour. This tour guides participants through the venue as they learn about the amazing stories of Utah Olympic Park. The tour includes a ride aboard our shuttle bus to the top of the world’s highest Nordic ski jumps and one of the fastest sliding tracks in the world. 

These participants will have access to the Ski Museum and 2002 Winter Games Museum.

3:15 - 4:30 p.m.

Downtown Park City

After the Olympic Park Adventures, attendees will travel on the bus to Historic Park City, Utah. During this time, they can explore the shops, art stops, and local dining this beautiful mountain town has to offer. At 4:30, participants will load onto the bus and travel back to the conference location. 

Day 1 of ProfCon​ | JUNE 13, 2024

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

MorningBreakfast Provided by Stukent
Read More

Ballroom

8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Opening SessionWelcome to ProfCon 2024
Read More

Ballroom

9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Michelle Cirocco | Keynote Speaker
Michelle Cirocco | Keynote SpeakerCEO, Televerde Foundation
Read More
The Power of Second Chances and the Role of Self-Efficacy in Lifelong Success

Ballroom

In this session, Michelle brings her wealth of experience and insights to explore how embracing second chances can revolutionize workplace dynamics. This approach not only fosters a culture of inclusivity and personal growth, but also drives tangible business success. Michelle will also share inspiring stories and practical examples from her journey at Televerde and Televerde Foundation.

Michelle Cirocco is the CEO of Televerde Foundation and CIO for Televerde. Michelle was named one of the World-Changing Women in Conscious Business by Conscious Company magazine and Most Admired Leader by the Phoenix Business Journal. Michelle earned her MBA from Arizona State University where she serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023. Michelle is an advisory council member for the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, a Sixth Amendment Center board member, and a member of Conscious Capitalism.

Joel Dewberry
Joel DewberryVP Marketing, Malouf Companies
Read More
Growth Marketing Alchemy:
Transforming Brands into Billion-Dollar Giants

Ballroom

In the landscape of today’s omnichannel world, understanding the buyer journey is more important than ever. We live in a multiverse of connected channels. We Google while we cook. We podcast while we drive. We post while we play. As the Internet of Things evolves, so do the seemingly infinite ways brands, services, and products connect with consumers. Yesterday’s simple funnel has transformed into a multiplicity of opportunities to connect with customers, which means that pushing forward with a holistic marketing strategy is more crucial now than ever. This discussion will expose ways to unleash e-commerce superpowers, accelerate brand growth, and introduce methods of leveraging predictive analytics to unveil areas of true advertising impact and efficiency.

Joel Dewberry has served as the VP of Marketing for multiple billion-dollar consumer goods companies and is an expert growth marketer. With more than 20 years of experience, Joel is a seasoned digital strategist, brand builder, and creative spark. He has a proven track record of driving business growth through innovative web, digital, social media, creative, and analytics strategies. An early adopter in the tech landscape, he has acquired deep experience with data science and predictive modeling strategies, helping organizations leverage these powerful disciplines for customer engagement and business growth. His unique expertise lies at the intersection of marketing, technology, and brand activations. Joel is a highly strategic and empowering leader who thrives in start-up and corporate environments, including omnichannel, e-commerce, retail, tech, fitness, hospitality, entertainment, sleep lifestyle, home, and consumer services.

Steven Stromp, MBA
Steven Stromp, MBAExecutive Director of Market Intelligence & Strategy
Read More
How to Run a Brand Perception Semester Project for Your Research Course

DELL Amphitheater

This session will cover the step-by-step components of running a real-world brand perception research project. Learn the tools to develop a project in which students will learn to research the competitive landscape, conduct messaging research, develop brand focus groups and surveys, and analyze results as a research firm does for a marketing client. This session will benefit any instructor teaching a research course who is interested in using a brand perception study as the primary class research project.

Steven Stromp is the executive director of market intelligence and strategy at Davenport University as well as an instructor of marketing research, business research, and strategic management. Throughout his career, Steven has gathered intelligence and provided strategy for a variety of industries, including healthcare, consumer packaged goods, automotive, and higher education. Key clients include Kellogg’s, Conagra, Bush’s Baked Beans, Miller Brewing Company, General Motors, National Heritage Academies, GE, and Tropicana. He has managed projects focused on branding, communication strategy, and new product development. Steven is the author of three Stukent courseware: “Market Research Essentials,” Business Research Essentials,” and “Strategic Management & Planning.”

This presentation will focus on helping students (and instructors) better understand their communication preferences and to improve their communication to achieve shared meaning, based on the work of Hartman & McCambridge and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator framework. The presentation includes useful tips for in-class activities and potential changes to improve classroom and instructor-student dynamics.

Blending academic expertise and real-world experience, Dr. Grace Lager is committed to fostering effective communication strategies for individuals and organizations. With 20+ years of experience and insight, Grace helps her clients and students learn to communicate with impact, clarity, and confidence, bringing them out of the shadows of success and into the spotlight of dreams realized. As a professor at Eckerd College, Grace helps students hone their skills in the field of communication. Beyond academia, she is the founder and owner of The Communication Lab, a coaching and consulting agency that transforms clients into dynamic and effective communicators.

Betsy Emmons, Ph.D. & Alisa Agozzino, Ph.D., APR
Betsy Emmons, Ph.D. & Alisa Agozzino, Ph.D., APRExecutive Director of Market Intelligence & Strategy
Read More
Safeguarding against Trolls, Opportunists, and Stalkers: A Case Study of Student-Athlete Social Media Practices

Douglas Conference Room

This topic is highly relevant given the NCAA’s move to allowing NIL contracts for college athletes. This increases the pressure for youth athletes in high school and even middle school to develop social media followings in order to leverage endorsements. What is not well understood is how this impacts the student-athlete’s ability to navigate the dark side of social media engagement, such as trolls, bullying behavior, online stalking, and bots. This presentation will provide a current state of the student-athlete branding industry, discuss best practices for self-branding, and offer insights into research opportunities for further study.

Betsy Emmons has over 20 years of experience in public relations, professional career experience, and pedagogy. Her research areas include sport public relations and public relations trends in academia. She is currently an associate professor in sport promotion at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and an active member of PRSA and the AEJMC sport communication interest group.

Alisa Agozzino, Ph.D., APR, is an associate professor of public relations at Ohio Northern University. As the PR program head, she has taught over 16 different classes within the major and developed a social media minor for any major on campus. She has received numerous awards for teaching. Most recently, in fall of 2023, Agozzino was awarded two national awards: PRSA Educator of the Year and the Plank Center’s Bruce K. Berger Educator Mentor award. Additionally, she has presented nearly 50 keynotes or special guest presentations to a variety of community, sports, and university audiences both locally and around the country on the topic of social media.

 Dr. Dena Bateh
Dr. Dena BatehProfessor, New York University
Read More
The Future of Higher Education in 2030: The Impact of Treating Students as Customers Instead of Learners

Ballroom

Colleges and universities are experiencing a strain due to many prospective and current students diminishing the value of higher education. In an effort to win students back, many colleges and universities, especially those in the U.S., now refer to students as “customers” rather than “learners.” This shift has had a ripple effect, touching everything from grades to administration. This session will discuss the impact of treating students as customers as seen in grade inflation, AI and academic integrity, violations, admissions and readmissions, and tuition and grades as a transactional exchange.

Dr. Bateh is a recognized leader and international scholar in higher education. She obtained her Ph.D. in international economics from Columbia University, completing her doctoral dissertation on Healthcare Improvement in Third-World Countries: A Focus on Egypt. She obtained both her MBA and BA from Jacksonville University, Florida. Dr. Bateh has authored several articles and three textbooks. She also presents at conferences worldwide, where she often trains and consults global executives. Prior to transitioning to a career in higher education, Dr. Bateh held leadership positions in the logistics and pharmaceutical industries for over 15 years. Since 2008, Dr. Bateh has achieved excellence in higher education as an academic administrator and professor of international business and economics at several institutions of higher education, including New York University.

This presentation addresses the dynamic nature of user experience and the need for adaptable teaching techniques that encompass emerging technologies, changing user preferences, and evolving design trends. Transitioning from theory to practice in UX education involves strategies that focus on practical application and understanding of user behavior. Drawing on pedagogical insights and real-world examples, this session explores innovative teaching approaches that empower students to not only understand UX concepts but also apply them meaningfully in scenarios. The goal is to equip educators with a toolkit of theoretical concepts and real-world implementation that offers actionable strategies for navigating the realm of UX education. This presentation aims to inspire and guide educators and enable students to create meaningful solutions to any business or design problem.

Kristen is an associate professor of clinical marketing at the University of Southern California. She specializes in digital marketing and user experience (UX) and serves on the board of directors for the Marketing Educators’ Association. Her primary areas of research include design thinking, digital marketing, and innovations in marketing education, and she received the 2023 Fulbright Scholar Award to teach and conduct research in Portugal. She is coauthor of Stukent’s “Mobile Marketing Essentials” courseware, and frequently speaks on current and emerging trends in UX and human-centered design.

Sage Hancock
Sage HancockExecutive Director, Elizabeth Smart Foundation
Read More
The Growing Need for a Focus on Social Impact and Philanthropy in Business

Connor Conference Room

This presentation focuses on the stages of corporate philanthropy and the critical need for businesses today to emphasize their social impact in marketing and communications. This grows in importance as younger generations enter the workforce and increase their buying power as consumers.

Sage Hancock is passionate about making an impact and creating positive change, especially when it comes to looking at how nonprofits and corporations can work together to further that lasting change. With nine years of nonprofit experience combined with company social impact work, Sage prioritizes relationships, mutually beneficial projects, and cause-based growth. With her current dual role of leading an international nonprofit and working on corporate philanthropy, Sage practices what she preaches. She has helped grow nonprofits from their beginning stages, served on several nonprofit boards, and furthered corporate social responsibility for small and large companies.

This past year, Stukent developed a formalized Learning Experience and instructional framework. Senior Principal Instructional Designer, Ann-Michelle Levangie, will present the E3 Learning Experience along with background on the learning theories that form its foundation and Stukent’s strategy for achieving full fidelity to the framework.

Ann-Michelle Levangie is the Senior Principal Instructional Designer at Stukent.

12:00 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.

BreakLunch Provided by Stukent
Read More

Ballroom

1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m

Panelists: Shelley Wigley, Ph.D. & Jennie Donohue, MBAModerator: Dr. Jen Riley
Read More
Secrets for a Truly Engaged Classroom

Ballroom

Panelists: Joie S. HGilmore, M.S.ain, DBA, Ryan Russell & Chanda
Panelists: Joie S. HGilmore, M.S.ain, DBA, Ryan Russell & ChandaModerator: Ryan Russell
Read More
Maximizing Your Simulation: Educator Strategies for Classroom Success

Ballroom

How do you teach a topic about appearing at the top of search engine results when search engines don’t disclose their ranking algorithms? In this masterclass on teaching SEO, 25-year industry veteran Steve Wiideman will share how he’s trained agencies, enterprise brands, and students on fundamental SEO using easy-to-absorb principles, real-life case studies, and exercises that will enable your students to easily understand how SEO works. This includes what disciplines are involved, what roles and skills are required, and how to track and measure results. Learning SEO may be challenging, but teaching SEO can be easy. Join us for this session with award-winning SEO and adjunct professor Steve Wiideman and learn how to teach and enjoy teaching the topic of search engine optimization in digital marketing.

Wiideman has been in the digital marketing industry for over two decades, with a focus on inbound and search engine marketing. He began teaching in 2017 as an adjunct professor moonlighting while running a consultancy full time. He’s the coauthor of “SEO: Strategy & Skills” and enjoys writing, teaching, speaking, and being a part of the SEO community.

This presentation reveals practical techniques to foster engagement and critical thinking in both synchronous and asynchronous online learning environments. Discover how to transform case studies into dynamic tools that inspire lively discussions, encouraging students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios.

Stacy Smollin Schwartz is an award-winning marketing professor at Rutgers Business School and the founding director of its fully online master of science in digital marketing program. Prior to joining Rutgers, Stacy was a learning and development consultant to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and held senior leadership roles at Virgin Mobile USA, the Hospital for Special Surgery, and internet advertising pioneer DoubleClick. She is a Webby Award judge and serves as board president at Sharsheret, a national nonprofit organization. She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA with highest distinction and honors in advertising from Penn State.

Students need to develop networking skills early, but relationship development is an art that isn’t always easy to teach in the classroom. In this session, you will learn strategies for developing community partnerships to expand students’ networks. Learn creative strategies to help students learn to network, develop soft skills, and create new professional relationships that will help to prepare them for a successful career. You will also learn about ways a college of business can partner with the community to assist students in relationship development, teaching them the importance of developing relationships and maintaining them.

Dr. Mischia Taylor is the Dean of the Godbold College of Business at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. She began her career as the VP of Sales for a regional playground distributor. She was the first female dean for the college. Her energy and engaging spirit create a new atmosphere, while her ability to see the value in others is just one attribute that makes her unique. Her research interests include consumer behavior, relationship development, and emotional intelligence. Most of her free time is dedicated to her family. Mischia and her husband, Greg, have two children, Brycen and Elease.

Kinda Wilson
Kinda WilsonMarketing Instructor
Read More
Level Up Your Student Engagement: An Immersive Tech and Activity Workshop

Ballroom

Coming soon.

Kinda Wilson is a marketing instructor at the Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business and at CIMBA Italy. Her marketing and business experience ranges from working with corporations and nonprofits to founding start-up companies. Kinda is a teacher at heart and is passionate about bringing these business and marketing concepts to life for her students. Her awards include the 2021 Spears School of Business Online Teaching Award and the 2017 Excellence in Teaching/Training award from the United States Distance Learning Association.

Amazon is the largest e-commerce retailer in the world. In the U.S., roughly 70% of product searches start on Amazon. This session will discuss Amazon best practices to help your brand travel from a shopper’s screen to their door. We’ll cover why brands should have an omni selling strategy, how to make your product visible on a never-ending shelf of goods, how to optimize product detail pages for success, and how advertising can capture consumers and drive new-to-brand customers.

Bryce Larsen is currently the director of digital marketing and advertising at Pattern, a global e-commerce accelerator designed to help brands grow faster on e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, Tmall, and others. Bryce has over a decade of experience in consumer goods marketing, branding, and advertising, working in-house for some of the largest fitness and sleep product brands. His experience spans direct-to-consumer, retail, and e-commerce. He is a proud Aggie, graduating from Utah State University with a double major in marketing and business. Bryce is a passionate growth marketer and enjoys traveling, real estate, and pickleball.

Kelly Crane, MBA
Kelly Crane, MBALecturer and Area Industry Mentor, University of Kansas
Read More
Roadmap to Success: Time-Tested Strategies for Marketing Course Design

Connor Conference Room

Embark on a course planning adventure as we explore the intricacies of course mapping and follow a path to develop effective learning objectives. Discover the landmarks of the Quality Matters rubric and its application, ensuring your course design meets rigorous standards. Join us for an enriching journey as we map out a route to excellence in marketing education.

Kelly Crane is an IMC professional who has held director and VP-level positions in entertainment, healthcare, telecommunications, and advertising. After 20 years in the industry, she became the director of the school of journalism’s IMC graduate program at the University of Kansas. Kelly is now a lecturer and area industry mentor at the school of business where she teaches digital marketing, advanced social media, and sports and entertainment marketing. Though she knows nothing about cars, she is the faculty advisor for the Jayhawk Motorsports Formula 1 Business Team. Beyond academia, Kelly loves hiking with her dog, Bayleigh, and playing music with her band.

Michelle Galey
Michelle GaleyScholarly Assistant Professor - Washington State University Murrow College of Communication
Read More
Empowering Future Strategic Communications Professionals: Bridging Success Between Classroom and Career

Douglas Conference Room

Navigating the transition from the classroom to a thriving career in strategic communications is a multifaceted journey. By providing insights and strategies to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world success, this presentation is a guide to empowering aspiring digital media and PR professionals. This session provides educators with strategies and tools emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience, mentorship, and continuous learning to help students build confidence and expertise to be successful in the classroom and their careers.

Michelle Galey is a scholarly assistant professor in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. With over 20 years of experience in professional communication in both the public and private sector, Michelle focuses on pursuing projects and scholarly activities that advance the field of strategic communications and provide hands-on experiences for students. She has taught communications, marketing, PR, and student success courses over a span of 20 years for several colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest. She has also served in student success higher-ed leadership roles as both a division chair and director. Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in communications.

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m

This session will explore effective ways to adjust assignments, papers, and even exams to mitigate students’ reliance on and/or unauthorized use of artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT. You can do this without significantly increasing the time spent grading. But don’t stop at taking a defensive stance against AI. This session will also discuss ways you can easily and effectively use AI to improve student engagement.

Danaka obtained her Master of Engineering from MIT in supply chain management. She is a partner at iota consulting, where she consults in supply chain, project management, and data analytics. Danaka is a sessional lecturer at the Dhillon School of Business, teaching supply chain and project management. She authored “Principles of Supply Chain Management and Operations.” Danaka cofounded VitaNova Tech, a fertility company, where her algorithms better match surrogates and egg donors to intended parents. Additionally, she is completing her Ph.D. in cardiology at the Cumming School of Medicine where she is applying her supply chain background to clinical practice.

6:30 p.m

Cocktail ReceptionSponsored by Dell & Verizon
Read More

North Lawn & Pavilion

Day 2 of ProfCon​ | JUNE 14, 2024

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

MorningBreakfast Provided by Stukent
Read More

Ballroom

8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Day 2 Opening SessionRecap of Networking Day & Day 1
Read More

Ballroom

8:45 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Less than half of all college students feel adequately prepared for the professional world. This session is aimed at boosting students’ confidence in their career readiness. In this keynote, we’ll explore strategies to bridge the gap between academia and the workplace. Discover actionable insights to equip your students with essential skills to navigate the complexities of today’s corporate jungle with confidence and competence!

Chad is a senior product marketing manager at Dell Technologies where he leads go-to-market strategy for Dell’s 5G laptops. He also actively shapes the future workforce at Dell by participating in university recruiting for both undergraduate and graduate students. He has a passion for education and is armed with a bachelor’s in marketing and an MBA from Brigham Young University. Chad currently teaches as an adjunct marketing professor at Utah Valley University.

Karen Freberg, Ph.D.
Karen Freberg, Ph.D.Professor of Strategic Communication, Director of The Bird's Nest Student Agency
Read More
From the Classroom to the Boardroom: Building Marketable Skills and Experiential Learning with Client Work and Student Agencies

Ballroom

This presentation explores how the fusion of classroom education with real-world engagement empowers students to seamlessly navigate the transition to professional life. By harnessing the potential of client work and student agencies such as The Bird’s Nest — which has worked with clients like Kentucky Derby and GE Appliances — we open doors to a new era of experiential learning that invents marketable, adaptable, and impactful professionals.

Karen Freberg is a professor in strategic communications at the University of Louisville and the Director of The Bird’s Nest student agency. Freberg is also an award-winning author and has written several books, including “Social Media for Strategic Communication: Creative Strategies and Research-Based Applications” and “Discovering Public Relations: An Introduction to Creative and Strategic Practices.”

How can branded entertainment creators establish profound brand resonance while navigating the complex terrain of the digital attention economy? Explore the evolution of branded entertainment and the pivotal role of authenticity in the narrative of branded entertainment to foster meaningful connections toward strategic brand-building success.

Dr. van Loggerenberg is the director of the advertising program at the University of San Francisco, leveraging a career in advertising and marketing spanning over two decades. Concurrently, he serves as president of the Greater San Francisco Ad Club and is also a brand strategy consultant. Starting at BBDO, Marthinus progressed into leadership roles at prominent agencies such as FCB and various top corporate brands. He headed up the brand and business leadership department at the IIE Vega School, South Africa’s premier institution for brand, business, and design education. His research focuses on branded entertainment, word-of-mouth marketing, and advertising education.

We’ve all been impressed and astounded by the capabilities of AI, but those abilities are nothing more than an amusing parlor trick unless they are properly incorporated into the digital marketing workflow. This presentation provides guidance on methods to maximally benefit from new AI technologies. Or as ChatGPT put it, “Explore cutting-edge strategies for crafting compelling, tailored content that resonates with your audience, powered by AI’s deep understanding of consumer behavior and preferences. Discover how AI algorithms can maximize your ad performance, ensuring optimal placement and engagement.

Jeff Larson is an associate professor of marketing in the Marriott School of Business at BYU, where he has been teaching since 2007. He has taught courses in marketing research, digital marketing, marketing analytics, and more. In 2014, Jeff published “Digital Marketing Essentials” with Stu Draper, the founder of Stukent. He has published articles in some of the top marketing and psychology journals, including the Journal of Marketing Research and the Journal of Consumer Psychology, among others. His research has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Good Morning America, and other media outlets.

Can you remember your organization’s last annual statement? Can you remember at least a couple of key takeaways? Probably not. Now, try to recall your favorite childhood movie. In this case, you probably remember the characters’ names and the entire plot with surprising clarity. Research indicates that information communicated through stories has 22 times more recall factor than numbers. If you want to incorporate data literacy using visual data storytelling into your teaching, this session is for you. Shaam will share tips and techniques to create an immersive experience for students. The session will showcase video clips of what happens in a typical classroom and how students embrace technology and data visualization techniques to overcome their fear of numbers.

Raghavshyam (Shaam) Ramamurthy is the cofounder of Wilson Consulting Private Limited. He has over 25 years of experience across the globe. Shaam completed his MBA at Whitman School of Management at Syracuse, New York, specializing in supply chain management. Shaam previously worked in the U.S. for 10 years across a variety of industries including manufacturing, chemical processing, and utilities. He also conducts corporate trainings on analytics topics. Shaam has a strong passion for teaching and teaches at universities globally. He visits IIM-Calcutta, University of Virginia (Darden), IIM-Trichy, IMT, Masters Union, Great Lakes Institute of Management, XLRI, and Syracuse University where he teaches data visualization, business analytics, and marketing.

In this interactive workshop-style session, you’ll learn how to teach influencer marketing in a hands-on, strategic way, even if you have no prior experience. We’ll look at tools and tasks sourced from a successful influencer marketing job interview and equip you with all of the resources needed to turn this topic into an in-class exercise, a larger project, or even an ambitious student influencer campaign.

Dr. Scott Cowley is an associate professor of marketing and director of the digital marketing program at Western Michigan University. Cowley has keynoted multiple digital marketing educator conferences and published award-winning research and curriculum innovations. At WMU, he has quadrupled the digital marketing program’s enrollment, coached multiple student teams to the top of international case competitions, and helped launch a digital marketing student organization. He coauthored Stukent’s “SEO: Strategy & Skills” and teaches courses on SEO and digital marketing strategy. He is the recipient of the business college’s Faculty Teaching Award as well as national awards for teaching and innovation.

The e-commerce industry is expected to hit close to over 7.4 trillion dollars globally by the year 2030, according to research assessments from Precedence Research and other reports. With the continued year-over-year growth in e-commerce, the industry will become more prominent for brands, services, and retail companies alike. We’ll focus on the need to understand modern trends that shape the future of this accelerated growth. Join us to discuss the key consumer, market, and industry trends and what e-commerce professionals and business students need to know in the coming decade to prepare for the heightened competitive landscape of online business. This presentation will arm you with those key trends and insights to consider in your businesses and classrooms for further discussion, research, and exploration.

Dr. Kyle Allison, also known as the Doctor of Digital Strategy, has close to two decades of corporate retail and e-commerce experience in marketing, merchandising, and operations. He has worked in major companies such as Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dickies, and The Exchange. In addition, he is a professor of over eight years in marketing and business at all academic levels, including being a doctoral chair. Lastly, he is very excited to be the “E-Commerce” courseware author for Stukent, bringing his knowledge and expertise of e-commerce to the classroom with this innovative courseware!

Matthew Doubleday
Matthew DoubledayAdjunct Faculty, Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology
Read More
Be Good, Do Good, to Do Well: The Marketing Case for Ethical Behavior, DEI, and ESG

Connor Conference Room

Coming soon.

With over 30 years of marketing and leadership experience, Matt Doubleday has built a life helping organizations reach their potential. In his most recent position as chief marketing officer of Wintrust Financial, he transformed a collection of local community banks into a regional powerhouse. Leading a full-service internal ad agency, Matt and his team managed over one hundred brands and dozens of businesses that dominated their categories. Now an adjunct faculty member in Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business, Matt is a sought-after advisor and mentor to local start-ups and nonprofits, specializing in media, business intelligence, education, and economic development.

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

LunchLunch Provided by Stukent
Read More

Ballroom

1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Panelists: Sergio JANCZAk, Ph.D, Keri-Ellen Walcer, MHSc. & Nick MattarModerator: Dr. Mary Beth McCabe
Read More
How AI Is Reshaping Learning

Ballroom

Panelists: Christine Ouma, PhD, Dr. Jiji E. U. Osiobe & Dr. Safia Malallah
Panelists: Christine Ouma, PhD, Dr. Jiji E. U. Osiobe & Dr. Safia MalallahModerator: Brady Adams
Read More
Navigating the Future of Business Analytics: Challenges, Opportunities, and Best Practices

Ballroom

Elmer Ragus
Elmer RagusAssistant Professor of Marketing, Athens State University
Read More
Enhance Your Credibility in Online Courses Using Video and Marketing Principles Concepts

DELL Amphitheater

Elevate your instructor credibility with compelling, short-form educational videos that boost student engagement, amplify your social presence, and promote understanding of course content. Using concepts from marketing principles, this session will offer practical and sustainable tips for video creation, share lessons learned, and demonstrate video editing using Adobe Express.

Dr. Elmer Ragus, assistant professor of marketing at Athens State University since 2021, attended school at the University of Missouri. He brings 23 years of experience from the marketing industry and higher education, integrating experiential learning into his teaching and collaborating on projects like classroom renovations and instructional design. His research spans across active learning, adult learning theories, branding strategy, consumer behavior, online course design, online learning communities, and qualitative methodology. His most recent achievement at Athens State is leading the efforts to start a new bachelor of science in marketing and analytics program for the Spring 2024 semester.

Dr. Lois Jones
Dr. Lois JonesAssistant Professor of Communication and PR at Lipscomb University
Read More
Words Have Power: Mindfulness, Motivation, Mindset, and the Effects of Positive Language

Ballroom

Imagine that you never hear words of encouragement. What if you only hear words that make you feel bad about yourself or your abilities? The power of positive language can be life-changing. Imagine making a difference in students’ lives simply by saying something positive and encouraging them. The teachers and people you remember are the ones who believed in you and made you feel good about yourself. How did you know they believed in you? They told you and encouraged you to believe in yourself. Positive language can be the key that changes someone’s outlook on themselves and their future. Let’s talk about the simple act of encouragement using positive language and the impact it has on our students and each other.

Dr. Lois Jones currently serves as an assistant professor at Lipscomb University in the school of communication and journalism. Dr. Jones believes in providing a safe learning environment where students know that asking questions and participating in an open exchange of information is encouraged. She believes that you cannot succeed without having experienced failure and that failure is simply a stepping stone to success and should not be feared. Dr. Jones’ passion for student success drives her to continue her research in mindset, motivation, positive language, public relations, DEI, student success, communication, and educational relationships. She shares her passion for education and research in the classroom, and by presenting at regional, national, and international conferences, as well as consulting on these subjects.

Creative work such as storytelling and strategic planning doesn’t follow strict rules. Problem-solving skills are in universal demand, and students need to learn to embrace uncertainty to prepare them for problem-solving as professionals. This session will provide examples of projects, assignments, and scenarios where students or team members can learn to leverage creativity to enhance problem-solving skills.

Christa Bell is the assistant department head in the department of mass communication at McNeese State University. She teaches courses in interpersonal communication, media law, journalism and public relations writing, strategic communication, mass communication technology, and web design and development. Originally from Alabama, Christa earned her bachelor of arts in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi. She worked in print journalism and public relations before earning a master’s degree in communication and organizational leadership from Gonzaga University. She is the faculty adviser for the university’s student newspaper and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the Society of Professional Journalists, and BEA.

Day 2 Morning Afternoon Keynote
3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Donald Kelly | Keynote Speaker
Donald Kelly | Keynote SpeakerThe Sales Evangelist
Read More
5 Ways Every Student Can Maximize LinkedIn For Personal and Business Success

Ballroom

As a LinkedIn influencer, sales expert, and LinkedIn Top Voice, Donald C. Kelly unveils the five key strategies every student can leverage to maximize LinkedIn for both personal and business success. In this dynamic presentation, attendees will learn essential tips for creating a compelling LinkedIn profile, expanding their professional network, and showcasing their skills to potential employers. Discover how to use LinkedIn as a powerful tool for personal branding, job searching, and building valuable connections within your chosen industry. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to elevate your online presence and set the stage for future success in both academic and professional realms. Whether students are graduating or just starting their academic journey, this session is a gateway to unlocking the full potential of LinkedIn for personal and business growth.

Donald C. Kelly is the founder of the Sales Evangelist Sales Training and host of The Sales Evangelist podcast with over 4 million all-time downloads. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at BYU-Idaho and coauthor of two Stukent courseware: “Professional Selling” and “Advanced Selling and Sales Management.” Author of “Sell It Like A Mango,” he’s helped global companies boost confidence and revenue. His notable clients include Rock Ventures, VMware, and Citigroup. Donald extends his expertise to nonprofits and speaks at events like Salesforce Dreamforce, INBOUND, OutBound, and Podcast Movement. Donald has received recognition from Salesforce and LinkedIn, along with global recognition from Entrepreneur, Success, Forbes, and Inc. Magazine. His mission is to motivate sellers by sharing insights with audiences worldwide through workshops, online courses, and keynote presentations, embodying concrete fundamental principles adaptable by any seller.

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Dr. Maribeth Kuzmeski
Dr. Maribeth KuzmeskiOklahoma State University
Read More
Secrets to Engaged Learning: Strategies for Igniting Passion in Students Inside and Outside the Classroom
Session Description

In this session, you’ll learn the top 10 proven ways to create and sustain student interest semester after semester, including active learning, and exceptional work.

Bio

Dr. Maribeth Kuzmeski is the president of Red Zone Marketing, an award-winning marketing consulting firm with clients throughout the financial services industry. Red Zone Marketing’s primary focus is designing innovative marketing and business growth initiatives. Maribeth has written nine books on marketing and is also a professor at Oklahoma State University teaching marketing and personal branding, including name, image, and likeness (NIL) for student-athletes. She founded the OSU Brand Squad to assist student-athletes. She has a bachelor’s degree from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, an MBA from The George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in business administration from Oklahoma State University.

Sophia Zaft
Sophia ZaftGrand Canyon University
Read More
Social Likes for In-class Comments: Using Social Media to Foster Healthy Participatory Culture in the Classroom
Session Description

In this session, we’ll discuss using social media in the classroom as a way to increase retention, participation, and foster a much stronger connection between students and the instructor. In a post-Covid world, university students are searching for the community that dominated their final years of high school or freshman year of college — we’ll discuss ways to help alleviate that need.

Bio

Sophia Zaft is a Grand Canyon University professor, busy mom, and Boston Terrier lover who resides in Phoenix. Since joining GCU since 2013, Zaft has led the undergraduate program in social media. She loves experimenting with social media as a teaching tool in the classroom. After working in strategic social media for 15 years, her favorite things are community management, trying new apps, and watching all student’s first “aha!” moments.

10:30-11:00 a.m. (MDT)

Timothy Carr
Timothy CarrSan Diego University for Integrative Studies and the Singleton Foundation
Read More
Keeping Up with Digital Marketing and Engaging through Edutainment
Dr. Lisa Susanne Goolsby
Dr. Lisa Susanne GoolsbyCEO at Impact
Read More
Teaching for Practical Application: How to Create Content for Student Success
Session Description

Coming soon!

Bio

Timothy is a seasoned marketing executive with two decades of experience at global brands such as Live Nation/Ticketmaster, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and TV, Fortune 500 companies, and various celebrity clients. As vice president of marketing at Live Nation, Tim’s marketing team drove millions in ticket sales and grew a social audience to more than 16 million followers. Timothy is adjunct faculty at San Diego University for Integrative Studies, and he is head of marketing for mission-oriented edutainment company Million Stories, a project of the Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy. Timothy is a graduate of Boston University and an MBA candidate at Quantic School of Business.

Session Description

As academics, we work to teach principles, but are your students prepared to shine in the marketplace? In this session, we’ll discuss how to teach application along with principles, create great teaching moments, keep your curriculum fresh, and provide students with situational marketing assignments.

Bio

Lisa has a unique perspective on the Millennial generation, which she gained through her work as a marketing professor and coffee bar owner. Lisa has developed strategy for a variety of products and services, and she finds her greatest joy in the “ah-ha!” moment when her research and strategy collide and products and services succeed.

To relieve stress, she spends time with her two active children, runs as fast and as far as time will allow, does CrossFit with some of her former students, and rolls on the mats with a great coach for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. She loves learning new things, and the more active they are, the better!

Panel Discussion
Panel DiscussionModerated by Stukent Chief Product Office, Brady Adams
Room1Read More
The Efficacy of Simternships™
Session Description

Join fellow professors as they discuss the efficacy of Stukent Simtenships™ in higher education.

Members of the panel:

Lisa Kuhlman – Associate Professor in the School of Business at Southern Adventist University
Ryan Russell – Associate Lecturer in Marketing at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Rebecca Cooney – Scholarly Associate Professor of Strategic Communication at Washington State University

Lunch 12:00-1:00 p.m. (MDT)

Rich Hanna
Rich HannaBabson College
Read More
Growth Marketing: The Course You Didn’t Know You Needed
Liz Wildes
Liz WildesStukent Chief Strategy Officer
Room1Read More
Closing Remarks
Session Description

In this session, we’ll discuss how to build a winning GTM strategy with a focus on being a product marketer. We’ll also cover other industry roles that are strategic and go beyond digital marketing, branding, or sales.

Bio

Wynona Benson is a senior director of product marketing for SAP, a top multinational technology company. Her focus at SAP is the flagship line of products S/4HANA Cloud, which is one of the biggest and most complex cloud products in the technology industry.

Prior to SAP, Wynona spent over a decade in various marketing and corporate strategy roles, from small seed-stage startups to some of the biggest companies in the world. She helps companies find their product market fit, craft go-to-market strategy, and help launch new products and penetrate new markets, including international expansions. Wynona taught marketing management at Brigham Young University – Idaho, and is currently teaching strategy and economics as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University. She holds an MBA from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s from Brigham Young University – Idaho.

Capture

Need a Zoom Background Refresh?

Choose from our seven different ProfCon zoom background options! Download yours today using the button below! Learn how to change your background here

ProfCon 2021 Keynote Speakers

Personal Branding: How to Set Yourself Apart as an Educator Using Social Media Strategy, Brand Partnerships, and More

Personal Branding: How to Set Yourself Apart as an Educator Using Social Media Strategy, Brand Partnerships, and More

Karen Freberg | University of Louisville

Tee Up Your Students for Success: Creating T-shaped Marketers

Tee Up Your Students for Success: Creating T-shaped Marketers

Scott K. Wilder | Global Head of Customer Engagement and Community at HubSpot

The Missing Pieces of Marketing Management

The Missing Pieces of Marketing Management

Terry Sullivan | Strategic Glue | Webster University

Enhancing the Mimic Social Experience: Building Case Studies for Your Students

Enhancing the Mimic Social Experience: Building Case Studies for Your Students

Jack LaBaugh | Brigham Young University - Idaho

COVID and Client-based Projects: Using Digitial Marketing Concepts to Turn Pandemic Problems into Opportunities

COVID and Client-based Projects: Using Digitial Marketing Concepts to Turn Pandemic Problems into Opportunities

Kristen Schiele | Cal Poly Pomona

Effortless Engagement: Using Tips and Technology to Create Interaction in Online Courses

Effortless Engagement: Using Tips and Technology to Create Interaction in Online Courses

Kinda Wilson | Oklahoma State University

5 Reasons Why Every Business Student Should Consider Taking A Professional Sales Course

5 Reasons Why Every Business Student Should Consider Taking A Professional Sales Course

Donald Cecil Kelly | The Sales Evangelist

to Our Sponsors