This column I am going to focus on the upcoming Summer Educators’ Conference, and highlight sessions that I believe will be very important for ongoing faculty development. Although there are certainly some overlaps and spillovers, I’ll organize the column generally around research, teaching and general overall professional development in the marketing discipline.
As a researcher, I know that securing an external grant can insulate you somewhat from the vagaries of university funding for research. I also remember that I wasn’t successful in getting a grant until my third attempt through the process. Save yourself some grief, and check out the session “Successful Grant Writing for Marketing Academics.” Chaired by Connie Pechmann, this session includes five esteemed panelists, including Jacqueline Meszaros from the National Science Foundation. The hints, tips and advice dispensed from this group should be invaluable.
Researchers from all areas should also be interested in the three “Meet the Editors Sessions” planned for the conference. One session will feature Editors from AMA Journals, and two subsequent sessions will feature Editors from non-AMA published journals. Anyone can benefit from the wisdom of these experienced writers and researchers; I believe they are especially valuable to those in the early career stages.
Bridging into a discussion of the teaching sessions, I’d like to mention a session on research and teaching with companies, chaired by V. Kumar, and featured advice from four panelists with experience in the area. Collaborations with industry can be tremendously gratifying on either the teaching or publishing side of our careers, but it is something we sometimes feel awkward about instigating.
Increasingly, schools are integrating case discussion sessions into traditional, more lecture-based courses. I am at a case-based school, and I can attest to the power of a well-written, intriguing case that resonates with students. Where do these cases come from? From all of us, of course! Check out the session “Tips on Writing Marketing Cases,” chaired by Roger Kerin, and including three panelists with lots of experience writing successful, interesting cases. Often, the easiest case to teach is the one you wrote yourself.
I’d like to also mention a couple of other teaching related sessions. In “New Technologies in Teaching” presentations will cover areas like webcams, e-learning, podcasting, and other technologies in the classroom. And the Global Marketing SIG is featuring a session on “Overseas Teaching Assignments for Marketing Academics.”
Career transitions are important milestones in our careers, and there are several sessions geared to various transitions for doctoral students and faculty. In order of career stage, I’d like to call attention to a DOC-SIG sponsored session on the marketing academic job market, with six panelists, including yours truly; a session titled “Transitioning from a PhD Student to an Assistant Professor;” and another called “Transitions in an Academic Career,” chaired by Bart Weitz and including a panel of well-known academics who have all handled transitions successfully: Don Lehmann, Barbara Kahn, Ajay Kohli, Gary Lilien, and Russ Winer.
Finally, there are some sessions that should appeal to a very broad group of marketing academics, including “Where is the Cutting Edge in Marketing?” and a session from the Marketing Education and Teaching Innovation Track called “What is Marketing?” that includes presentations on the marketing of marketing, and the research productivity of marketing doctoral programs. And in what should likely be a mandatory session for us all, there is also a session called “What Marketing Academics Need to Know about Ethics, Professionalism and Reaching Our Current Generation of Students.”
In short, there are a plethora of sessions available beyond the cutting edge research presentations. I’d encourage you to go out to these sessions, ask interesting questions, and keep pushing your own professional and personal development. See you in San Diego!
June Cotte
Ivey Business School