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UCA College of Business Welcomes New Department Chair

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) College of Business has named Dr. Gordon Schmidt as the new chair for the Department of Marketing and Management. Schmidt began his role on July 1.

As department chair, Schmidt will collaborate with faculty and supervise department activities that support the college’s mission to provide an innovative and relevant curriculum combined with hands-on student experiences in the business community. He will teach courses related to human resources, leadership and organizational behavior. Schmidt will also continue his research in the future of work, virtual leadership, neurodiversity and how leadership differs across contexts.

“Dr. Schmidt brings a vast knowledge of leadership gained during his 20-year career,” Dr. Timothy Bisping, dean of the College of Business, said. “In his books, he skillfully engages his readers to examine management practices through popular culture references.

“I look forward to the creative ways he will help guide our college in the future.”

Before assuming this role of department chair at UCA, Schmidt served as the director of the David and Sharon Turrentine School of Management at the University of Louisiana Monroe. His longest tenure was nearly 12 years of leadership and teaching roles at Purdue University Fort Wayne, the largest university in northeast Indiana.

In addition to teaching and administrative roles and authoring books, Schmidt has offered his expertise as an organizational consultant for the last 10 years and currently serves as a book series editor for Emerald Publishing, a global academic press focusing on scholarly journals, books, and teaching case studies.

“I’ve been very impressed by the quality of teaching and research happening here at UCA for a number of years,” Schmidt said. “When I saw an opportunity to join the amazing team here, I jumped at it.

“I’m pleased to be a part of the team here at UCA that helps prepare our students for success both today and in the workplace of the future.”

Schmidt earned his Doctor of Philosophy and his Master of Arts, both focused on Industrial and Organizational Psychology, from Michigan State University. He also completed his Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.

About the UCA College of Business

Established in 1969, the UCA College of Business offers more than 20 undergraduate and graduate degree paths and certificates to equip current and future business professionals to successfully and ethically meet the changing business environment. Maintaining its AACSB accreditation since 1984, the program offers a thorough business education as well as opportunities for hands-on experience and industry networking. For more information, visit uca.edu/business.

Posted in: COB News, Featured News on August 10, 2026 Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UCA College of Business Names New Department Chair

(Conway, Ark.) – The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) College of Business has named Dr. Tracy A. Suter as the new Chair for the Department of Marketing and Management. Dr. Suter began his role at the start of the spring semester.

As Department Chair, Dr. Suter will collaborate with the faculty and supervise department activities that support the college’s mission to provide an innovative and relevant curriculum combined with hands-on student experiences in the business community. He will also teach creativity and innovation courses from a marketing point of view and continue his research interests in creative problem-solving and business innovation.

Dean Michael Hargis welcomed Suter to the College of Business saying, “Tracy is innovative, engaging, and committed to student and faculty success. He also has a long track record of success as a leader in higher education. I look forward to Tracy’s contributions to the development and continuous improvement of our college’s programs.”

Suter, originally from Russellville, brings a wealth of expertise from his 25-year academic career as he assumes the role of department chair. In addition to teaching, Dr. Suter has authored many academic articles and textbooks and served in other administrative capacities. His most extensive experience was as a 15-year faculty member at Oklahoma State University.

“As a first-generation college student from the great state of Arkansas, I do not take my opportunity or responsibility lightly to nurture and develop the next generation of leaders, thinkers and doers,” said Dr. Suter. “I look forward to working with my departmental and college colleagues in helping students grow and succeed here at UCA.”

Suter earned his Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Arkansas. Before teaching, he worked as a marketing and analysis specialist at an aviation company.

Established in 1969, the UCA College of Business offers 20 undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates to equip current and future business professionals to successfully and ethically meet the changing business environment. The AACSB-accredited program offers a thorough business education as well as opportunities for hands-on experience and industry networking.

Posted in: COB News on January 20, 2022 Tagged: , , ,

Marketing Professor Susan Myers Wins Award for Paper on Instagram Engagement During Pandemic

Susan Myers, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing

Susan Myers, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing, won Best Paper: Digital & Social Media from the Society for Marketing Advances for her work regarding increased Instagram use during this year’s pandemic.

Myers received the award Nov. 6 during SMA’s virtual 2020 conference.

Her paper looked at how COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines impacted consumer use of Instagram by looking at engagement rates with the top brands on the platform. The study compared engagement rates in the two months prior to the first regulations put in place for COVID-19 and the two months following it.

“The research indicated the engagement rate per post was higher during the pandemic than before despite the fact there was not a significant difference in the quantity of posts made by the brands,” Myers said.

Myers also found that consumers were generally looking for content unrelated to the pandemic as posts with COVID-related hashtags did not have a higher rate of engagement.

While some of these changes in social media use may be temporary, Myers said corporations will likely continue to invest more as consumers develop new routines in the pandemic.

“It seems doubtful that consumers will return completely to the old ways of operating as customer expectations for digital alternatives have grown,” Myers said. “Customer reliance on digital consumption continues to grow as will their expectations for brands’ digital experiences.”

Posted in: COB News on December 3, 2020 Tagged: , , , , ,