Susan Myers is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Central Arkansas and has been there since 2008.

The academic journey and professional endeavors of Myers reflect a dedication to education, research, and practical applications that are within the marketing sphere.

Myers said she teaches about the landscape of the Marketing and Management Department.

Myers’ enthusiasm for teaching students about marketing and management not only enhances the educational framework of the marketing department but also inspires students to pursue a career in the field of marketing.

“Throughout my career, my research has really revolved around those topics, so it is a natural fit for me. To me, Consumer Behavior is the best class because students are in this unique position where they want to learn these marketing skills, but at the same time, they are consumers, so they can literally look at each concept from both sides and get something different from it,” Myers said.

Before UCA, Myers’s academic background started at Henderson State University where her major was market research.

There is a deep understanding of the principles of marketing practices that helped Myers at Henderson with how she now teaches.

“When I started, all I knew is that the thing I was good at was teaching. I had tutored peers all through high school, and I was typically the first person that anyone would seek out if they needed help understanding something or studying for a test. So, that was the easy part. I empathize with students. You come in at 18 and you have all of this pressure to figure out what you want to do,” Myers said.

Professor Myers believes that marketing is always changing, and she explained the research that she has done.

“Right now, the bulk of my research focuses on influencer marketing. We have seen the entire marketing paradigm shift in the last decade, and, as with most things, it has been hard to keep up with the legal and ethical implications. There is so much work that needs to be done in really outlining what standards influencers should be held to as brand agents and what expectations we have of their brand partners,” Myers said.

Myers said she doesn’t believe her professional experience from teaching has been a huge influence, it has actually been the students. 

“Students are actually the biggest influence on my teaching methods. I try to evolve each semester. I want to teach content, but I really want to point students on a path for success. So I have tried to focus more on practical application. I want students to think about how these interact with their lives and make critical assessments from there,” Myers said.

Myers wants students to learn about marketing, consumption and advertising but also wants them to look at things and ask why.

“I want them to be aware of why they make the decisions that they make and what influence that marketing has on those decisions. I want them to be smarter consumers. I also want them to learn to be employable. Meet deadlines, take responsibility for their failures and offer value to their peers and potential employees,” Myers said.

There are a lot of things in marketing that Myers said she believes has changed over the past few years and her teachings of the subject have evolved.

“I wish I knew. It has changed so much in the 17 years since I started this job. I mean things that I used to teach are obsolete and things that we talk about now would never have been dreamed up. Students have different priorities, use technology differently and are honestly more adaptable than ever. I think we will see some trends continue in the same direction and new technologies that we could not have even communicated will emerge,” Myers said.

For more information about Myers or marketing opportunities, visit uca.edu/marketing.