The Kelley School of Business Indianapolis announces new leadership for the Undergraduate Program. Mark Mayer, clinical associate professor of marketing, will take over as faculty chair of the program, and Emily Murphy, senior lecturer in business communications, is assuming a new role of associate faculty chair. Mark and Emily take the helm from business law and management professor Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow, who led the undergraduate business program for five years and shepherded multiple new initiatives like Business Plus.
“We are incredibly grateful to Charlotte for her time, energy, and expertise leading our Undergraduate Program,” said Julie Manning Magid, vice dean for Kelley Indianapolis. “And we are thrilled to have Mark and Emily step into this new leadership structure as we work to grow our undergraduate student population and the active-learning experiences that connect them to the city and state.”
Mark Mayer brings academic and industry experience
Mark is an expert in advertising and consumer behavior. After earning an MBA, Mark worked in brand management on Planters Nuts, Nabisco new products, and Advil. Mark led the national launch of the Advil PM product before leaving corporate marketing to earn his PhD. He says he found success in the marketing industry through a combination of strong analytic and interpersonal skills and having the foundation of a strong business education.
“My undergraduate state school experience was a great base to build from. My parents focused on the importance of getting a high-quality, affordable education and that’s what I want for our students,” Mark said.
Mark is finishing up his ninth year on Kelley’s faculty. He is the faculty advisor for the Kelley Indianapolis Marketing Organization and serves IU Indianapolis on campus-wide task forces focused on improving student experiences. Mark writes a marketing-focused Indianapolis Business Journal column and is active with non-profits like Arthritis Foundation and United Way. He believes creating connections between real-world experience and curriculum is critical to an undergraduate business education and to student growth. Students’ success, he says, should be our guiding light.
“I’m bringing both my corporate and academic backgrounds to this job,” Mark said. “Putting students at the center of what we do helps us zero in on what they need from their educations to prepare them for the workforce. This is how we make the Kelley experience truly transformative for them. This is what I’m really excited about.”
Emily Murphy brings communications and program strategy experience
Emily Murphy is an expert in business communications and academic program management. Having previously served as an administrator for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs at Boston University, Emily developed a strong background and interest in managing how universities deliver education to students.
“I really enjoy working behind the scenes to ensure all the different parts of a school work. I like to know not only what’s happening in the school, but why and how it happens,” Emily said. “If the school wants to launch a new program, I like to put together the puzzle pieces to ensure it all works together and that we’ve thought through all considerations.”
Emily has also worked in academic advising throughout her career, counseling students on how to match their interests and educations to a career. This not only prepares her to understand what questions and concerns students have about their educational journey, but it also gives her a strong grasp on the ways that university and Kelley School programs can address those concerns. This varied academic and programmatic experience helps inform Emily’s perspective on the needs of the Kelley Indianapolis Undergraduate Program.
“I’ve always enjoyed helping students figure out what success means to them and how to get there,” Emily said. “Whether that’s a conversation about the major they want to choose, the career they want to pursue, or even how to fulfill the degree requirements, I’ve always really enjoyed helping them forge their path. And the definition of success is different for everyone.”
A new collaboration
Both Mark and Emily enjoy working with interdisciplinary faculty and staff at Kelley Indianapolis, and they are excited for the future of the Undergraduate Program. While there are challenges ahead for higher education, Mark and Emily say the opportunities to innovate and increase student success is also great, and they look forward to partnering on this work.
“The program is growing, and there are a lot of opportunities in Indianapolis to address what students and the business community need,” Emily said. “I’m looking forward to helping Kelley Indianapolis meet that demand and to streamlining processes that will contribute to program growth and development. Mark and I have different strengths but similar personalities, and I think it’s a good pairing for leading the program.”
“I’m really happy to have Emily as a partner in this process. We complement each other well. As I look at strategic approaches, Emily looks at things internally. We’ll be able to execute as partners better than either one of us could individually.”
Leave a Reply