Contents
- JSOM: What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing?
- Prior to that, what was your awareness level of marketing?
- Explain how the transition happened from industry to academia?
- And what do you like most about teaching here?
- I know you consider yourself as a head cheerleader for the students. You’ve become wildly popular with a lot of your students. How do you earn this level of respect and admiration from students?
- Yeah. And once they graduate, this perception pretty much got…
- It seems that you are kind of a bridge between their student life and the business world. You’ve experimented with a lot of innovative tools and help them bridge that gap. Can you talk about some of your more successful ones?
- You got your PhD in public affairs at UT Dallas, and you researched water-conservation behavior. Have you been able to utilize your marketing students in your research?
- What else do you students need to know about you?
- What are some of your spare-time activities?
- Tell me your favorite memory at UT Dallas.
- Is there any advice you want to give to students entering marketing that would help them succeed?
Dr. Julie Haworth, director of the BS in Marketing program, discusses her own interest in marketing and how she is “head cheerleader” for marketing students.
JSOM: What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing?
Haworth: I went to get an MBA. I enjoyed the classes. I took my first marketing class and got a 100 on the assignment. And I thought OK, this is going to work, and I enjoyed it. So it all led from that point.
Prior to that, what was your awareness level of marketing?
My awareness of marketing was really just advertising and PR, which is part of the promotions of marketing. That was my background. So I was good at that and comfortable with that. But I like all aspects of marketing — if we think about the four P’s (product, promotion, place, price) —I like the other P’s, too.
Explain how the transition happened from industry to academia?
I had worked at several different places in marketing. I’m thinking three or four. And I started having a family — one child, second child and then a third child. At that point I thought OK, I need to find something that is not as demanding as working in the corporate office. So I started teaching as an adjunct, and it just blossomed from there around my family, which worked out nicely.
And what do you like most about teaching here?
I love working with students. I get excited to hear about where they want to go, figure out if I know some contacts there, and just generally encourage them to pursue their goals. I like to be part of that whole process.
I know you consider yourself as a head cheerleader for the students. You’ve become wildly popular with a lot of your students. How do you earn this level of respect and admiration from students?
I like to put them first, and I like to be their advocate. And if I have that in place, everything else falls in place.
So what’s the single biggest misperception people have about marketing?
That it’s easy. It’s not easy. I would say [another misperception] is that it’s not analytical and it doesn’t involve math. It very much does. You need that ability. I think sometimes people get into it because they think they don’t have that ability, but it’s going to be there.
Yeah. And once they graduate, this perception pretty much got…
Shocked? I think when they go through the curriculum, they will see. That is the case. There are hurdles that they have to [clear] make before they can advance.
You got your PhD in public affairs at UT Dallas, and you researched water-conservation behavior. Have you been able to utilize your marketing students in your research?
Absolutely. It’s called social marketing, so it’s marketing for the public good. And it’s looking at consumer behavior or maybe household behavior. It’s exactly marketing in my eyes. And I continue to look at that topic as well as other topics too.
What else do you students need to know about you?
I have three children that have just gotten out or into college right now. So that’s nice because I can empathize with them. I can hear the stories from my own family. I think another thing to know is I just love nature. I have to be outside every single day and just connect with nature in some way. I think it’s important for them to do the same, to have balance in life.
What are some of your spare-time activities?
Well, I bike a lot. I play tennis. I’ve been doing runs this year with my family. We travel a lot. LOVE to go to the lake — love water sports —- that kind of thing.
Tell me your favorite memory at UT Dallas.
There’s a lot of fun memories. I would say that graduation is always so fun. I absolutely love graduation, just love to see the students glowing, their families in the stand, hear the inspirational speeches. That’s always wonderful, and there’s always something special.
But I also like in-class projects. I can think of several where the classes work together on a North Texas Giving Day project for instance and celebrated the success. Those kind of things are special.
Is there any advice you want to give to students entering marketing that would help them succeed?
To be open-minded. Just to want to learn, to have fun with it. To buy the textbooks, to read the textbooks, to do some extra studying and looking into things To work with the professors and tell them what you like about marketing, what you want to do. Look at all the opportunities; try all the opportunities. I have a lot of good advice!
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Transcribed by Linh P. Nguyen
