New Faculty: Meet Leila Khoshghadam, Department of Marketing

Leila Khoshghadam
Assistant Professor
DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING

Education

Ph.D., Business Administration, Old Dominion University

MBA, Marketing

B.S., Electrical Engineering

What are your research interests?

My primary focus is on interactive marketing in offline and online settings. In one research stream, I investigate the role that consumer sentiment has on the success/failure of firms’ interaction efforts. In the second stream, I seek insight into actionable strategies to manage successful interaction between front-line employees and consumers.

What are you looking forward to in your new role at Towson University?

I am passionate about teaching students and helping them prepare for future jobs. In this position, I am looking forward to growing my skills and helping my students succeed, which is very important to me! Moreover, I intend to expand my research by collaborating with fellow TU faculty members and learning new things.

What is your plan for teaching in the remote space?

First and foremost, I intend to maintain a positive attitude and a supportive environment. Students should feel safe and certain about their education path, despite all the uncertainty around us.

Second, I have made changes in my teaching strategies to keep the quality of my online classes high. For example, to make students more engaged with topics, I spend less time on lectures while using more case studies, real examples, and news sharing. This will facilitate interactions between students and help them develop skills such as critical thinking and teamwork in remote classes.

What do you like to do in your free time? Any new quarantine hobbies?

During the lock-down, I found myself caring more about my health: I started doing more workouts and eating healthier. I also enjoy reading my favorite books, which have been waiting for me on my bookshelf for a long time! Despite all the frustration, I try to think positively of this situation and catch up with work that I always want to do, but never seem to find a time to complete.

If you had one piece of advice to give to your students right now, what would it be?

Do not get discouraged if the situation is not as you expected a year ago. A setback is an opportunity for a comeback! You can be at home and still progress every day. Try to learn new skills and build your resume, even when you are at home. Read the book Conversations with Myself, by Nelson Mandela and keep it in mind that he wrote the book when he was in prison!

I am also a good listener and I love to meet new people. In case you need two ears to share your concern, you can count on me!

What is something few people know about you?

I am a good interior designer. I love to match colors, fabrics, and textiles. I always receive compliments about my design taste!

a table in stephens hall offers hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. A sign says "Clean & Care"

CBE welcomes 3,200 plus students for unprecedented fall term

TU and the College of Business and Economics are back to school for a semester unlike anyone has experienced. 

CBE students are not just smart, they’re resilient. That’s why this fall, the college welcomes more than 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students to take classes online and in-person. True, Stephens Hall and the greater TU campus are not the same as when we left it in March of this year. It has necessarily adjusted and improved for health and safety. 

Luckily, CBE has dedicated faculty and caring staff that have put their heads together to design a semester that will be challenging yet rewarding and student centered–just like every other semester. But, this semester, syllabi will reflect wha was learned from remote teaching in the spring, and faculty members will integrate what worked and what didn’t and teach innovative, socially distanced lessons that match the changing industry. 

CBE students are not just smart, they’re resilient.

In Stephens Hall, we have been long awaiting the arrival of students. Carefully designed social distancing tools have been placed throughout the iconic building – a first in its 100 plus years. Stickers and signs line the floors, walls, and doors indicating where to sit and walk. Sanitation stations have been placed at every exit. To ensure adequate space to study, CBE opened rooms 115, 204, and 311 to students for studying and accessing campus wifi in-between classes.  

Although in-person communication is limited, students have more options this semester to communicate with their professors, departments and student services by phone or email at any time during business hours. Communication is key, and when one modality closes, another opens. Professional Development Partners (PDPs) will continue to provide students virtual advising on academic and career goals this semester. The CBE Writing Lab will also be holding virtual appointments so students can work one-on-one with a writing mentor. 

The new virtual social space makes attending CBE events this year easier than ever. The annual Accounting Open House, CBE Fall Career Fair, MentHER program, new Data Analytics competition and Live Strategy Case Competition, to name a few, will all be virtual this semester. Interviews and events held over Zoom gives business casual a new meaning! 

See the college’s contact us page for in-person hours and contact information. 

Dean Shohreh Kaynama

A Message From the Dean

To say we’re living in unprecedented times is an understatement.

For Towson University, the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted our teaching and learning community in a myriad of ways. But both TU and the College of Business and Economics have responded quickly and decisively to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff while providing resources and support for the greater community.

The university activated its Student Emergency and Food Insecurity Fund to provide support for students facing new burdens as a result of the crisis. A new fund was also created to support faculty and staff needing additional support. The TU family rallied to support both of these critical funds during the TU Big Give on April 22, raising more than $180,000. 

The college moved all of its support services and signature programs that enrich our students’ experiences to online delivery without missing a beat. Faculty members creatively pivoted the Business Model, Weinman Cup and the Live Strategy case competitions to virtual environments. Our Professional Development Partners (PDPs) swiftly moved to virtual meetings to support and guide students in registering for classes and navigating career-related questions during this uncertain time. These PDPs also reached out to the hundreds of employers hosting interns to ensure students can complete this important part of their education safely and remotely.

We have not forgotten our spring graduates either. The university’s #TUtogether campaign included a virtual celebration of our spring grads. The college also honored its outstanding graduates and new Beta Gamma Sigma inductees virtually.

With so much being uncertain about the future, I believe all of us in the TU family can take comfort in the certainty that neither TU nor CBE will not waver from our mission to be there for our students, faculty, staff and alumni.

During difficult times, we must be resilient and focused, but we must also look for the positive stories to lift our spirits, give us hope and remind us of the good—which is why I am pleased to share this latest digital issue of our magazine with you. I hope seeing photos from events and catching up with some of the latest developments and stories from CBE will enhance your pride in your college and give you a positive distraction.

Shohreh A. Kaynama ’76
Dean and Professor, College of Business and Economics
Towson University