Tim Foster
Associate Professor
Research subject: Industrial Marketing
Division: Business Administration and Industrial Engineering
Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts
Professional Summary
I am an Associate Professor of Marketing with a passion for crossing things of my "Bucket List". I belive universities are in the business of focusing on two main things: CREATING KNOWLEDGE (research) and DEVELOPING MINDS (education). My life in academia maintains a strong connection to my background in industry, both in Sweden and the United States. I believe teaching means learning again (thank you, Aristotle...you were right)! And having a career focused on teaching and research means I get paid to learn, and "paying it forward" to share that knowledge, both in publication and in the classroom, is what it is all about.
Here is a PDF of my one-page "highlights" CV Pdf, 264.9 kB..
Please connect to me on my LinkedIn External link..
My story...
I am originally from the city of East Lansing External link., in the great state of Michigan External link., U.S.A., where I not only grew up, but I attended Michigan State University External link. there as well. I received a B.A. in advertising in 1988 and ended up moving to Sweden in August 1989 to work with the Regional Development Fund ("Utvecklingsfonden). I started teaching as a guest lecturer at Luleå University of Technology (LTU) in April, 1992. I became a doctoral student and started here full-time in July 1994. My current work as an Associate Professor (Biträdande Professor/Docent") revolves around four areas, each of which I take great pride in. I hope to have obtained full professor by the end of 2024.
My work...
MY TEACHING: I am generally teaching during each of the four terms (läsperiod) that make up our academic year at LTU. This includes teaching courses at all three levels, i.e. the undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels. My primary focus is in teaching courses such as Strategic Brand Management External link. (Lp1), International Business Environment External link. External link.(Lp1 + Lp4), and Branding You External link. (Lp3-4). Other than these courses, I have also developed and/or taught courses in Basic Marketing, Internet Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Consumer Behaviror in Cybperspace, Strategies for e-Business, Customer Relationship Management, Creative Advertising, and Scientific Methods. I have also supervised dozens of bachelor and master's thesis projects since starting at LTU in full-time 1994 and have been and am currently a co-supervisor or main supervisor to several doctoral students. I have also taught courses at Umeå University and guest lectured at several other schools (universities and high schools) in Sweden and the United States.
MY RESEARCH: My research primarily focuses on marketing communication, branding, and pedagogical issues within the business/marketing curriculum (see list of publication below). I have been published in such scholarly journals as the European Journal of Marketing; Journal of Business & Indsutrial Marketing; Supply Chain Management; Place Branding and Public Diplomacy; and the Journal of Financial Services Marketing, among others. I have attended and published papers and extended abstracts at several acadmic conferences. I continue to write and in 2017 became the co-author of the book, Branding You External link.: How to Market Yourself in a Competitive Environment (avaialble at most online Swedish bookstores or the the publsiher, "Studentliteratur in Sweden. Here are direct links to my Google Scholar External link. as well as my ORCiD External link. research page and my research on ResearchGate External link.. Please NOTE that these online research portals are not automatically updated and I do my best to update them as I publish my research.
MY STRATEGIC WORK: For several years I have worked for my department and the university with both student recruitment and retention strategies at my department. This is for over 20 programs External link. at the undergraduate and graduate levels within design, engineering, business, music, theater, and the social sciences.
MY SERVICE: My service ("3:a uppgift") to society as well as business and industry includes providing speeches/workshops and consultancy services for several groups and organizations, both within and outside Luleå University of Technolgy. In addition, I provide talks several times per year to several different departments and groups, both inside and outside of LTU, in both the public and private sectors.
MY SOCIAL MEDIA: I use Twitter External link. as a value-added service to my students and audiences who want to know more about the areas I teach and do reserch in. I think LinkedIn External link. is a vital social media for "professional you" and would consider it an honor if you "Connect" to me on LinkedIn. I am developing a TikTok page for students and other stakeholders in education. You can e-mail me at tim.foster@ltu.se to set up a meeting on Zoom or Teams. I also have a YouTube account External link.that has a a small selection of the videos/"guest lecturers" I have used in the classroom and in my strategic work.
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