M. Billur Akdeniz Talay

Excellence in Teaching, 2017

Marketing

Billur Akdeniz, associate professor of marketing, sets the bar for everything we admire in an outstanding faculty member. She is excellent in her scholarship and recognized as a leader in her field.

Here’s proof: immediately upon her arrival at Paul College, Akdeniz was asked to develop a rigorous marketing analytics course. She rose to the challenge and as one colleague states, “developed a novel course that provides our students with a truly competitive advantage in the marketplace.” Akdeniz followed that with an equally successful graduate course and was then invited to help craft the universitywide M.S. in analytics program.

Akdeniz is passionate about what she teaches and inspires her students. This is reflected in her teaching evaluations, which are consistently outstanding at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students also vote with their feet: there is often a waitlist for her classes.

As one of her students wrote, “Professor Akdeniz is a dedicated teacher who always pushes her students to strive for excellence. Her teaching and enthusiasm played a major role in my decision to pursue a career in marketing research.”

Her influence extends beyond the classroom. Akdeniz is a mentor and role model for her students who routinely seek her out as an advisor for their internships, independent studies, honor theses and preparations for diverse competitions.

In sum, to quote her department chair, professor Tom Gruen, “She simply has what it takes to be a great teacher and she sets the standard for the utmost in professionalism.”