Dr. José Antonio Rosa
Professor of Marketing
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
José Antonio Rosa, a marketing department faculty member of Iowa State University’s College of Business since 2015 and a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Marketing, has spent more than two decades teaching and mentoring students on the principles of marketing, consumer behavior, and marketing management and strategy at undergraduate, graduate professional, executive, and doctoral levels. In addition to his teaching contributions and serving as a distinguished author of scholarly articles across marketing and management journals, Rosa is an advisory board member for ACR Transformative Consumer. Rosa has also earned numerous awards, including the Williams-Qualls-Spratlen Multicultural Mentoring Award from the American Marketing Association, induction to the PhD Project Hall of Fame, the Academy of Marketing Science Outstanding Marketing Teacher Award, the Most Influential Professor designation by the Latino Formal Committee at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and top professor and faculty mentor award at multiple institutions. Rosa holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and Psychology and a M.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Dartmouth College and a B.I.A. from General Motors Institute.
Why did you choose to become a professor?
My journey to the professoriate was somewhat protracted. I first developed an interest while still an undergraduate student at GMI, and revisited the idea in the early 80s. Family needs led me to postpone entry to a doctoral program until the late 80s. All along, I was drawn to being a professor by loving to learn and to share what I learned, and by wanting to help others be as good as they can be. I had some very good professors in my different courses of study, and I wanted to do what they did, and for others to feel how they helped me feel.
What resources (programs, tools, etc.) were available to you throughout your journey into teaching?
My doctoral studies predate the PhD Project, but I received financial support from the Ross School of Business Administration and the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan. I was also helped by individual professors, such as Dr. William Qualls, Dr. Richard Bagozzi, Dr. Karl Weick, Dr. Lance Sandelands, and Dr. Richard Price, all at the University of Michigan. Their example for mentoring and nurturing doctoral students inspired my efforts with PhD Project participants and in various doctoral programs. As it pertains to my efforts with undergraduate students, I received support from Dr. Kimberly Judson, Dr. Kent Monroe, and the late Dr. Seymour Sudman at the University of Illinois, and from Dr. Mohan Reddy and Dr. Stan Cort at Case Western Reserve University. Their example and willingness to allow me to experiment with innovative and technologically rich teaching methods proved very important to my development.
What do you love about teaching?
There are many things to love about teaching, and what I value most has changed over the years. Early in my career it was the mounting energy that came about in the classroom as the students grasped the material and took off with ideas. More recently, I am also appreciative of contributing in small ways to a healthier society by serving as a role model to underrepresented minority students, and by opening the eyes of nonminority students to the capabilities that may exist in their peers who may look or sound a little different, but are nevertheless smart and committed to excellence. Classroom energy keeps me alive and young at heart, and the hope of a better society helps me maintain an open mind and heart.
When you were a student, was there a great teacher who inspired you?
The influence of good teachers in my life has been palpable and enduring, dating back to Mrs. Licha and Ms. Lepper in high school, to Dr. Harry Patterson and Dr. Jim Fordyce at GMI, to Dr. Robert Guest and Dr. Dennis Logue at Dartmouth College, to the University of Michigan professors mentioned earlier. K-12 and higher education in the US are national treasures because of thousands who give of themselves to the children and young minds placed in their care.
