Vander Veer Reflects on Marketing Fellowship, Launch of New Consortium
The recent soft launch earlier this year of the Consumer Innovation Consortium (CIC) in the NC State University Poole College of Management was an exciting time for Jackelyn Shimko Vander Veer, a second year student in the college�s Jenkins MBA program.
Since August 2012, Vander Veer has been working alongside Dr. Stacy Wood, Langdon Distinguished Professor of Marketing as the CIC�s first marketing fellow. �Together, we have kicked off the Consumer Innovation Consortium, which entailed recruiting companies, establishing a website, and developing a brand new, project-based practicum course for marketing students,� Vander Veer said. The practicum course, which is being taught for the first time this spring, will deliver real value to the CIC�s corporate partners, she said.
Through the CIC, Wood and her colleagues are conducting consumer behavior research, in collaboration with industry partners. Dr. Colbey Reid joined the college in January 2013 as director of the consortium.
�Companies that partner with the consortium will have access to the latest and greatest research related to consumer behavior. Student groups will be paired with companies for a semester-long project related to a new product launch or a product redesign. With the inaugural course under way this spring, I am very excited to see how it all is coming together,� Vander Veer said.
�I thoroughly enjoy working with Dr. Wood. She is an expert in the field of consumer behavior, and has a wealth of knowledge,� she said. �I am constantly learning new things from her that I can apply to my coursework and future employment. I love understanding the psychology and sociology behind why society makes certain choices, and what leads consumers to buy specific goods and services.�
Vander Veer, who became interested in marketing while serving as a liaison between the U.S. Navy and foreign partners prior to pursuing her MBA, is completing her NC State Jenkins MBA degree program with a concentration in marketing and supply chain management. She applied knowledge gained in her first year of studies while interning with Red Hat�s Global Channel Sales Team in summer 2012.
�The skills I�ve acquired from my marketing classes enabled me to quickly understand what Red Hat�s channel sales team did, and to successfully propose new strategies they could implement,� she said.
Vander Veer is �keeping a very open mind� in her job search, as she is not sure whether she will return to working for the government or pursue a career in the private sector.
�Working for the government was a great opportunity, but one of the reasons I returned to school was to explore opportunities within the private sector. While there�s a chance of returning to government service at some point in the future, the most important criterion, regardless of where I end up, is finding an organization whose mission resonates with me.�
With Vander Veer graduating in May 2013, the CIC is now recruiting a full time student to fill next year�s CIC Fellowship spot. Students applying to the Jenkins MBA full time program who would like to be considered for the fellowship are asked to complete the fellowship application. Details about the fellowship and application form are available on the future students Jenkins MBA full time website.
