Position
Academic Background
Sample Courses   
Teaching Philosophy
Research & Interests   
Notable Academic Appointments & Awards
Publication Highlights   
Selected Scholarly Presentations

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• Assistant Professor of Marketing
• Chair, Department of Marketing

Academic Background        

• Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana - Ph.D. Marketing, 1984
• University of Cape Town, South Africa - M.B.A., Marketing, 1979
• University of Natal-Durban, South Africa - Bachelor's Degree, Economics, 1977
  

• Marketing Strategy
• International Marketing
• Marketing Research
• Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
• Marketing Internships
  

Teaching Philosophy

I strive always to make my courses interesting, innovative, relevant and challenging, and at the same time to ensure that students are mindful of their responsibility to society.  This entails discussing ethical issues as a routine part of course work. I recognize our students’ abilities and determination to learn, and in an atmosphere of mutual respect, student participation is lively.

Many of my classes include hands-on projects.  Sometimes these are projects which the students themselves develop, whilst other projects are presented to the students based on the needs of community organizations.  These projects require that students manage their time effectively, interact with outside business people, identify and attempt to resolve complex business and marketing problems, and write and present coherent reports, often directed to an outside organization’s management.  The learning component in this experiential teaching format is very strong.

Research & Interests

My general research interests are in the fields of competitive strategies; socially responsible marketing; development economics and privatization; tourism and its environmental impact; target marketing, specifically to niche segments; business education; and retailing and the fashion industry.
 
Nonprofit organizations are a passion of mine.  I teach an elective marketing course on Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations, and as teacher of the Marketing Internship course I am able to help students find placement at nonprofit organizations such as RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Roger Williams Zoo, and Heritage Harbor Museum.  Thus, I have been very much involved in helping young people recognize the importance of working for others.

• Invited as one of 40 international delegates to attend Oxford Round Table on US/EU Trade Relations, July 2005.
• Regular participant in a Summer Program in Lille, France, teaching a course on Europe in the New Millennium.
• Visiting professor with Semester at Sea, a round-the-world teaching environment run by University of Pittsburgh, Fall 1998
• Visiting professor at American University of Armenia, 1992-93

Publication Highlights

• Bird, Deirdre, "The Big Question: The Missing Link in International Business Research," Thunderbird International Business Review, expected June/July 2005 (Book review)
• Bird, Deirdre, "Market Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Theory and Evidence," by Marcel Fafchamps, International Journal of African Historical Studies, 37(2), (2004), 382-384 (Book review)
• Bird, Deirdre, "The Uncertain Promise of Southern Africa," eds. York Bradshaw and Stephen N. Ndegwa, International Journal of African Historical Studies, 35 (2-3), (2003), 619-622 (Book review)]
• Bird Deirdre, "Dynamics of Marketing in African Nations," eds. Sonny Nwankwo and Joseph F. Aiyeku, International Journal of African Historical Studies, 35 (2-3), (2003), 556-557 (Book review)
• Caldwell,  Helen, Deirdre Bird and Caroline Wilcox,  "The Browning of Beauty: Opportunities for Marketing Cosmetics to a Multiracial Market," American Society for Competitiveness, Annual Journal, 2(1), (2004), 311-316.
• Bird, Deirdre and Helen Caldwell, "Country of Origin Effects on Branded Apparel: Who Really Cares?" Business Research Yearbook, XI (2004), 384-388.
• Bird, Deirdre and Helen Caldwell, "Targeting Baby Boom Women: Are Retailers Missing the Mark?" American Society for Competitiveness, Annual Journal, 1(1), (2003), 303-306.
• Bird, Deirdre and Helen Caldwell, "Planet Ralph: The Global Marketing Strategy of Polo Ralph Lauren," Business Research Yearbook, X (2003), 380-384.

• Conference Session Chairperson: “Ownership/Governance in Emerging Markets,” 46^th Annual Conference of Academy  of International Business, Stockholm, Sweden, 2004.
• Conference Session Chairperson: “Global Environment and Trends,” 15^th Annual Conference,  International Academy  of Business Disciplines, Orlando, Florida, 2003.
• Conference Presentation: “Preparing Business Students for Globalization,” What Learning Means, The Learning Conference, University of London, United Kingdom, 2003.
• Conference Presentation: “Advertising Skincare Products to Women Over 40: Because They’re Worth It!” 13^th Annual Conference, American Society for Competitiveness, Washington, D.C., 2002.
• Conference Presentation: “Teaching Cases: An International Perspective,” 11^th International Conference, World Association for Case Method Research and Application (WACRA), HEC, Montreal, Canada, 1994.
• Conference Presentation: “The Current Status of Real Estate Markets in Yerevan, Armenia,” International Real Estate Conference, University of Connecticut, 1993.

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