The American Marketing Association has selected Professor Roland Rust at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business as an inaugural AMA Fellow in a new program that honors top marketing academics. The AMA, the largest marketing association in North America, selected Rust because of his contributions in teaching, research, practice, service and leadership. 

Roland is well-read – as in, everyone has read Roland’s research.  Roland Rust’s publications could fill an entire bookcase in McKeldin Library. His hundreds of peer- reviewed articles, the research citing his work, and his books, including Driving Customer Equity: How Customer Lifetime Value is Reshaping Corporate Strategy, have changed the world of marketing.

Last week (June 26-29, 2014), academic experts and business leaders from countries around the world gathered in Miami, Florida, for the 23rd Annual Frontiers in Service Conference, hosted by the School of Business Administration at the University of Miami. 

Roland Rust, executive director of the Center for Excellence in Service, has just published The Handbook of Service Marketing Research. This volume brings together an all-star team of leading researchers in service marketing to explore many of the hottest topics in service marketing today. Cutting-edge topics include: customer relationships and loyalty, customer-centered metrics, managing customer contacts, product and pricing, digital service marketing, rethinking the marketing function, and service for society.

Smith Marketing professor Roland Rust, commenting in The New York Times this week, said General Motors' social media strategy in response to its timing and handling of an ignition switch recall is “absolutely the right thing to do.”

Hot Topic Alert: March 13, 2014Attention: Business and marketing reporters and editors 

The Professional Services Leadership Initiative (PSLI) is an exciting new executive development program for mid-level marketers, offered by the CES in conjunction with Smith Executive Programs and Expertise Marketing, Inc.  The program targets professional services firms that are global leaders in their industries and are committed to pursuing marketplace excellence. Learn more.

Holiday shopping season is about to enter full swing and retailers are doing their best to lure customers. With a little comparison-shopping, consumers can score some great deals.   In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, host Jeff Salkin sits down with Janet Wagner to talk about this season’s holiday retail outlook.

The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) recently partnered with the Center for Excellence in Service (CES) to offer the 2013 leadership advancement program for the third consecutive year.  The program, held on October 17-18, and November 14-15, is designed for A/E/C marketers and business developers to help them gain the business knowledge they need to advance their careers.