Nakeisha Lewis

Nakeisha S. (Ferguson) Lewis joined the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business faculty in 2009. She earned her PhD in advertising from the University of Texas at Austin in 2008, her MA in strategic communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia and her BS in marketing.

Simply stated, Lewis teaches because she wants to make a dent in the world. Her method of making that dent is a teaching style she calls “edutainment,” education plus entertainment. It starts with strong theoretical foundation and practical experience that is then infused with ethics, critical thought, creativity and passion. Teaching at St. Thomas makes this type of education simply natural.

Her primary research interest focuses on the intersection of popular culture and marketing communication, with an emphasis on urban and multicultural markets. Her recent research examines topics such as consumer responses, ethical perceptions of multicultural marketing communications and brand placements in popular music. She has presented her findings at numerous conferences around the world and her research can be found in the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Public Policy and Journal of Research for Consumers and Social Business.

Lewis has received numerous awards for her commitment to multicultural student achievement, community involvement and academic research on the intersection of popular culture and branding. Some of these honors include the American Marketing Association Foundation Valuing Diversity Award, the Advertising Educational Foundation Visiting Scholar at BBDO NY, the Multicultural Student Services Outstanding Faculty Commitment Award and the Witherspoon Research Award. She serves as the vice president of the Marketing Ethnic Faculty Association and is also a member of the board of directors for the Marcus Graham Project, a program designed to identify, expose, mentor and train ethnically diverse men and women in all aspects of the media industry, including advertising, entertainment and marketing. Her professional activities in recent years have included projects with various small businesses and nonprofits around the world.

Education

• Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin (2005 — 2008)
• BS; MA University of Missouri-Columbia (1998 — 2003)

Companies

• Associate Dean of Undergraduate and Accelerated Master's Progr University of St. Thomas - Opus College of Business (2020)
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fellow University of St. Thomas (2019)
• Associate Professor University of St. Thomas - Opus College of Business (2015)
• Member Board of Directors The Marcus Graham Project (2013)
• Department Chair University of St. Thomas - Opus College of Business (2017 — 2020)
• Assistant Professor University of St. Thomas - Opus College of Business (2009 — 2015)
• Visiting Professor BBDO (2010 — 2010)
• Visiting Professor The University of Texas at San Antonio (2008 — 2009)
• Adjunct Professor Huston-Tillotson University (2006 — 2008)

Skills

• Qualitative Research
• Public Relations
• Social Networking

Other

Community Outreach, Strategic Communications, Facebook, Social Media Marketing, Nonprofits, Press Releases, Teaching, Advertising, Event Planning, Higher Education, Social Media, Research, Marketing Communications, Public Speaking, Marketing