Jen Ames Stuart, clinical professor of marketing and associate dean of graduate and executive programs in the Belk College of Business, has been named Charlotte’s associate vice chancellor for university communications and chief communications officer effective Jan. 1, 2022. She has served in an interim capacity in this role since July 2021. As a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet, Stuart will lead all aspects of the University’s communications and brand strategy.
“Jen brings a unique and wide range of experiences to University Communications,” said Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Niles Sorensen. “She is a respected faculty member and administrator on our campus, and she enjoyed a successful twenty-year career in senior marketing roles with several Fortune 500 companies. The combination of Jen's experience, leadership skills and strategic vision made her the obvious choice for this critically important role.”
Stuart joined Belk College in 2013 as an assistant professor of marketing before being named director of executive education in 2016 and then associate dean in 2019. Her research has been published in leading academic journals including the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and Marketing Letters. Her paper, “Valuing Customers,” was recognized with both the William O’Dell and the Paul E. Green awards, given for research that has made the most significant, long-term contribution to marketing theory, methodology and practice.
As a practitioner, she served in senior roles with organizations that included vice president of marketing and new business at Bayer HealthCare and brand manager for Novartis and The Hershey Company.
“Over the past three and a half months, I have had the pleasure of working with a very talented, hardworking and passionate group of people who show up every day to advance the mission of UNC Charlotte,” said Stuart. “As Charlotte embarks on a new strategic plan, the role of communications and marketing will be more important than ever before. I look forward to working with this team to take advantage of the opportunities and solve the challenges that lie ahead.”
Stuart earned her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Columbia University. She also earned a Master of Science in Information Systems and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business from the University of Pittsburgh.