Feature article written by Susana Jaramillo – Updated (10/14/2024) -.
Dr. Kara Bentley is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Portland State University and serves as VP of Communications for RAPSIG. She earned her PhD from the University of South Carolina, driven by her love for the blend of creativity and analysis that marketing offers.
Kara Bentley
Professional Title: Assistant Professor of Marketing
Current University: Portland State University
PhD Granting Institution: University of South Carolina
RAPSIG Title: VP of Communications
Email: kbentley@pdx.edu
Kara is passionate about marketing because it allows her to use both her creative and analytical sides. She enjoys putting together creative campaigns and messages and loves the challenge of data analysis (telling stories through numbers). Her main interests lie in digital and social media marketing, two areas she finds fascinating due to their constant evolution and the new insights that emerge as the landscape shifts.
Prior to her academic career, Kara worked for a few years at a digital marketing agency, focusing on SEO and digital ads, and also held a role in the corporate marketing department at Michaels. These experiences gave her a well-rounded understanding of marketing from both the academic and professional sides.
Kara’s advice for young scholars:
Her advice to PhD students and junior scholars is to build a strong professional network. She encourages students to actively engage with guest speakers, follow up after conferences, and stay connected, as networking is invaluable in the marketing field.
“Build your network as much as possible during your PhD program. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to guest speakers, follow up with an email or say hi at conferences. Having a strong network is so valuable in our field.”
Earning her PhD is something Kara is especially proud of. It was a challenging journey at times, but her determination to push through the hard moments has allowed her to pursue her passion for academia.
Outside of her academic work, Kara is passionate about:
- traveling,
- cooking,
- and playing tennis.
When she’s not working, you might find her enjoying Mexican food and margaritas, her go-to way of celebrating a job well done.
Fun fact:
The first concert Kara ever attended was the Backstreet Boys!
Kara can be reached at kbentley@pdx.edu.