With a bachelor of science in biochemistry, Lori Rumreich, assistant professor of marketing, started her career in a technical position where she used chemistry and molecular biology. Rumreich soon realized she had an interest in the business side of the industry and went back to school to get a master of business administration in marketing. Rumreich decided to make the move to teaching after a 20-year career with a medical diagnostics company.
As a faculty member in the Byrum School of Business, Rumreich prepares her students for success through teaching problem solving and the application of business knowledge. Rumreich advises the students who take part in the National Student Advertising Competition. Marian University has placed in the top five every year since participating, placing first in 2014.
Q & A with Professor Rumreich
Q: What courses do you teach?
A: BUS 209 Quantitative Analysis of Business, BUS 341 Promotion BUS 344 Marketing Research, and BUS 445 National Student Advertising Competition.
Q: The business curriculum is pretty unique to Marian University. How has it impacted business students?
A: I think we saw more and more evidence both in business publications and from business professionals, who are either friends of the school or hiring, saying that students today are not prepared. It wasn’t that they didn’t understand business knowledge, it was that they weren’t able to apply it effectively. It was often a lack of teamwork, a lack of communication skills, or a lack of critical thinking. Out of understanding that gap, we developed the business core—BUS 109, 209, 309. That has been the most exciting thing about being here for the past five or six years. Being very involved in the development of those was great, and I’m now seeing it pay off.
Q: How do you think the new business building will affect the education of business students?
A: The new building really was designed specifically to support our hands on curriculum. I think we are going to see a big change. The new building is going to allow for very experiential, team oriented learning. We think the students are going to be more successful and happier. We will have a lot more interaction with business people in that space.
Q: How do you stay connected to the Indianapolis business community?
A: I am on the board of directors for the American Advertising Federation. That organization’s mission really is to advance and share knowledge of marketing media and creative with the greater Indianapolis community.
