Shipra Gupta, an associate professor of marketing in the Department of Management, Marketing and Operations at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been named University Scholar for 2023. The award, considered the University of Illinois System's highest faculty honor, recognizes outstanding teaching and scholarship. Only one faculty member receives the annual award at UIS.

“It is an incredible honor to receive this prestigious award,” Gupta said. “My research best aligns with the scholarship of discovery and focuses broadly on the development of new knowledge within areas of consumer behavior, retail management and sustainable consumption. As one of the few marketing faculty on campus, I feel extremely grateful for the recognition of my work.”

Building on prior training and education in the fashion and retail industry, Gupta contextualizes theories of consumer behavior to better understand consumer decision-making processes. Her work focuses on three main research streams: 1) understanding the psychological behavior of consumers in a retail setting, 2) examining issues of sustainability, specifically in the fashion industry and 3) examining the role of gender in constructing identity.

Her research has been published in top-tier journals in her field including the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, the Journal of Macromarketing, the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, the Journal of Consumer Behavior, the International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Journal of Psychology and Marketing and the International Journal of Consumer Studies. She has won numerous awards, grants and recognitions for her work. Currently, she also serves as guest editor for the journal Sustainability.

Gupta is passionate about teaching, with more than ten years of experience in the classroom. She has taught many undergraduate and graduate-level courses in the areas of marketing including research methods for marketing, retail management and analytics, international marketing, principles of marketing and marketing management. Recently, she completed a certification in digital marketing and analytics and is excited to teach it to both graduate and undergraduate students at UIS.

As University Scholar, Gupta will receive $15,000 a year for three years to support research and other scholarly activities. Faculty do not apply for this award; they are nominated by their peers. A committee of senior faculty makes the final selection.