Buyer Behavior and E-Commerce Professors Join Marketing Faculty

The world of the College of Business Administration (CBA) grows out of the interactions among our intelligent, motivated students and outstanding faculty. Throughout the year, we will introduce some of the new faculty who contribute so much to the CBA experience. The Marketing Department wants to share a bit about two new faculty members who are helping make the CBA an outstanding business school, Drs. Sydney Chinchanachokchai and Chris Mahar.

Among the Marketing Department’s new faculty gained this year is Sydney Chinchanachokchai. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, she received her original undergraduate degree in finance and accounting there. She then moved to the University of Illinois where she received both her MBA and Doctoral degree. Dr. Chinchanachokchai came to Akron specifically for Digital Marketing and E-Commerce, and hopes to help continue to build upon this programs recent success. In-class, she enjoys creating an interactive and relaxed environment to facilitate student’s interest in learning the material by working hands-on and sharing student ideas. This style is modeled after her favorite classes while she was still in school, and she hopes it will carry over to her students as well. Of course, there’s more to Dr. Chinchinachokchai than just school. Although she loves her career as a marketing professor, if she could choose any other career it would be as a scuba instructor--just one of her many hobbies. In fact, outdoor activities dominate her free time, from scuba to yoga. Her favorite activity though, is running--for which she is training for a marathon currently. Whether you run into Dr. Chinchanachokchai in the classroom or outside of it, expect an exciting and active experience.

Joining the Marketing Department faculty this year is Chris Mahar where he is teaching Buyer Behavior. Born a dual US and Australian citizen, Chris earned his BS at Ohio University, only to continue on to The University of Queensland for his Masters in Business and Marketing. Although Chris strives to challenge all of his students in the classroom, he generally wants to have an approachable and nice attitude. In fact, such an attitude is exactly what his favorite part of the University of Akron is—the atmosphere of genuinely friendly and fun people, both students and faculty, that have quickly made him feel welcome. Of course, there is always something to be done between school and work, and for Chris it’s a pastime many Akron students also share: watching sports. Football being his first love, with baseball and basketball close behind as he roots for Cleveland-based sports teams. Whether in class or not, Chris is sure to be social and happy to have a conversation with whomever he might run into.