Albert Einstein said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” According to her students, D'Amore-McKim Associate Teaching Professor of Marketing Daniele Mathras has been doing just that.

“Professor Mathras' Marketing Research class transformed my approach to working with fellow students and external clients and drastically expanded my knowledge of the entire marketing research process. I will be using many aspects of her class in my future career!” says International Business Senior Kateri Miller, DMSB'22, MS'23. “She is not only an intelligent and passionate teacher, but she is also relatable and caring.”

Senior Lucas Shifrin, DMSB'22, who has worked with Mathras as her teaching and research assistant, also believes she's “one of a kind.”

“I can't speak highly enough of Daniele and all that she's done for me,” he said. “I took her Marketing Research class in Fall 2021 because the comments students left about her were so positive and complimentary. Market Research is no joke (in terms of class content, statistic software, and overall concepts), and she not only made the content very digestible, but she so meticulously planned each lecture so that everyone in the class walked away feeling fulfilled both in terms of knowledge and understanding.”

Miller and Shifrin are just a few of Mathras' many students who submitted nominations for her for the 2022 Northeastern University Excellence in Teaching Award. She was recently recognized at the annual university Academic Honors Convocation. In addition to student nominations, the awards committee considers several other criteria, including depth of knowledge in the subject, rigor of course content, and ability to provide effective links among course content, research, and experiential learning.

Mathras teaches a variety of experiential courses through real-world client projects with local startups and community organizations, including ventures from IDEA, MassChallenge, and EforAll Roxbury. Her portfolio includes MKTG 3401 Marketing Research, a required course in the Marketing Concentration, MKTG 3720 Brand Management, a required course for the new Brand Management concentration that she recently pioneered, and MKTG 4504 Advertising and Brand Promotion, an undergraduate elective for both the Marketing and Brand Management Concentrations. In addition, this summer, she will once again co-teach ENTR 4414 Bridging Conflict, Creating Diversity with Patrick F. & Helen C. Walsh Research Professor and Thomas E. Moore Faculty Fellow Amir Grinstein. This innovative experiential course pairs students with ventures co-founded by Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs from 50:50 Startups on project teams. She has also lectured on Marketing Ethics for the Full-Time MBA program.  

“Professor Mathras is an outstanding teacher who uses experiential pedagogical techniques to motivate and engage students,” says Felicia Lassk, Marketing Group Chair and Associate Professor of Marketing. “She creates innovative, experiential courses and concentrations that keep the Marketing Group's offerings relevant and aligned with our students' co-op and employment opportunities.”

Interim Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Research and the Donald F. Harding Professor of Finance Olubunmi Faleye also touts Mathras' ability to fully leverage experiential learning – the hallmark of a Northeastern education.

“Professor Mathras is an outstanding, innovative, and student-centered teacher who exemplifies the commitment of our faculty to impactful teaching and learning. Her classes come to life through innovative experiential learning opportunities that prepare students for the challenges of an evolving global economy. Her devotion to cultivating a spirit of inclusiveness and conflict resolution by encouraging students to engage with diverse viewpoints and cultures is particularly noteworthy.”

In addition to teaching, Mathras studies the role of cultural belief systems (e.g., religion, environmental beliefs, health care culture, cultures of vulnerability, celebrity culture) in shaping consumer behavior and well-being. She conducts this multi-method research in important substantive domains such as health care, pro-environmental behavior, food and health, media, and vulnerable communities. Through her research, she aims to promote consumer, provider, societal, and environmental well-being via consumer confessions, food morality, policy, and health care services.