Kara Bentley is an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the School of Business. She earned her in Ph.D. in Marketing at the University of South Carolina, and prior to joining PSU, she taught at Chapman University.
In regard to her research, Kara is passionate about addressing important questions in the field of marketing, with a focus in the areas of social influence, technology and artificial intelligence, and sustainability. She studies topics that will make significant theoretical advancements as well as offer important insights to marketing managers and public policy makers to guide strategic decisions. For example, several of her papers explore factors the impact the effectiveness of social media influencers as a part of a digital marketing strategy. She also has a stream of research that looks at ways through which marketers can reduce food waste and food insecurity. Her research has appeared in several top marketing journals, including the Journal of Consumer Psychology and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and she has presented her work at top marketing conferences.
At PSU, Kara primarily teaches Digital Marketing Analytics (MKTG 448).
Prior to entering academia, Kara worked for a digital marketing agency and owned her own business for several years.