Biography

Tracy has been perfecting the art of teaching for more than 30 years. Her inspiration comes from the notion that students need a catalyst to release their inner spirit to learn. This catalyst is applied via a knowledge delivery system that is enhanced by her continued development as a teacher/giver. She gives of herself by delivering her courses in a manner that gives direction to her goal of empowering student success both in the classroom and in the digital business role.

Tracy is the director of social media programs for the department and has developed an innovative and progressive social media marketing minor that seems to permeate the marketing curriculum, the overall college of business curriculum, and programs across the university. In her role, she is both teacher and mentor. Her successes in this realm come from her continuous improvement and delivery of the applied aspects of this digital curriculum.

An innovator in the digital social space, she produced some of the first efforts in actional digital social media marketing blog-trust research. As an associate professor of teaching, she continues to use her research abilities to ferret out what’s new and important for student social digital success and adapts her findings to teach  current/ actionable skills in the classroom.

Tracy developed her teaching skills as a home schooler/leader and inspires her children to the intricacies and rewards of home schooling. Her children and grandchildren give her a raison d’etre. Just ask them.

Education

• PhD Consumer and Design Sciences - Auburn University – 2010
  • Concentration: Brand Marketing / Online Consumer Behavior
  • Dissertation Title: Credibility in the Blogosphere: A Study of Measurement and Influence of Wine Blogs as an Information Source 
• Masters Business Administration - University of Memphis - 2005
• BSBA Marketing & Sales - Christian Brothers University - 2003

Research

Journal Articles

Cosenza, T. A., Solomon, M. R., and Kwon, W. (2014). Credibility in the Blogosphere: A Study of Measurement and Influence of Wine Blogs as an Information Source. Journal of Consumer Behavior, DOI: 10.1002/cb.1496.

Royne, M.B., Bienstock, C.C., & Cosenza, T.A. (2014). Key Advertising Components and Media Channels for Recruiting Long Haul Truck Drivers. Journal of Transportation Management, 24(2), 31- 44.

Cosenza, R.M., Southern, R.N., Cosenza T.A., & Wilson, J.W. (2012). Reducing Long Distance Truck Driver’s Intention to Leave: An Analysis of Professional Drivers and Owner Operators Using Importance/Performance Methods. Journal of Transportation Management, 23(2), 57-70.

Rickman, T. A. & Cosenza, R. M. (2007). The Changing Digital Dynamics of Multichannel Marketing: The Feasibility of the Weblog-Text Mining Approach for Fast Fashion Trending. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 11(4), 604-621.

Rickman, T. A. & Cosenza, R. M. (2009). Every Word Tells a Story: Finding the Characteristics of a Direct Marketing Offer Through Graphical Textual Analysis. Paper accepted for presentation at the Annual meeting of the Direct Marketing Education Research Summit, San Diego, CA.

Rickman, T. A. & Solomon, M. R. (2007). “Anomie Goes Online: The Emo Microculture” abstract in Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 34, eds. G. J. Fitzsimons & V. G. Morwitz, Orlando, FL: Association for Consumer Research, 417-18. 

Rickman (Cosenza), T.A., Varvogilis, F., & Ryan, T.K., (2013). Local Internet Crowd Offer for a Tourist Destination: A Comparative Direct Marketing Analysis of Customer Satisfaction ad Intention to Return, Marketing EDGE Research Summit, Chicago, IL October 12-13, 2013.

Solomon, M.R., English, B.G., Kwon, W., Rickman, T. and Ullrich, D. (2006). A Visual Assessment of Apparel Brand Personality and its Relationship to Brand Equity. National Textile Center: Annual Report, Project No. S06-AC04.