Dr. David Gilliam, associate professor of marketing and coordinator of the International Business Program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been appointed the 2019 Harper W. Boyd Professor of Excellence. 

The Boyd Professor of Excellence was established to recognize a professor for his or her distinction as a scholar, a teacher, and a leader in the college, university, and community.

“Dr. Gilliam has a distinguished research record in the area of sales and continues to develop that stream of research and others,” said Dr. Jane Wayland, dean of the UA Little Rock College of Business. “He teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses with all modalities of face-to-face, online, and hybrid with consistently high instruction evaluations. He has been active in service to the university, college, and department and readily takes on new projects.”

His research focuses on narratives, communication, and relationships in sales, services, and branding. Gilliam has published 10 peer-reviewed journal articles and worked with multiple co-authors and other individuals outside the marketing field, especially in healthcare. Many of his published articles have focused on narratives and storytelling in marketing.

He is the recipient of several awards for his research and contribution to the field of marketing. The trade journal, Industrial Marketing Management, which focuses on research for scholars and practitioners of marketing recognized him as an outstanding reviewer. He also received the 2018 Faculty Excellence Award in Research from the College of Business.

In 2012, Dr. Gilliam received the Doctoral Dissertation Award and the Winter Marketing Educators Conference Best Paper in the sales track from the American Marketing Association, a professional organization with 30,000 members, 76 professional chapters and 250 collegiate chapters across the United States.

“Receiving the professorship was a great honor. I am very flattered, and it has inspired me,” Gilliam said. “Support from the community is vital for faculty development and student success. The family of Harper W. Boyd has given me a great opportunity which will foster my research and aid my teaching. It is hard to express how much I appreciate their contribution.”

Dr. Gilliam came to UA Little Rock in 2011 after receiving a Ph.D. in business administration from Oklahoma State University, an MBA with a concentration in economics from Wright State University, and a B.A. in economics from Ohio University. He previously had extensive experience in industry.