Somewhat of a new addition to the Sam Houston State University faculty, Dr. John Newbold has already begun to make his mark in the marketing and management departments with a friendly and easygoing attitude.
Newbold began teaching at SHSU in September 2001 after serving as senior vice president of strategic planning at CompuBank in Houston. Prior to CompuBank, he served as the director of a marketing intelligence group at Compaq Computers, and also as the director of marketing research for Anheiser Bush, Co., for 11 years.
Newbold said Dr. Jo Ann Duffy, a personal acquaintance, approached him about an available teaching position at SHSU, and he was eager to take the job and continue living in The Woodlands with his wife and three sons.
“I really liked the campus, and I have been impressed by other business professors,” Newbold said. “They are all very smart and nice to be around.”
After growing up in Normal, Ill., Newbold attended Illinois State University for his undergraduate studies, and earned his MBA at the University of Cincinnati. Newbold said his major motivation for attending St. Louis University to earn his doctorate in marketing was to teach.
“One option I always kept open for myself was to switch gears and teach,” he said.
Newbold said he enjoys teaching and being around young people, and takes pleasure in the intelligence pursuit.
“I look forward to the notion of pursuing the best way to present information to students so they can go on and be successful,” he said. “It takes a certain skill to impart that information, and I am interested in how to do that better all the time.”
Senior Amy Burrell, who had Newbold for International Management and Marketing, said she was grateful for Newbold’s extensive study guides.
“He ensures that his students know all the important course information, and he is always readily available for extra help,” she said.
Burrell said Newbold is funny and easy to approach in or outside of the classroom.
“Dr. Newbold made class interesting with all his humorous stories about the class information,” Burrell said.
Newbold said he has recently taken the responsibility of being the faculty adviser of a new marketing club on campus, the SHSU Collegiate Chapter of the American Marketing Association.
“Our first objective is to give students the opportunity to have hands on, real world marketing experience with real marketing businesses,” he said.
As a second objective, Newbold said he hopes to broaden students’ networking opportunities to include the Houston professional chapter, as well as the national one in Sam Houston’s organization.
“Students will have opportunities to meet people from many companies and be exposed to job opportunities,” Newbold said.
With over 30 student members already, Newbold said he encourages any students interested in joining to contact him via e-mail at jnewbold@shsu.edu.
“The last objective will be to have fun while we do it all,” he said.
Besides the academic skill he imparts to his students, Newbold said he tries to go a step further and teach them some important things about life.
“Honesty and integrity are important in every facet of life,” he said. “You have to be an ethical and honest person with integrity seven days a week, 24 hours a day. There are no shortcuts in this life, and no substitute for hard work.”
Newbold said he emphasizes to his students that it is their skills that will get them places in life, not coming from big cities or Ivy League schools.
“There is an awful lot of talent right here at Sam Houston State University,” he said. “There are no limitations for young people, no matter where you’re coming from.”