For almost a quarter of a century, C. Whan Park has taught for the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (USC). His work outside of the classroom has been groundbreaking, including countless published articles and a book, Brand Admirations: Building a Business People Love (Wiley).
Recently, the school announced C.W. Park had won the Dr. Jagdish N. Sheth’s Impact on Practice Award. This prestigious award is named after the global scholar and contributor to marketing. Dr. Sheth has coauthored over 350 papers and books. In addition, he built the Center for Telecommunications Management (CTM) at USC. Over 50 years of impact has improved businesses’ understanding of relationship marketing, competitive strategy, consumer behavior, and many other marketing topics. This enormous impact on the world of marketing led to an honor being presented in his name.
USC Marshall awarded C. Whan Park this award because of his impact on the marketing industry. Not only has Park spent 24 years as a Marshall professor, but he has also worked on many other published contributions and papers that show his impact. He has been cited on Google over 27,000 times.
“This is a huge honor,” said C. Whan Park. “I know firsthand how much Dr. Sheth has done for this community, this school, and the world of business. I love the idea of following in his footsteps. If I could have a similar career, I would be more than proud. To the outsider, an award may not seem like a huge deal, but this is highly motivating.”
According to Park, the award comes at precisely the right time. “It’s been a difficult two years,” he explains. “We’ve had a lot of hurdles with COVID restrictions and shutdowns. So, it’s hard not to get antsy or discouraged. An award like this is exactly the kind of encouragement that keeps you going in the face of frustrated students and burned-out teachers.”
The award is a testament to the supportive USC Marshall environment. “I couldn’t do this without awesome people around me,” he says. “I’m grateful for this department and Marshall as a whole. I’m also grateful for my wife, who has made my career possible with her support. My students have also taught me many things along the way. It’s exciting to be recognized for more than four decades of work in this field.” Professor C. Whan Park Explains.
Dr. Jagdish N. Sheth’s Impact on Practice Award was well-deserved due to Park’s impact on marketing as a Marshall professor. USC Marshall is one of the oldest California business schools with accreditation. The school boasts over 100 years of history and more than 90,000 graduates from the program.