President Torgerson names Rob Larson director of college marketing
May 1, 2008
Luther College President Richard Torgerson has announced that Rob Larson, associate professor of management, has been appointed executive director of communications and marketing.
Larson will divide his time between this administrative position and teaching for the 2008-09 academic year. He will move full time into the communications and marketing role beginning June 1, 2009.
“Rob brings great experience from business and industry as well as a strong grasp of the challenges in marketing higher education,” said President Torgerson. “I am confident he has the knowledge, skill and passion to take Luther’s communications and marketing efforts to a new level.”
This is the first time Luther has employed a full time person to oversee its marketing operations. Larson will have responsibility for college publications, public information, sports information, music tours, the print shop, the mailroom operation and other marketing and public relations functions.
In addition, Larson will assist with research efforts that support enrollment goals, affirm institutional achievements, and evaluate constituency perception and satisfaction with Luther. He will report to the president and serve on the cabinet, the college’s leadership team.
Larson holds the bachelor of arts degree from Concordia College and the master of business administration degree from the University of St. Thomas. Since his appointment to the Luther faculty in 2003, he has served as a member of the college’s integrated marketing committee. Last year, he served on a sesquicentennial strategic planning task group, participating in the creation of a planning document that will guide the college through 2012.
Prior to joining the Luther faculty, Larson was associate professor of business at Mayville State University in Mayville, N.D. He has taught courses in marketing, advertising and promotion, personal finance, investments and brand marketing in Australia.
Larson has published and presented many papers, the most recent including “Use of Electronic Focus Groups as an Assessment Tool in a Principles of Marketing Class” and “Classroom Assessment and Student Expectations,” both for the 2006 Marketing Management Association Convention.