ETSU professor appointed to prestigious global council

An ETSU professor is part of the Digital Marketing Institute, a deeply prestigious player in digital marketing.

The Digital Marketing Institute, a prestigious global player in digital marketing, has appointed East Tennessee State University’s Dr. Stephen Marshall as a distinguished member of its Global Industry Advisory Council (GIAC). 

Marshall, a longtime leader at the institution who has spearheaded a range of initiatives, is a professor and chief marketing officer at the ETSU Research Corporation. 

Marshall is among the first academics to join the council and is the only professor from the United States on the board.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Stephen Marshall to the Digital Marketing Institute’s Global Industry Advisory Council,” said Michael Goeden, head of group strategy and development at DMI. “His extensive experience in both academia and the industry will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our digital marketing education programs to meet the professional development needs of professionals worldwide.” 

Marshall will collaborate with other industry experts to offer insights and strategic direction, ensuring DMI’s programs remain at the forefront of digital marketing. His contributions will influence curriculum development, certification standards, as well as industry and academic partnerships. 

“Stephen Marshall’s impressive background spans the agency, client, research, marketing technology and education sectors of the media/marketing industry,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, ETSU provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “His diverse experience with clients such as Adobe, Nielsen, Creative Energy, Coca-Cola, Tennessee Hills, StoryCollab and Brand Storytelling, along with his ongoing work at the ETSU Research Corporation, will foster significant workforce development and industry collaboration for our students.” 

As a former chair of the Department of Media and Communication, Marshall was instrumental in partnering with the DMI in 2020 to launch the first DMI-accredited program in the United States. Since then, over 300 ETSU students have earned the DMI Essentials micro-certification as part of their studies. 

“I have been collaborating with the DMI for some time, and it is an honor to join the GIAC,” Marshall said. “This is an exciting opportunity to work with leading professionals and educators in the marketing space and contribute to the development of cutting-edge digital marketing education programs. I’m eager to represent ETSU on this global stage to enhance workforce development outcomes for our students.” 

From discoveries entirely new to science to books about little-known maladies, Marshall is one of the dozens of ETSU faculty who remain on the cutting edge of scholarship and research.  

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About the DMI: The DMI operates in more than 135 countries and collaborates with the global marketing teams of blue-chip brands and offers co-branded certifications with the American Marketing Association. Certification programs are developed with DMI’s Global Industry Advisory Council, ensuring they are built and validated by industry leaders. Members of the council include Google, Meta, HubSpot, Coca-Cola, IBM, and others.