From the Director
A Message from Scott Hessell, Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing
If you ask anyone in the retailing industry why they love their job, there are lots of answers: the fast pace, the high energy, the endless career opportunities and the constant parade of challenges. Those challenges and today’s unprecedented, breakneck evolution and industry disruption are the reasons the Lundgren Center exists.
The UArizona's retailing and consumer sciences bachelor of science degree gives students a vital foundation of retailing knowledge. At the same time, we build a bridge to real-world, right-now experiences. By connecting students to the inside world of retailing, we give them a clear look at what a rich career it offers, and we give them the experience to create value for their future employers starting their first hour on the job.
Today, our team's job is to ensure the Center develops those skills in students — for their success and the success of our corporate partners, whose investments help us create a talent pipeline like none other. That’s the value we create for retailing, and it’s the value we create for parents who want their kids not just to graduate but to launch — into fantastic careers that demand they excel and reward them when they do.
We enjoy building alliances across international markets. Now we're just as engaged building alliances for partners, students and faculty, and it’s our responsibility to be just as creative as we look for innovative resources, connect academia and industry and help both sides do things together that neither thought were possible. That’s our commitment, and our door is always open.
If you’re a corporation looking for top-quality research expertise or a chance to hire or really engage with tomorrow’s retailing leaders, let us connect you to our University of Arizona experts and student leaders. If you’re a parent wondering if retailing is a smart choice for your child, let us show you what this career path can mean. And if you’re a potential new student or any student from any major at the UA campus ready to embark on one of the most enriching, go-anywhere do-anything careers you can imagine, come see how we can enhance your degree and discover how far you can go!
Scott Hessell
Lundgren Eminent Scholar/PetSmart Professor of Practice, Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing
Phone: 520-621-1140
Email: shessell@arizona.edu