Alison Stewart Brown, director of Global Consumer and Partner Insights with Starbucks Coffee Company, has been named the 2015 “Graduate-in-Residence” by the University of Mary Washington’s Department of Psychological Science.
As part of her role, Brown will give a lecture “It’s All About Connections: Consumer Perceptions & Brands” on Thursday, Oct. 1. The free, public lecture will take place in Combs Hall, Room 139 at 7:30 p.m.
During her visit to UMW, Brown will speak to four psychology classes about her work in market research design. Brown also will host an informal lunch with students interested in learning more about her career in market research and brand performance monitoring.
A 1996 alumna of UMW, Brown graduated Summa Cum Laude before launching her career in market research. Between 2000 and 2011, she served as account group director and vice president with Millward Brown, a world leader in market research. In 2011, Brown joined Starbucks, where she oversaw the design and implementation of research identifying perceptions that drive the brand. Her research served as a foundation for Starbuck’s five-year strategic plan announced in 2014.
The “Graduate-in-Residence” program began in 1995 as a part of career advising within the psychology department, helping expose psychology majors to UMW graduates working in the field. Each year, the psychology department faculty nominates alumni who are engaged in interesting work in the psychology field.
For more information about the Graduate-in-Residence program, contact the Department of Psychology at (540) 654-1054.
