Folse to Assume Marketing Chair in Walton College

This endowed position, established in 1973, was one of the first chair commitments made by Helen and Sam Walton to Walton College. It recognizes exceptional academic achievement and leadership in the field of marketing. 

Transitioning to Walton 

Folse joined Walton College in 2022, bringing with her a wealth of experience and expertise in marketing research and education. Before joining the U  of  A, Folse was a faculty member at Louisiana State University's Ourso College of Business starting in 2000. During her time at LSU, she held the esteemed Ourso Family Distinguished Chair of Marketing Research from 2014 to 2022. 

An Academic Leader 

Folse's career is marked by exceptional achievements in teaching, research, and academic leadership. Her classroom expertise spans a wide range of subjects, from undergraduate courses to doctoral seminars, including: 

• Promotional strategy 
• Marketing theory 
• Experimental methods 
• Advanced marketing management

Outside of the classroom, Folse took on crucial administrative roles while at LSU, shaping the future of marketing education as a Ph.D. adviseor and coordinator and spearheading the undergraduate digital marketing program as director.  

At the U of A, she formed the Professional Sales Program and the Strategic Retail Program and helped develop the Master of Science in Marketing program that recently launched in fall 2023. Her multifaceted contributions have left a mark on the field of marketing education and research at both the U of A and LSU.  

Impactful Research  

Folse's research focuses on consumer-based strategies and explores several key areas, including source and message effects in persuasion, consumption emotions — such as gratitude, pride and empathy — in addition to brand authenticity and firm-customer interactions. 

Her work guides the marketing industry’s approach on both one-way and two-way communications to consumers, as well as decisions on services and building long-term relationships. Folse’s research also offers insights into consumer behavior and guides marketing strategies that have improved customer relationships and brand perception.

Full-Circle Journey 

As a proud alumna of Walton College (Folse earned her Ph.D. in marketing in 2000), her new appointment marks a full-circle moment in her academic career.  

Her extensive research experience and dedication to the advancement of marketing education positions Folse to make meaningful contributions in her new role as the Walmart Chair in Marketing, furthering the legacy of excellence established by Helen and Sam Walton nearly five decades ago. 

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students across undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. Its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the top program in North America by Gartner. In 2023, The Princeton Review included Walton’s M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U  of  A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.