Saturdays in June are heating up, both inside and outside the classroom. Participants enrolled in the American Marketing Association (AMA) Pittsburgh Chapter’s Momentum program, are cooking up some new ideas that will change the future of marketing. The program was developed as a response to companies seeking to hire “unicorns” or those who carry both marketing and design skillsets.
AMA Pittsburgh and The Rowland School of Business at Point Park University have collaborated to provide two unique concentration tracks with four sessions. Each session is led by an industry professional, representing organizations like Schell Games, Pipitone Group, and UPMC Health Plan, among others. In the Creative Design for Marketers track, participants “build a working knowledge of design principles, practices, and software solutions.” The Strategic Marketing for Designers track “strengthens the core skills designers bring to their work and enhances them by layering in foundational and advanced marketing concepts and practices.” Both tracks are meant for students and professionals as a quick, affordable, and transformative learning experience that can immediately impact the work they’re already doing. Upon completion, participants will receive a professional development certificate from Point Park.
The Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business is a proud sponsor of AMA Pittsburgh, a proponent of the group’s forward-thinking educational offerings. Adjunct professors Dan Wald and Emily Bezak are two of 17 instructors leading sessions on content strategy, marketing fundamentals, data analytics, and brand journeys.
Two Katz students received full scholarships to cover the cost of the program. Shuja Rahman is pursuing a dual MBA and MS degree focusing on Management Information Systems, graduating in 2023. He has over ten years of experience in marketing and branding and recently served as a Student Representative for AMA Pittsburgh. Rahman hopes to utilize what he learns from this course “to procure a deeper understanding in the field of marketing.” Shahin Mirshekari is pursuing his MS in Marketing Science and Business Analytics, graduating later this year. The Iran-native is pulling double duty this summer with two internships on top of the Momentum program. Mirshekari is excited for “a new era in Digital Marketing. We will feel the enhancement of the importance of Data Analysis, especially in an automated way.”
The Momentum program was developed by 2022-2023 AMA Pittsburgh, President RJ Thompson. Thompson, who is the Director of Digital Marketing at Katz, will also lead one session. He works collaboratively with 2023-2024 President-Elect Katie Bennett, Assistant Director in the Katz Career Management Center. Bennett is currently the Vice President of Communications for AMA Pittsburgh.
Katz is proud to have both staff and students participating in this dynamic and enterprising course.
