New Marketing Faculty Bring Research and Teaching Depth to Department
Marketing - Faculty
The Department of Marketing in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business welcomed two new faculty members at the start of the fall 2025 semester — Nawar N. Chaker and Aaron M. Garvey both joined the department as associate professors.
Chaker joined Haslam from Louisiana State University’s E.J. Ourso College of Business. With seven years of industry experience in sales, his research explores drivers of salesperson performance, emotions and well-being in sales and the salesperson-sales manager relationship. He serves as senior editor for the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management and on several editorial boards, including the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.
“A large portion of the population works in sales, and many of our students are graduating and entering the sales profession,” explains Chaker. “My research seeks to better understand the real-world challenges, lived experiences and realities that sales organizations, leaders and front-line employees face every day. I strive to bridge theory and practice by discovering and offering insights that can help sales professionals flourish, be more effective and maintain positive work relationships.”
Garvey’s research examines consumer behavior, including human-AI interactions, branded product consumption and decision-making. His work has been featured in top academic journals and popular media such as NPR Morning Edition and the Today Show. Before academia, Garvey spent six years in product marketing and management with Fortune 500 companies. He currently serves as associate editor for the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research and Journal of Business Research, in addition to sitting on several editorial boards.
Garvey is excited to be at Haslam and have his work make an impact in Tennessee and beyond.
“My research doesn’t just live in the lab,” he says. “At UT, we’re a land-grant institution and our mission is to serve the people of Tennessee. Whether I’m working with a startup in Knoxville or sharing insights with an executive team in Nashville, my goal is the same: help people make decisions that are smart, ethical and grounded in how real consumers live and think.”
According to Alex Zablah, the marketing department head, Gerber/Taylor Distinguished Professor and Kinney Family Faculty Research Fellow, both new faculty bring exceptional expertise and real-world perspective to the department.
“We are excited to welcome Nawar Chaker and Aaron Garvey to Haslam’s Department of Marketing,” he says. “Dr. Garvey’s research into how psychological insights and AI shape strategic decisions, trust and ethical, consumer-focused marketing, along with Dr. Chaker’s work on salesperson performance, emotions and well-being, will significantly strengthen our department’s research depth and impact.”
Contact:
Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu