Mathew Isaac
Albers School of Business and Economics
Seattle University
“Professor Mathew Isaac has had a remarkable impact on me and other undergraduates through his teaching, mentorship, and research. Since my freshman year in 2023, I have served as his research assistant on member on the Marketing Advisory Board, where I have seen firsthand his dedication to student growth and his ability to connect academic research with real-world business applications. Under his guidance, I have presented at the Seattle University Student Research and Creativity Conference (SRCCon), attended the Puget Sound Research Forum with industry professionals, and participated in projects with local companies such as Beecher’s Cheese. His commitment to including undergraduates in research and professional opportunities reflects the kind of professor he is. Someone who consistently invests in student growth and opens doors that shape both academic and professional futures.
I can confidently say that many of the tools I relied on daily during my Summer 2025 internship at Amazon, and that I continue to draw upon now as a senior, trace back to the opportunities Professor Isaac created. From coding and analyzing data in Excel, to presenting insights to business leaders, to contributing meaningfully in professional discussions, his mentorship gave me a foundation of skills that extend far beyond the classroom. These practical, transferable abilities now guide me in my campus leadership roles and as I prepare for my career after graduation. When I look back on my time at Seattle University, I know he will be one of the professors I miss most, not only for the opportunities and guidance he gave me, but also because he is someone I can always return to for honest advice and clarity.” – Preman Rami
Mathew Isaac, 49, is the Loyola Endowed Professor of Marketing and the Chair of the Department of Marketing at the Seattle University Albers School of Business and Economics. He has published in leading marketing, business, and psychology journals, including Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, and Journal of Applied Psychology. He serves on numerous editorial review boards, such as Journal of Marketing Research (Associate Editor), Journal of Consumer Psychology (Associate Editor), Journal of Consumer Research (former Associate Editor, current ERB), Journal of Marketing (ERB), Journal of Retailing (ERB), Journal of Advertising (ERB), Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied (ERB), and Psychology & Marketing (ERB).
He is a 2024 Marketing Science Institute (MSI) Scholar, a 2025-26 Center for Business Ethics Faculty Fellow at Seattle University, and a past recipient of the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavors. He has been awarded grants from the RoundGlass India Center, The Case Centre, and the American Marketing Association (AMA) Consumer Behavior Special Interest Group.
He is also the Director of the Behavioral Insights Research Center for the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) and the Vice President of the Academic Advisory Council for Signage Research and Education (AACSRE). In addition to serving as a consumer behavior expert witness in legal cases, he has consulted for and/or led executive workshops for multiple companies, including Macy’s, Tableau, and Google. He has supervised independent studies and mentored doctoral students and junior faculty, including serving on doctoral dissertation committees.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2011
Education: Ph.D. in Marketing, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management; MBA in Finance and Strategy, University of Chicago Booth School of Business; BA in Biological Sciences, University of Chicago
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Introduction to Marketing, Brand Management, Sales Management, Consumption and Happiness, AI and Marketing (teaching this for the first time in Spring 2026!)
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I was working as a management consultant and became fascinated by all the seemingly irrational heuristics (mental shortcuts) and biases that influence consumer purchase decisions. I knew then that I wanted to study, research, and teach consumer decision making. However, my initial interest in Marketing was sparked during my time as an MBA student at Chicago Booth when I had the chance to take Marketing courses taught by two inspiring faculty members: Sanjay Dhar and Pradeep Chintagunta.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? A stream of research that I’m currently working on focuses on financial decision making in different contexts. In one project, my co-authors and I investigate the psychological factors that lead consumers to make financially suboptimal loan prepayment decisions – we find that consumers sometimes prepay an older loan even when it would be financially advantageous for them to prepay a newer loan instead. This happens because consumers focus on the perceived effort they have already expended toward the older loan. In another project, my co-author and I examine why so many consumers buy “small-ticket” insurance products, such as extended warranties on relatively inexpensive products. We find that many consumers are motivated to misjudge the financial benefit that they will realize on these purchases and erroneously think that they will “come out ahead.” I like both of these projects because the purpose of each is not to teach companies how to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers. Instead, the idea is to figure out how to help consumers make savvier financial decisions and/or to inform public policy decisions that will protect consumers from harm.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … a journalist. I love to write!
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I think I can “read the room” and tell when students are confused, bored, engaged, excited, etc.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Petrified
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: It’s ok to admit you don’t know something.
Professor I most admire and why: Definitely my dad, Akkanad Isaac, who was a brilliant business professor, educator, and role model. I’ve also been blessed with incredible mentors, including my dissertation adviser Bobby Calder and my former department chair Carl Obermiller.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? Understandably, business students expect a positive return on investment from the time and money they are investing in each course they take. I enjoy the challenge of creating a course experience that adds value to students and cannot be easily replicated.
What is most challenging? Students often want hands-on training on specific tools because they believe that this practical knowledge will help them get a job or internship. The challenge is to equip students with enduring skills and knowledge that won’t be quickly replaced or outdated (unlike most “flash-in-the-pan” tools), while still ensuring that they can compete for immediate job opportunities.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: learning-obsessed
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: grade-obsessed
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … tough but fair
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? I enjoy playing tennis, jogging/running, listening to podcasts, and watching sports.
How will you spend your summer? My family loves to travel, so I expect we will spend part of our summer on a family vacation somewhere in the world. Last summer, we had an amazing time visiting Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea for the first time. Summers in the Pacific Northwest are unbeatable so I plan be at home for part of the summer too, probably working on research (hopefully from my back yard patio!).
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Many of my favorite trips have been to Europe (especially Italy), but my most memorable family vacation is our safari to Kenya and Tanzania a few years ago.
Favorite book(s): My favorite novel of all-time is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. But I also enjoy reading books by psychologists and business professors – Stumbling on Happiness by Dan Gilbert is a personal favorite.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I’m on Season 3 of “Only Murders in the Building” and really appreciate the easy rapport of Selena Gomez with Steve Martin and Martin Short, especially given their age differences. I also love watching a good family-friendly sitcom (e.g., The Middle, Frasier, Abbott Elementary) pretty much anytime!
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I’m a “girl dad” of three daughters and an unabashed Swiftie for 15+ years. But I also enjoy ‘90s hip-hop and British synth pop, among other genres!
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this Experiential learning and pedagogical innovations: For business schools to survive and thrive in a world of free online courses and AI tutors, it’s imperative to find ways to create a unique value proposition for students. In my opinion, the value of a business school education transcends mere knowledge transfer and includes community building, discernment, and opportunities for “deep” learning. We need to lean into these strengths to stay relevant.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … “walking the talk.” It’s disappointing when leaders fail to live up to the societal and moral values that their organizations tout. I love that the vision statement of the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University explicitly mentions “educating business leaders of integrity.”
I’m grateful for … my family, for my friends and colleagues, and for the privilege of being a business school professor and researcher. I feel fortunate to have found a vocation that brings me joy and purpose.
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