Assistant Professor at CU Boulder, United States
Pooja Iyer is a Ph.D. candidate in Advertising at the University of Texas at Austin and a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research interests include the intersection of big data, AI, advertising, and digital privacy. She has a decade of experience in the advertising industry and has held key roles at leading agencies like GSD&M and Maxus/Wavemaker. Pooja is passionate about bridging the gap between academic research and industry practice, with a focus on consumer behavior, media strategy, and digital ethics. 📊📱💡
Publication Profile :
Orcid
🎓 Educational Background :
- Ph.D. in Advertising (2024)
University of Texas at Austin
- Committee Members: Laura Bright (Chair), Lucy Atkinson, Deena Kemp, Sharon Strover, Samuel Woolley
- M.A. in Advertising (2010)
Syracuse University
- B.S. in Electronic Media (2007)
Madras University, India
💼 Professional Experience :
Pooja Iyer is a seasoned researcher and educator with a decade of experience in both academia and the advertising industry. Currently a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she teaches in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Media Design. She has taught a range of courses at University of Texas at Austin, including Advertising/PR Research and Psychology of Advertising. Her expertise spans media strategy, digital advertising, and consumer behavior. Before transitioning into academia, Pooja held leadership roles in the advertising industry, including positions at GSD&M (Austin) and Maxus/Wavemaker (New York), where she led media strategy for major brands like Whole Foods, Popeyes, and the American Petroleum Institute. Additionally, she worked as a Marketing Consultant at Squarecap (Austin) and was involved in multicultural marketing at 9.8 Group in New York. Her professional experience bridges the gap between academic research and industry applications, providing a practical perspective to her teaching and research.
Pooja’s research focuses on the intersection of big data, advertising, and digital privacy. She is particularly interested in how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and big data are reshaping the advertising industry, affecting consumer behavior, personalization, and digital surveillance. Her work also explores the social and ethical dimensions of algorithmic decision-making in advertising, privacy concerns, and the role of propaganda in political advertising. Her research spans a wide range of areas, including media effects, advertising curriculum reform, and consumer sentiment analysis.
📝 Publication Top Notes :
- Iyer, P., & Bright, L. F. (2024). Navigating a paradigm shift: Technology and user acceptance of big data and artificial intelligence among advertising and marketing practitioners. Journal of Business Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114699
- Salopek, A. H., Sussman, K. L., & Iyer, P. (2024). Emotional contagion as the new propaganda? In Handbook of Communication and Emotion. DOI: 10.4324/9781003409427-4
- Iyer, P. (2024). Consumer data and privacy fiduciaries: A comparison based on balance of power and consumer agency. Conference Proceedings.