Stacy Neier Beran

Senior Lecturer of Marketing; Director of Experiential Learning

Stacy Neier Beran, PhD, is Quinlan’s Senior Ignatian Lecturer and Faculty Director of Experiential Learning. She joined the Department of Marketing in 2008 and is known for her signature “Day One” enthusiasm in co-designing projects with undergraduates and community client partners. Dr. Beran is dedicated to helping students explore all forms of design early in their academic journeys and through unexpected experiences. She integrates design thinking practices into experiential education to equip students with skills relevant to today’s workplace needs.

Her research has been published in the Journal of Marketing Education and Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal, and her work has been featured by industry innovators such as Mintel, dscout, and PinPoint Collective. She also serves on advisory boards for Chicago Fair Trade and the Rogers Park Business Alliance. Dr. Beran is the author of Think by Design: Celebrating Experiential Learning and Design Thinking, which reflects her career-long commitment to helping students embrace uncertainty as a tool for problem-solving.

Education

PhD, Research Methods, Loyola University Chicago
MBA, Marketing & International Business, Loyola University Chicago
BS, Marketing, University of Missouri-Columbia
BS, Textile & Apparel Management, University of Missouri-Columbia

Certifications

Assessment (Assessment Certification Program)
Ignatian Pedagogy

Research Interests

Design Thinking
Design Research & Strategy
Experiential Education
Community-Based Learning

Professional/Community Affiliations

Society of Experiential Education Fellow, 2025-2026
Practitioner-Scholar Community, International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 2025
Member, Interaction Design Foundation, 2022-present
Board Member, Chicago Fair Trade, 2020-present
Advisory Board Member, GROW/Progresando Rogers Park Business Alliance, 2020-present
Editorial Review Board, Journal of Marketing Education, 2020-present
Council for Teaching Innovation, Top Hat, 2023
Ambassador, Marketing EDGE, 2020-2022
Board Member, Acero Charter Schools, 2018-2020
Event Lead, Women In Research (WIRe), 2018-2019

Courses Taught

MARK 201: Principles of Marketing
MARK 310: Consumer Behavior
MARK 311E: Marketing Research (Engaged Learning)
MARK 360W: Retailing (Writing Intensive)
BHNR 353: Research Practicum (Engaged Learning, Business Honors)
MGMT 335/435: Microenterprise Consulting (Engaged Learning)
MARK 321: Ignatian Design Thinking

Advising

Loyola Limited Board of Advisors

Publications/Research Listings

'Beran, S. N. (2024). Think by Design: Celebrating Design Thinking and Experiential Learning. Business Expert Press.
Neier Beran, S. (2024). Re-rating rigor: A design thinking script for reflection. Ignatian Pedagogy in Practice: A Forum for Educators in Jesuit Schools, (1).
Beran, S. N., & Green, P. M. (2023). An Inquiry into Hope and Imagination in Jesuit Education: Ignatian Design Thinking as a Lens for Exploration. Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal, 12(2).
Neier Beran, S. (2022). Gen Z in the classroom: A guide to applying experiential learning to design and UX. People Nerds. https://dscout.com/people-nerds/gen-z-classroom-guide
Neier Beran, S. (2020). A smart recombination: Experiential learning + design thinking. Marketing Management Association Fall Educators’ Conference Proceedings.

Awards

Mission-Driven Faculty of the Year, Loyola University Chicago, 2024
Adolfo Nicolas SJ Excellence in Engaged Learning and Teaching Award (Inaugural Winner), Loyola University Chicago, 2023
Innovative and Experiential Pedagogies Faculty Fellow (Inaugural Cohort), 2022-2023
Teaching Excellence during COVID, Loyola University Chicago, 2021
Dean's Service Award, Loyola University Chicago, 2019
Distinguished Alumni Award, Loyola University Chicago, 2018
Kolvenbach Award for Engaged Teaching, Loyola University Chicago, 2017
Undergraduate Teacher of the Year, Loyola University Chicago, 2013
New Professionals Award, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2010