Sarah Ku

Assistant Professor

Sarah Ku joined Loyola University Chicago in August 2022 as a tenure-track assistant professor of sustainable business management. She holds a joint appointment in the School of Environmental Sustainability and Quinlan School of Business. Her research examines sustainability and equity in business, and she is particularly interested in organizational food waste, circular strategies through biomimicry, and incorporating insects as innovative opportunities for sustainable companies. Before moving to Chicago this summer, Sarah was in Atlanta, Georgia, completing her PhD in international business and marketing at Georgia State University. Sarah was drawn to SES because she believes the school holds a rich interdisciplinary view of the environment, approaching the subject with multiple pedagogical lenses. Finally, Sarah is more than excited about the opportunity to serve as a conduit between sustainability and business and to foster a positive classroom environment by teaching through example. 

Education

• PhD in Business Administration / Marketing / International Business, Georgia State University (2022)
• BBA in Marketing, University of West Georgia (2009)

Research Interests

• Sustainable business
• Circular strategies
• Food waste management
• Insects
• Demographics

Professional/Community Affiliations

• Abrams Challenge Faculty – Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise & Responsibility (BCSER)
• Academy of International Business (AIB)
• Academy of Management (AOM)
• American Marketing Association (AMA)
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
• United States Composting Council (USCC)
• North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture (NACIA)

Courses Taught

• ENVS 363/463: Sustainable Business Management
• ENVS 333/433: Introduction to the Circular Economy

Publications/Research Listings

• Ku, S. (2022). MNE Opportunities to Lead Global Sustainable Development Through Food Waste Recycling. AIB Insights. https://doi.org/10.46697/001c.32991.
• Ku, S. (2021, March 17). Spread the Love – Decentralizing Sustainability Solutions. Drawdown Georgia. https://blog.drawdownga.org/spread-the-love-decentralizing-sustainability-solutions.
• Ku, S., Cavusgil, S. T., Ozkan, K., Pinho, C., Pinho, M. L., Poliakova, E., Sanguineti, F., Sharma, S. (2020). The Great Lockdown Recession and International Business. Rutgers Business Review, 5(1), 113–134. https://rbr.business.rutgers.edu/article/great-lockdown-recession-and-international-business.

Awards

• Best Reviewer, Academy of International Business (2018-2020)