Cuevas’ background in consumer culture brings fresh expertise to Retail Management program
Leslie Cuevas, Ph.D. joins the Department of Hospitality and Retail Management this semester as an assistant professor. Cuevas holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from St. Mary's University and has a master's degree in Merchandising and Consumer Studies from Texas State University. Cuevas earned her Ph.D. in Retail and Consumer Sciences from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
"As a Hispanic woman, I saw the growing population of Hispanic students at Texas Tech as an opportunity to serve as representation; something I did not have in my educational experience," Cuevas said. "The College of Human Sciences is also composed of wonderful educators and academics who I felt would be great people to work with as well as influence my professional development greatly."
Cuevas' background in retail management led to a great interest in consumption behavior by consumers.
"I became so intrigued by what colors, what fabrics, and what styles were bought more often – I wanted to know why - what drew people to their purchases? These questions led to me study retail management and other related topics such as consumer culture and online/social media shopping," Cuevas said.
Cuevas said she is looking forward to getting to know students in the college and believes that faculty can also learn from students in their experiences.
"I always view teaching as collaborative," Cuevas said. "I enjoy teaching Digital Retailing and Fashion and Consumer Culture/Behavior courses. From analyzing fashion brands on social media to historical narratives on fashion, I am passionate about providing students with relevant and exciting material. My main research interests center on consumer culture, online consumer behavior, and marginalized individuals. I specifically focus on the role of technology in consumer and retail settings as a tool that empowers and fosters personal and brand relationships. My goal is to expand my research to incorporate Latina/o community experiences to learn about the current climate of online narratives and representation."
Cuevas wants her students to know that she always tries to be accountable by her word.
"If I encourage my students to be present and collaborative, I want them to know how I'm working on it, too. If I expect them to explore additional readings on a topic, I want them to know I also do the work alongside them."