Jeremy Kees’ career trajectory can be traced to formative experiences when he was a student-athlete at Belmont University in Tennessee. As a player on the men’s basketball team and a standout student, he was mentored by coaches and professors whose lessons continue to shape his life, and his approach now with his own students.
“I don’t take my relationships with students for granted. because I hope to give back to them what people in my life have given to me,” Dr. Kees says.
Dr. Kees personal connection to mentorship is a perfect fit with Villanova’s culture, and he applies this philosophy in his dual roles as a Marketing professor in the Villanova School of Business and as the Faculty Athletics Representative for Villanova Athletics.
Since coming to Villanova 13 years ago, he had envisioned helping Villanova students discover a passion for the quantitative side of marketing. His vision became a reality when he founded the Center for Marketing and Consumer Insights in 2014. Kees and his team partner with VSB students to conduct more than 50 research projects per year.
Students utilize the insights from the research to inform strategy recommendations for corporate clients and even pilot test their own entrepreneurial ventures. “It is a joy to help students develop the skills and confidence that help them land great jobs,” Kees says.
Much in the same way, Dr. Kees devotes countless hours to supporting student-athletes’ academic success, as well as their overall well-being, often traveling with the teams and finding ways to check in with student-athletes about their studies, sports and life.
“The best part of my job is the relationships I have with my students and the ability to shape them in some small way, to inspire them, to be there for them,” he says.