COB professor teaches inside and out of the classroom

From high schoolers to ECU students to local business leaders, Dr. Christine Kowalczyk works with them all. Her goal – to develop successful business leaders.

“Everyone is going to work for a business. You don’t need a business degree to do that,” Kowalczyk said. “But you need an understanding of leadership to be successful. We provide students with the tools to be successful in a leadership role or working on a team.”

Kowalczyk is an associate professor in the Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management. Prior to earning her doctorate, she worked outside of academia in marketing and public relations for 10 years. Last year, she became a faculty member with the Office of Expert Services’ Bureau of Business Research.

Her initial research project for the BBR is with the Wilson Chamber of Commerce. Kowalczyk said the chamber wanted to conduct a comprehensive market research project aimed at determining the type, scope and quality of health insurance coverage and associated wellness benefits offered by employers in Wilson County. She said a grant from the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson was used to conduct a survey last fall to understand the current health benefits landscape in Wilson County.

She is digging into the the data to develop recommendations for the chamber. Her initial presentation on the research will be later this month, with a final report in April.

“So far it has been good,” Kowalczyk said. “Our Wilson contact is very responsive and complimentary of the BBR and its offerings. I like that I can continue my work supporting the region.”

Her work in the community began with the Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy, where she partnered with Dr. Linda Quick and Dr. Shirley Mai in 2022 to create the Toolbox Leadership Academy. This program develops leadership skills in high school students. It was piloted at ECU’s Innovation Early College High School and has continued for the past four years. Kowalczyk said they have reached over 150 high school students from Pitt County Schools.

“I enjoy working with high school students who are learning how to be leaders in the schools and communities,” she said. “Wewanted high school students to understand the opportunities that a business degree could provide to them.”

The Toolbox Leadership Academy’s success has expanded to the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce’s Teen Leadership Institute for the past two years. Kowalczyk said the partnership helped increase resources, like adding an educational element to what the chamber was offering. She and others attend the program once a month to share leadership topics with them, which include empowerment, teambuilding, goal-setting, time management, and communication. Her son is a past participant of TLI, and now her daughter is enrolled.

“I love to hear her feedback on the topics presented,” Kowalczyk said.

Kowalczyk is motivated to help children/teens develop an understanding of leadership at a young age. She feels this will make them stronger students inside and outside the classroom, like with sports, extracurricular activities, work and/or volunteering. She is happy to use her expertise here at the university and in the community.

“Our students are the future leaders of our communities,” Kowalczyk said.