Gary Karns
Professor of Marketing; Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
Email: gkarns@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2948
Office: McKenna Hall 223
Education: BBA, University of Oklahoma, 1976; MBA, University of Oklahoma, 1977; PhD, University of Washington, 1987. At SPU since 1979.
Gary L. Karns is professor of marketing in the School of Business and Economics. He is also the associate dean for graduate programs in the school. Dr. Karns teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in marketing. He has authored/co-authored articles on marketing education and on the intersection of faith and business. He has also filled many leadership roles at SPU, in his professional discipline, in his church, and in the community. He was chair of the SPU Faculty in 2005–06, president of the Western Marketing Educators’ Association in 1994–95, and Joseph C. Hope Professor of Leadership and Ethics in 1996–99.
Dr. Karns has been active in the credit union industry, serving on the boards of several institutions. He grew up in a small, rural town in southwestern Oklahoma, and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business administration. His doctoral degree is from the University of Washington.
Selected Publications
- G. Karns (2011). "Stewardship: A New Vision for the Purpose of Business.' Corporate Governance Journal. 11(4): 337-47.
- G. Karns (2008). "A Theological Reflection on Exchange and Marketing: An Extension of the Proposition That the Purpose of Business is to Serve." Christian Scholar’s Review. 38(1): 97-114.
- J. Van Duzer, D. Daniels, G. Karns, R. Franz, T. Dearborn, and K. Wong (2007). "It’s Not Your Business: A Christian Reflection on Stewardship." Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion. Spring.
- G. Karns (2006). "Learning Style Differences and the Effectiveness of Learning Activities." Journal of Marketing Education. 28(1): 56-63.
- G. Karns (2005). 'An Update of Marketing Student Perceptions of Learning Activities: Structure, Preferences, and Effectiveness." Journal of Marketing Education. 27(2): 163-171.
- G. Karns (2002). "Faith-Learning Integration Exercise: Marketing Principles in the Book of Acts." Journal of Biblical Integration in Business. Fall.
- L. Gustafson, G. Karns, L. Surdyk (2000). "Teaching Through the Eyes of Faith: An Investigation of Faith-Learning Integration in the Business Classroom.' Research on Christian Higher Education. Autumn.
- G. Karns (1993). "Marketing Student Perceptions of Learning Activities: Structure, Preferences, and Effectiveness." Journal of Marketing Education. 15(1): 3-10. (Winner of Outstanding JME article of the Year Award)
Please view Dr. Karns’ CV (PDF) for additional publications.