LAWRENCE F. CUNNINGHAM, DBA, MBA

School of Business

Fulbright Distinguished Chair

Linz, Austria 2006-2007

FULBRIGHT DISTINGUISHED CHAIR OFFERS HUGE PROFESSIONAL BENEFITS

Lawrence F. Cunningham, professor of Marketing, received the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in International Business in February 2007. His award was the first Fulbright for the CU Denver Business School and the first Fulbright Distinguished Chair. The University of Linz had expressed a keen interest in Cunningham due to his expertise and research in services marketing and emerging markets. 

Prior to working on his doctoral degree, Cunningham spent considerable time in the industry, working as a Senior Analyst with Eastern Airlines assessing investment opportunities in the Caribbean. He also worked as an International VP at Chase Manhattan Bank in London and South Africa, where he ran a government and institutional portfolio of $300 to $400 million.

Cunningham understood that Fulbright Distinguished Chairs are a culmination of several building blocks in a career. In his subsequent academic career at CU Denver, he continued on his international path, developing scholarly and teaching relationships at both domestic and international business schools, including the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Helsinki School of Economics and EDHEC Business School in France. 

In 2004, Cunningham received the Joseph and Martha Davis Term Professorship in Marketing at CU Denver and a joint appointment for a Distinguished Research Professorship and Fellowship at EDHEC Business School in France. This joint appointment recognized his research contributions to the Services Marketing field, and the Fulbright Distinguished Chair at the University of Linz acknowledged Cunningham’s growing contributions to services marketing and international business knowlege.

Cunningham values the benefits that resulted from the Fulbright Distinguished Chair recognition. It offered him the opportunity to work closely with doctoral students and MBA students in the international marketing and business areas at the University of Linz. These interactions provided Cunningham with more insights into the European perspective of international business issues.

The prestige of the Fulbright Distinguished Chair clearly helped Cunningham establish scholarly relationships with some of the finest schools in China; Tsinghua and Peking Universities. He was invited to address a conference with Chinese National Science Foundation members to assist in prioritizing needs in the international services marketing arena. The award also brought considerable attention to his research contributions in the United States and Europe. Within a short period of time, he found himself on nine editorial boards with numerous paper review requests from top journals in marketing and international business.

Although the Fulbright Distinguished Chair was an individual award, it continues to make a positive impact on the institution. Sueann Ambron, Dean of the Business School, has found that it is helpful in supporting fundraising activities within the business community; it serves as a concrete example of international recognition and global reach.

The Fulbright has provided a rich business experience Cunningham shares with his students in graduate courses. The experience created examples, materials and perspectives that are useful and influential not only for students of today but for those who will be among Colorado’s future CEO’s.

“The award is a natural evolution of my academic work and a catalytic factor in bringing international recognition to my research. At the same time, the award reflects very favorably on the Business School at the University of Colorado Denver and has enhanced the scope and range of my teaching.”

-Lawrence F. Cunningham, DBA, MBA