MILWAUKEE _ Laura Peracchio, an accomplished marketing scholar, has been named the inaugural Judith H. and Gale E. Klappa Endowed Professor of Marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee\u2019s Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business. The professorship was created earlier this year through a gift from the We Energies Foundation and the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation in honor of Gale Klappa, the retired CEO of WEC Energy Group, and his wife, Judith Klappa, a former communications professional.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are deeply grateful for this remarkable gift that honors Professor Peracchio as well as our valued friends Judi and Gale Klappa,\u201d Chancellor Mark Mone said. \u201cEndowed professorships are critical to UWM\u2019s ability to attract and retain outstanding faculty members who are leaders in their fields. Laura Peracchio is most deserving of this recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peracchio specializes in consumer psychology, how people think and make decisions. Her research focuses on how consumer psychology can help nonprofits and social-impact organizations transform the world. She received her PhD in marketing from Northwestern University\u2019s Kellogg School of Management, and her bachelor\u2019s degrees in marketing and psychology from the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s Wharton School and College of Arts & Sciences.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel honored to be named the first Klappa Professor of Marketing,\u201d Peracchio said. \u201cThis philanthropic support from the We Energies Foundation and the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation will allow me to advance my current research on how consumers relate to food, which has implications for food security and wellbeing in the Milwaukee area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kanti Prasad, dean of the Lubar School of Business, praised Peracchio for the professional achievements she has made during her 27-year career at UWM.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura is an exceptional faculty member,\u201d Prasad said. \u201cShe is ranked as one of the most prolific scholars in terms of her publication activity, and she has held key leadership roles in national professional organizations and academic journals in marketing. She has had an esteemed career at UWM, and I am delighted to see her honored in this way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gale Klappa graduated from UWM in 1972 with a bachelor\u2019s degree in mass communications and was awarded an honorary doctorate from UWM in 2011 in recognition of his support for UWM\u2019s growth initiative, his leadership in helping shape the economic future of southeast Wisconsin and his extensive community involvement. In May 2016, he received the Chancellor\u2019s Innovation Award for demonstrating extraordinary vision, innovation, creativity and effective change management.<\/p>\n
\u201cJudi and I are proud to have our names associated with Professor Peracchio and the great work she is doing at the Lubar School of Business,\u201d Klappa said. \u201cUWM plays a critical role in the economy of southeastern Wisconsin, and we respect and admire its top-notch faculty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Allen Leverett, CEO of WEC Energy Group, initiated the creation of a UWM professorship that would honor the Klappas. The We Energies Foundation and the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation are the philanthropic entities for WEC Energy Group.<\/p>\n
\u201cGale and Judi are thoroughly committed to the wellbeing of our community, and they deserve this honor,\u201d Leverett said. \u201cI am pleased to know that someone as competent and accomplished as Laura Peracchio has been appointed to hold the professorship that bears their name.\u201d<\/p>\n
About UWM<\/strong> About the Lubar School of Business<\/strong> MILWAUKEE _ Laura Peracchio, an accomplished marketing scholar, has been named the inaugural Judith H. and Gale E. Klappa Endowed Professor of Marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee\u2019s Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business. The professorship was created earlier this year through a gift from the We Energies Foundation and the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40008,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[202],"tags":[],"section":[],"display_categories":[],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[],"class_list":["post-42415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-releases"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nRecognized as one of the nation\u2019s 115 top research universities, UW-Milwaukee provides a world-class education to 26,000 students from 81 countries. Its 14 schools and colleges include Wisconsin\u2019s only schools of architecture, freshwater sciences and public health, and it is a leading educator of nurses and teachers. UW-Milwaukee partners with leading companies to conduct joint research, offer student internships and serve as an economic engine for southeastern Wisconsin. The Princeton Review named UW-Milwaukee a 2017 \u201cBest Midwestern\u201d university based on overall academic excellence and student reviews, as well as a top \u201cGreen College.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe Lubar School of Business is Wisconsin\u2019s premier metropolitan business school, known for high-quality undergraduate and graduate degree programs, exceptional faculty, and strong business partnerships. With more than 1,000 annual graduates, 75 percent of whom stay in Wisconsin, the Lubar School is the state\u2019s largest business school. It has been accredited by AACSB International for more than 45 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"