ABERDEEN, S.D. — Northern State University associate professor of marketing Dr. Hannah Walters has been named a 2026 Marketing Management Association Fellow, recognizing her sustained service and contributions to the organization.

Walters was one of two individuals selected for the honor this year. She received the recognition during the Marketing Management Association Fall Educators' Conference, held Sept. 23-25 in New Orleans.

The Marketing Management Association Fellow distinction recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional and sustained service to the association. Fellows are nominated based on their commitment to the organization through leadership, service, mentorship and continued engagement.

"The MMA Fellow designation is one of our organization's most meaningful honors because it recognizes individuals whose leadership and service have made a difference to MMA and its members," said Don Roy, 2026-27 MMA president. "Hannah has shown a commitment to advancing MMA's mission, first through her leadership in MMA officer roles and now as a member of the MMA Board. I am pleased to see her contributions recognized with this well-deserved honor."

For Walters, the recognition is especially meaningful because of the role the organization has played throughout her career in higher education.

"Being named an MMA Fellow is incredibly meaningful because MMA has been such an important part of my professional journey," Walters said. "It was the first academic conference I attended after I transitioned from industry into higher education. The organization is a welcoming community of educators and scholars who are passionate about teaching, research and service."

Walters has remained actively involved with the organization while bringing ideas and experiences from MMA conferences back to her classroom at Northern.

"I have brought new classroom ideas, experiential learning activities and assessment techniques from MMA's Fall Educators' Conference back to Northern State University every single year," Walters said. "MMA has also provided me with opportunities to foster research collaborations with other marketing faculty from across the United States."

During this year's conference, Walters served as a judge for the Teaching Innovation Competition and presented her research, "An Empirical Examination of Client-Based Projects and Women's Early Career Success."

Walters and Takisha Toler of Stevenson University were the two individuals named MMA Fellows in 2026.

The Marketing Management Association brings together marketing educators and scholars with an emphasis on teaching, research and professional development. The annual Fall Educators' Conference provides opportunities for faculty to share research, exchange teaching practices and collaborate with colleagues from institutions across the country.

For more information, contact Chad Hatzenbuhler, director of communications and marketing, at chad.hatzenbuhler@northern.edu or 605-626-2046.