Online Master of Science in Digital Marketing and Analytics

Kyle Allison

Kyle earned his Doctorate of Business Administration from California Intercontinental University. He also has a MBA from Amberton University and has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Texas. Kyle is a senior executive in the ecommerce, digital marketing and retail industry. With over 15 years of digital marketing experience, he has worked for major retail corporations from Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Exchange. He leads digital marketing teams over analytics, creative, strategy, web development, copywriting and more. He drives digital marketing strategies focused on consumer-centric marketing and Omnichannel execution.

Kyle enjoys teaching in the MSDgMA program, because he truly understands the value of this degree needed to educate and train future professionals in this field. Being an executive practitioner, he sees first hand gaps in the market for qualified digital marketers and digital marketing analysts. He is thrilled and humbled to be a professor in this program to guide and mentor students to drive value in their industries in digital marketing and analytics. Kyle spends his personal time with family. He enjoys going to the movies, concerts, and even playing the drums as a hobby. He believes in a good work-life balance and is also a life-long learner at heart.

Alan Christopher

Alan received his Ph.D. from North Central University. In addition, he earned a MBA from Baylor University and a MS in Marketing with a graduate certificate in Social Media from Southern New Hampshire University. He received undergraduate degrees in Geology and Psychology from Rice University. Currently, Alan is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Munday School of Business teaching undergraduate and graduate classes. He likes St. Ed's because of the great students, and the very welcoming DEIJ policy that is part of the fabric of the University. In his spare time, he likes to travel, and he likes to ride his Harley around the Texas Hill Country.

Monica Hernandez

Monica obtained a PhD in Business Administration from The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. She has worked in St. Edward’s since 2018. In addition to teaching in the Munday School of Business, she currently serves as Interim Chair of Computer Science. One reason Monica enjoys teaching in the program is the small student-to-faculty ratio because it provides a unique opportunity for networking and engaging with students. Another reason is that she has published several articles addressing topics where marketing and technology converge. Monica has found a good fit between the programs that St. Ed’s offers and her research interests. When not teaching at St. Ed’s, she enjoys traveling with my family.

Wesley Pollitte

Wes has a Ph.D. in Marketing from Michigan State University. He also has earned Masters degrees in International Business from Wayne State University and Automotive Engineering from Kettering University. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Michigan. Wes is currently the Interim Program Director for the MSDgMA program and is the Marketing, Operations and Analytics Department Chair. Prior to entering academia, he worked for twenty years in the aerospace and automotive industries. He enjoys teaching at St. Edward’s because of the small class sizes and the ability to get to know the students. St. Edward’s focus on teaching allows him to have an impact with students. When not teaching at Std. Edward’s, he likes to work on his farm in Michigan, and he is an avid fan of Michigan State, Michigan, and Detroit’s professional teams.

Carol Portillo

Carol earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from New Mexico State University.  In 2017, she completed her Doctorate in Business Technology Management (PhD) from Northcentral University. Her dissertation topic was “The Online Consumer: An Examination of Gender, Age, Income, and Education as Determinants of Online Repurchasing” and she continues to research consumer behavior and online and offline retailing.  She have over 20 years of experience in the high-tech industry and is currently the Marketing Program Manager for the International Public Sector Center of Excellence at Dell Technologies.  She is responsible for gathering and disseminating the thought leadership to drive public sector revenue for the Asia, Europe, and Latin America regions.  

She began her teaching career at St. Edward’s in 2006 and left in 2009 after being relocated and returned in 2021after completing her doctorate.  Carol fell in love with St. Edward’s from the first time she set foot on campus.  She loves the tradition, the architecture, but most of all the students, faculty, and staff.  She has never been as excited and passionate about marketing as we continue to see how the Internet impacts our abilities as marketers to collect, analyze and use data to make fast and intelligent decisions. Marketing has become paramount to the success of companies. 

In her personal time she likes to work on her hobby farm, workout, watch movies with her kids and read.  Stay tuned as a book is in her near future! 

Chandra Sirvastrava

Chandra is an Assistant Professor in the Marketing, Operations, and Analytics department at St. Edward's University. She earned her Ph.D. in Marketing at the McCombs School of Business and received BA degrees in Economics and History from the University of Texas at Austin. As a researcher, Chandra likes to focus on leadership dynamics and what factors influence the top management team's (TMT) approach to marketing strategy, and her articles have been published in top journals such as the Journal of Marketing and the International Journal of Research in Marketing. 

When asked why she likes teaching at St. Edward's, Chandra says highlights, "we have an incredibly diverse body of students that come from all walks of life and bring rich perspectives and insights into the classroom discussions." In her free time, Chandra likes riding horses, exploring life with her daughter and husband, and serving as a marketing advisor to start-ups.

Andrea Townson

Andrea holds a Masters Degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from St.Bonaventure University as well as an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the same university. Since 2010, Andrea has worked at both internal marketing roles and externally as a consultant for a wide variety of organizations including non-profits, small businesses, higher education orgs and large brands such as Logitech and PwC.

She has been teaching undergraduate and graduate students at St.Edward's for over 12 years in both the Mundy School of Business and the School of Communication. She enjoys St. Edward's because the small class sizes and welcoming faculty and staff create a very special community that can't be found at many other higher education institutions. Prior to working at St. Edward's, Andrea ran the Semester in Washington Journalism Program at the George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs in Washington, DC. She was the head of new media curriculum for that program and it was here that she began her teaching career as an adjunct.

Currently, Andrea runs her own boutique marketing agency tailored to help creatives, makers, dreamers and doers best tell their story. A lover of breakfast tacos and the Texas sunshine, she enjoys exploring local trails and creeks with her husband and three children. When she's not teaching, you'll find her plotting the next road trip or family travel adventure.

Debra Zahay-Blatz

Debra received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also holds a Juris Doctor from Loyola University and a MBA from Northwestern University, and she received her Bachelor’s degree from Washing University in St. Louis. She is an accomplished author, having co-authored the fourth edition of Internet Marketing: Integrating Online and Offline Strategies in a Digital Environment, and authored Digital Marketing Management: A Handbook for the Current (or Future) CEO, including a number of articles in academic journals. She owns a consulting firm and is active in the industry. She has been teaching at St. Edward’s University since 2015 in the undergraduate program and MSDgMA program. When she is not teaching, she likes to travel and go dancing.