Arndt, Aaron
Aaron D. Arndt (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) has been at Old Dominion University since August, 2008. As the inaugural Chair of the Thurmond School of Professional Sales and Negotiations from 2019-2025, he launched ODU’s sales program. His primary research interests are in personal selling, sales management, negotiations, and retailing. He has published over 30 research articles in journals such as the Journal of Retailing, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, and the International Journal of Research in Marketing. He has won multiple awards for his research and teaching, including the James M. Comer Award for Best Contribution to Selling and Sales Management Theory 2021. His research has been featured in the Virginian Pilot and National Public Radio.
Dr. Arndt teaches a variety of classes at the undergraduate and graduate level including professional selling, sales management, negotiation, marketing management, persuasion, and marketing research. He incorporates hands-on practice and community engagement projects into his classes so that students have the opportunity to develop skills and gain real-world experience. He actively hosts outreach seminars to help people in the local community improve negotiation and communication skills. He is also the Executive Director of the National Conference in Sales Management and the co-faculty advisor for ODU chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon.
Flink, Nicole
Nicole Flink (Ph.D. – Oklahoma State University) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Professional Sales and Alan E. Hall Center for Sales Excellence at Weber State University. Nicole teaches undergraduate sales courses, including Advanced Selling and Sales Personalities and Behavior. Before pursuing her Ph.D. and academic career, Nicole worked for many years as a sales representative for leading pharmaceutical companies. This professional experience in field sales and sales training has greatly benefited her students in the classroom through real-world examples and activities that help apply their learning for current and future success.
Nicole has a true passion for sales education and teaching students. Nicole strives to create a classroom that encourages students to excel in their learning and prepare for future success in a sales career. She serves on the board of the National Conference in Sales Management (NCSM) as the teaching track chair and is actively involved in coaching WSU sales students for national collegiate sales competitions. Nicole's current research interests include business-to-business (B2B) buyer-seller interaction, salesperson behavior in the early-stage sales process, and topics in sales education. She has published research articles in journals such as the Journal of Marketing Education, Journal of Marketing Analytics, and Marketing Education Review.
Barney-McNamara, Barb
Barbara Barney-McNamara (DBA, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater) is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. Drawing on extensive experience in higher education and industry, she teaches undergraduate courses in sales and marketing. Throughout her career, she has consulted with agency professionals to develop marketing strategies, led sales certification programs while working with corporate and divisional teams to develop targeted educational offerings for sales professionals, and served as a marketing leader for an international manufacturing company.
Barb is passionate about helping students discover and pursue opportunities. With over 25 years of teaching excellence, she engages students through hands-on learning and practical application. Her research has been published in the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, and she conducts professional presentations on social selling, championing the strategic use of online platforms to communicate expertise, build relationships, and gather vital information to support marketing and sales success. Barb has developed and taught courses including Introduction to Sales, Advanced Sales, Social Selling & Sales Technology, Principles of Marketing, and Digital Marketing. Beyond the classroom, she has coached students in national and international collegiate sales and marketing competitions, presented at academic and professional conferences, and received teaching awards through the National Conference in Sales Management and Sales Educators’ Academy. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the American Marketing Association at UIC and is a volunteer for AMA Chicago.
Epler, Rhett T.
Rhett Epler (Ph.D., University of Wyoming) is an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Thurmond School of Professional Sales and Negotiations at Old Dominion University. His research focuses on sales technology, incentive design, and how salespeople adapt to customer needs. Dr. Epler’s work has appeared in leading academic journals, including the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Journal of International Marketing, and Human Resource Management. Additionally, he serves on the board for the National Conference in Sales Management (NCSM) and on the Editorial Review Boards for the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Industrial Marketing Management, and the Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing.
At the undergraduate level, Dr. Epler teaches professional selling and advanced sales. He employs highly innovative classroom approaches designed to build student confidence, communication, and sales skills. These activities include experiential improv training and live performances alongside Brad McMurran, a renowned improv comedian from the Push Comedy Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia. Bringing real-world expertise to the classroom, Dr. Epler has worked professionally in B2C and B2B sales as a licensed real estate agent and mineral rights broker. He also serves as a faculty advisor for his university's Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE) chapter, remaining an enthusiastic advocate for students as they enter the professional world.
