For 15 years, Dr. Patricia Spirou has been teaching, mentoring, inspiring and encouraging students to be the best in their fields. As the chair of the Marketing Department, associate professor of marketing and the director of Southern New Hampshire University’s student-run advertising lab, she provides leadership, knowledge and skills for marketing and advertising students.

Spirou, director of Freshman Academic Programs, also helps new students get acclimated.
 
“If a student is interested in achieving academic excellence, this university gives them the support they need,” she says.

Her open-door policy leads to relationships with students that don’t end after graduation. Many of her former students still confide in her.

“Connecting with the students is what I enjoy most about teaching,” she says.

Spirou, former chief executive officer of Bay State Distribution and a former vice president of marketing for C.B. Sullivan Company, has a growing consulting company that helps her stay on top of industry trends, which she incorporates into the classroom. She has been recognized for her ability to motivate and inspire; she holds an SNHU Excellence in Teaching Award and was a state Excellence in Teaching finalist.

“I love what I do, says Dr. Spirou. “If you find a career and love what you do, you become very good at it. My goal is to help students find careers, love what they do and become successful."