Thomas Burnham

Thomas Burnham is an Associate Professor of Marketing and holder of the Mick Hitchcock PhD Endowed Professorship in Entrepreneurship at the University of Nevada, Reno. He joined the faculty in 2014 after a decade of entrepreneurship, including co-founding a solar-powered crosswalk warning system company, executive roles at MCI Telecommunications, and Peace Corps service in Paraguay. His research focuses on customer loyalty, feedback mechanisms, and Net Promoter Score applications. He actively engages in Reno's entrepreneurship community, advising startups and serving in roles like Metro Director for CleanTech Open and board member of NCET.

Education: Ph.D. in Marketing Strategy from the University of Texas at Austin (1998), B.A. in Managerial Studies from Rice University (1988). Professional certifications include the Sheth 'Best Article Award' and Delta Sigma Pi induction.

Research Interests: Thomas explores customer feedback dynamics, including why consumers provide feedback, how firms utilize it, and the role of unstructured suggestions/complaints. His work on switching costs (notably the 2003 JAMS award-winning paper) remains highly cited. Recent studies analyze the Net Promoter Score's reliability and consumer behavior in charitable contexts.

Community Engagement: Coaches business plan competitions (Pack Pitch, Sontag Competition) and advises student entrepreneurs. His industry experience spans startups, telecom, and international agriculture.

Professional Activities: Taught courses including MKT 210 (Principles of Marketing) and MKT 492 (Customer Loyalty). Over 30 peer-reviewed publications since 1998, with impactful work in Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Retailing, and others.

Labs/Teams: Engaged with University of Nevada's entrepreneurship ecosystem through teaching, advising, and accelerator programs.