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Biography

Dr. Jennifer Dapko is an Associate Professor of Marketing in the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise at Âéw¶¹´«Ã½. She holds a Ph.D. and an M.B.A. in Marketing from the University of South Florida and a B.S. in Public Relations from Florida State University. In addition to her work in academia, she has 25 years working in the marketing industry, gaining diverse experience across a variety of business sizes and sectors.

As an active researcher, Dr. Dapko investigates persuasion tactics in both interpersonal communication and mass media marketing, with a focus on how transparency impacts consumer perceptions of the firm. As an authority on transparency, her foundational research centers on the mechanics of perceived firm transparency and its impact on consumer skepticism, brand attitudes, brand trust, and purchase intention. Her work has been published in numerous academic journals, including the Journal of Marketing Channels, Journal of Selling, Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, Journal of Applied Marketing Analytics, Journal of Managerial Issues, and Management Decision. For more information on Dr. Dapko’s transparency research, please visit .

In the classroom, Dr. Dapko translates her deep industry background into an applied learning environment, bringing real-world client projects into her courses to give students hands-on marketing experience.

Education

Ph.D., Marketing, 2007 – 2012
“Perceived Firm Transparency: Scale and Model Development”
Muma College of Business, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Master of Business Administration, 2003
Tracks: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Leading a Customer Driven Organization

Muma College of Business, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Bachelor of Science in Communications, 1998
College of Communication and Information, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Interests

Dr. Dapko volunteers her spare time to animal welfare organizations assisting them with website development, digital marketing, and direct mail fundraising. She enjoys spending time with her dogs, staying active outdoors, and balancing the previous two with a healthy dose of Netflix.

Awards

• Educator of the Year (2026), Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise
• Faculty Research Grant awarded by the Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise (Summer 2026) for “Investigating Content Creator Adoption and Strategic Application of AI in Social Media Production”
• Student Faculty Research Collaboration Grant awarded by Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ (Summer 2026) for “The Authenticity Gap: Assessing Consumer Perceptions and Marketing Strategies for AI-Generated Social Media Content” (with Meredith Pearce, Allie Draper, and Jackson Neal).
• Student Faculty Research Collaboration Grant awarded by Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ (Summer 2025) for “Signed, Sealed, and Sold: How Artist Attribution Influences Consumer Perceptions and Purchase Behavior” (with Alisa Fine and Madison Blithe)
• Faculty Research Grant awarded by the Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise (Summer 2025) for “Signed, Sealed, and Sold: How Artist Attribution Influences Consumer Perceptions and Purchase Behavior.”
• Faculty Research Grant awarded by the Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise (Summer 2024) for “The Role of Transparency in Ethical Behavior of Sales Professionals.”
• Faculty Research Grant awarded by the Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise (Summer 2023) for “To Say or Not to Say: The Impact of CEO Transparency on Consumer Perceptions of the Firm.”
• Faculty Research Grant awarded by the Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise (Summer 2022) for “Chatbots versus Popups: Which is best for Driving Donations on Nonprofit Websites?”
• Student Faculty Research Collaboration Grant awarded by Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ (Summer 2022) for “AI-Based Sales Training in the Metaverse.” (with Dr. Jonathan Cazalas, Kira Freijo and Rachel Williams)
• Faculty Research Grant awarded by the Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise (Summer 2021) for “Developing Business Analytics Skills in Undergraduate Business Students when One Class is All You’ve Got in the Curriculum.”
• Student Faculty Research Collaboration Grant awarded by Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ (Summer 2021) for “An Investigation of the Use of Chatbots on Websites and their Resulting Impact on Consumer Attitudes and Intentions toward the Brand.” (with Santino Miozzi)
• Faculty Research Grant awarded by the Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise (Summer 2020) for “The Importance of Social Media Responsiveness for Unfamiliar Brands.”
• Faculty/Student Research Grant awarded by Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ (Summer 2015) for “Best Small Business Social Media Strategies to Increase Purchase Intention: An Empirical Investigation” with Sam Parsons, Bree Olson, Sarah Kahn, and Matt Lalli
• Faculty Research Grant awarded by Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ (Summer 2015) for “Check the Box: Examining Employers’ Perceptions of Prospective Employees with Felony Convictions” with Dr. Lisa Carter
• Faculty/Student Research Grant awarded by Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ (Summer 2014) for “An Exploration of Social Media Usage by Very Small Businesses: What They Are Doing and Tactical Solutions for Improvement” with Nikole Dangelo
• Doctoral Fellow, Sheth Consortium (2011)
• Doctoral Fellow, Society for Marketing Advances (2009)
• Doctoral Fellow and competitive paper award recipient, National Conference in Sales and Sales Management (2009)
• Doctoral Travel Fellowship, Sales Excellence Institute Conference (2009)

Publications

Dapko, J.L., and Krause, E.A. (2026). Exploring transparency, trust, and scepticism when disclosing AI as a creative partner in social media content. Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, Forthcoming in vol. 14.

Dapko, J.L., Krause, E.A., and Falcon, S. (2025). Optimising marketing of telehealth services: Marketing to the right audience with the right message. Management in Healthcare, 9(4).

Dapko, J.L., and Snyder, G.J. (2024). Equipping non-analysts with business analytics skills: A one course curriculum for undergraduate business degrees. Business Education Innovation Journal, 16(2), 8-12.

Dapko, J.L., & Snyder, G.J. (2021). Screening for self-directedness: A method for recruiting savvy analysts in a dynamic business environment. Applied Marketing Analytics, 7(1), 73-83.

Dapko, J.L., Boyer, S., & Harris, E. (2021). The importance of timely social media responsiveness. Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, 8(2), 358-364.

Dapko, J.L. (2021). Wise or weaponry: Consumer targeting through psychographic data analytics. CB9: Consumer Behavior. Cengage.

Harris, E.G., Fleming, D.E., & Dapko, J.L. (2021). A holistic examination of the antecedents and outcomes of frontline employee job resourcefulness. Journal of Managerial Issues, 33(2).

Dapko, J.L., & Artis, A.B. (2016). Writing effective prospecting emails: An instructional guide. Journal of Selling, 16(1), 33-47.

Parris, D.L., Dapko, J.L., Arnold, R.W., & Arnold, D. (2016). Exploring transparency: A new framework for responsible business management. Management Decision, 54(1), 222-247.

Dapko, J.L., & Artis, A.B. (2014). Less is more: An exploratory analysis of optimal visual appeal and linguistic style combinations in a salesperson’s initial-contact e-mail to millennial buyers within marketing channels. Journal of Marketing Channels 21(4), 254-267.