Priscilla Peña is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas. She earned her Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Rhode Island. Her research focuses on inauthentic brand activism, often referred to as woke-washing, and its effects on consumer identity and well-being. She also examines brand recovery strategies following such accusations of woke-washing, with an emphasis on how firms can restore perceptions of brand morality and authenticity. Additional research interests include privacy-related harms and consumer protection behaviors.
Her work has been published in theJournal of Business Research, Journal of Consumer Affairs, and Marketing Education Review, and recognized with DEI-focused research grants and a Best Student Paper Award at the AMA Marketing and Public Policy Conference.
She teaches Introduction to Marketing and Consumer Behavior, integrating applied learning and inclusive pedagogy. Her published pedagogy work explores the impact of participation-based strategies on student engagement. Priscilla is deeply passionate about research and teaching and looks forward to how her work can impact the common good.
