Dr. Chung’s Inspiring Journey to Fisher College

 

Meet Dr. Sung-Yun (Ashley) Chung, Assistant Professor and Program Director for the Marketing Program at Fisher College. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Chung's international journey was inspired by her rich academic background, which includes an undergraduate degree from Sejong University, an MBA from Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), and a DBA from the University of Manchester. With three degrees, she found her way to the heart of Boston's Back Bay -- to Fisher College.

Dr. Chung’s actual journey in marketing began prior to earning her degrees, during a visit to Las Vegas in her high school years. She said, “All the hotels had a unique design aligned from the brand name to the building exterior and interior, right down to staff uniforms. It was an eye-opening moment for me and caught my interest.” This pivotal experience influenced her to study hospitality management.  

Following her college years, Dr. Chung spent the next decade building her expertise across various departments in 5-star hotels. She acquired valuable insights into branding, building marketing plans, corporate planning, and design. She also established a start-up in Korea, served as a branding consultant for start-ups, as a university lecturer, and as a professional “Hotel and Restaurant” columnist for Korean Monthly Magazine.  

Throughout her career, Dr. Chung met many challenges she was able to overcome. She remains committed in her trajectory for ongoing education and growth as a professor at Fisher College, where she strives to enhance her teaching methods, putting a heavy emphasis on collaborative learning experiences with her students.   

“I constantly think about how to deliver knowledge effectively, engage students, help them apply the knowledge they learned in class in a real-world case, make the course memorable, and improve it,” she explained. “Although challenging, I love this job because I also learn from the students and am inspired by them.” 

Dr. Chung has a deep perspective on the ever-evolving marketing field, emphasizing its dynamic nature and its crucial role in business. Despite previous ideas that restricted marketing as a supporting role for sales, she emphasizes marketing’s development into a critical component of business operations. Dr. Chung emphasizes that while some may limit its definition to advertising and brand promotion, marketing encompasses the full life cycle of a product -- from conception to consumer delivery.  

“Marketing is interdisciplinary knowledge that includes research and analysis, psychology on consumer behavior, communication, branding, design, and more,” she explained.  

Dr. Chung’s journey demonstrates the transformational power of passion and education. Her worldview is based on connecting the dots, trying new things, and drawing on previous experiences, all meant to enrich her professional and personal life.  

"I used to set life goals and aspirations,” she said, “but I realized you never know what will happen tomorrow and what opportunities might come." 

Her mindset in avoiding limitations and consistently giving her best effort has guided her through unexpected opportunities, such as living in Boston and teaching at Fisher College. Dr. Chung’s journey serves as an inspiration for Fisher students, emphasizing the value of continuous learning and leading a life with an open mind.