The College of Business and Economics is pleased to welcome Marketing Professor Mikyoung Lim this fall, who brings valuable insights from her doctoral studies at the University of South Florida. Lim specializes in the technological trends that are transforming retail and the consumer economy. She was drawn to CSUF’s business college by the opportunity to bridge academic research with industry practice, leveraging the college’s strong connections to Southern California’s retail and technology sectors.

Lim is committed to conducting research that will inform business decision-making while preparing the next generation of retail professionals. “I’m excited to contribute to an environment that values teaching excellence, community partnerships, and research with real-world relevance,” she says.

Her current focus is on how retail and digital environments shape consumer judgment and decision-making. “I’m particularly interested in how design and technology shape not only what people buy, but also how those choices affect their well-being,” she says. One of her research studies, “The store of the future: Engaging customers through sensory elements, personalized atmospherics, and interpersonal interaction,” published in the Journal of Retailing, reflects her core research interests and future direction. It proposes a framework for designing future stores that facilitate pleasurable in-store experiences.

In the area of consumer well-being and societal impact, she has been focused on encouraging healthy consumption, with recent publications in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (2024) and the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research (2024). Her dissertation, recognized with the 2024 ACR-Sheth Dissertation Award, examined how language usage in social media marketing shapes responses among diverse audiences, providing guidance for inclusive digital marketing practices.

From next generation retail technologies ranging from 3D visualization to inclusive and accessible digital interfaces, Lim hopes to identify the ways that the consumer experience can be enhanced at retail outlets, utilizing the insights of CSUF students along the way. “My hope for my research is that it will make everyday shopping choices easier, more enjoyable, and ultimately more meaningful, while giving companies valuable insights to guide effective marketing strategy,” says Lim.

When not teaching and studying, Lim is a serious foodie and enjoys reading novels, playing the piano, swimming and weightlifting.

For more on the Department of Marketing, read more of our articles on marketing education and research at Cal State Fullerton.