Author Biography

Tara J. Konya, PhD, serves as portfolio director in the School of Business at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). She supports graduate programs in business, including the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the MS in Transformational Leadership.  

Konya brings more than two decades of experience spanning retail leadership, academic innovation, and consumer insights. Prior to entering academia, she held management roles at Banana Republic, Gap Foundation, and Tommy Bahama, where she led high-performing teams, launched new store locations, and implemented nationally recognized community engagement initiatives. 

She has also held academic leadership and faculty roles at Southern New Hampshire University and Unity Environmental University. Her teaching and research interests include consumer behavior, emerging market trends, and corporate social responsibility, with a focus on integrating industry insights and innovation into curriculum and program development. 

She holds a PhD in Business and Economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Monmouth University, and a graduate certificate in merchandising from North Dakota State University. Konya is passionate about aligning business education with workforce needs and helping learners anticipate change in a rapidly evolving economy.