Executive Overview
In the modern academic landscape, it is rare to find an educator whose professional ethos is so seamlessly mirrored in their personal life, wardrobe, and scholarly pursuits. Enter Dr. Riley Krotz, an assistant professor and the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood Emerging Scholar in the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing at Florida State University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business. Krotz has swiftly established himself as one of the most decorated, dynamic, and unorthodox junior faculty members in the university’s history.
Displaying his love for teaching not merely on his syllabus, but literally on his office door, his walls, and even his sleeves, Krotz embodies a rare blend of high-level academic rigor and deeply human eccentricities. Whether he is showing up to departmental meetings clad in a custom-made, head-to-toe garnet-and-gold FSU-branded suit, or conducting ground-breaking public health research aimed at encouraging blood donations to save lives, Krotz operates under a singular guiding philosophy: marketing is not just a tool for driving corporate profit; it is a catalyst for societal betterment.
This profile examines the trajectory of a first-generation college student turned award-winning academic. By tracing Krotz’s journey from a theatrical middle-school science teacher in Jacksonville to a historic figure within the American Marketing Association (AMA), this article explores how his unorthodox methods, unwavering student advocacy, and intersectional research are shaping the future of Florida State University and the broader discipline of marketing.
Detailed Chronology: From the Middle School Classroom to the University Hallway
The Formative Years in Jacksonville
Long before he was lecturing undergraduate business students on the intricacies of organizational frontlines and consumer behavior, Riley Krotz was busy trying to capture the notoriously short attention spans of sixth-grade science and middle-school robotics students in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
As a first-generation college graduate who earned his Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of North Florida (UNF), Krotz understood early on that traditional, passive pedagogy was failing young minds. Determined to make learning both memorable and fun, Krotz leaned into performance. He would tell corny jokes, loudly profess an unyielding love for Starbucks, and occasionally jump atop classroom furniture to belt out educational tunes. To illustrate the complexities of the human musculoskeletal system, he famously organized impromptu arm-wrestling tournaments right in the middle of class.
Yet, even as he cultivated an enthusiastic, high-energy environment for middle-schoolers, Krotz nurtured a loftier ambition: he wanted to make a broader, systemic difference as a university professor.
The Dual Milestones of 2016
The pivotal turning point in Krotz’s career occurred in 2016. While maintaining his demanding teaching schedule in Jacksonville, Krotz pursued and earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from UNF. Simultaneously, he applied for doctoral programs, ultimately earning acceptance into the University of Tennessee’s prestigious marketing Ph.D. program.
When the time came to leave his middle-school classroom to pursue his doctorate, Krotz informed his young students of his departure. In return, they showered him with dozens of affectionate, handwritten "thank you" and "goodbye" notes, alongside whimsical drawings. One student, Keily, sketched Krotz as the siren featured in the iconic Starbucks logo.
"You manage to make us learn and have fun at the same time," Keily wrote. "You’re gonna kill it as a professor."
Today, those aged notes, drawings, and tokens of appreciation do not reside in a dusty box in a garage; they proudly blanket the door and walls of Krotz’s office at the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence, serving as a daily reminder of his pedagogical roots.
The Rise at Florida State University
After successfully defending his dissertation—advised by prominent University of Tennessee marketing professor Stephanie Noble, and originally inspired to pursue his Ph.D. by UNF professor Greg Gundlach—Krotz earned his doctorate in 2021. In 2023, he joined the faculty of Florida State University’s Rockwood School of Marketing.
Upon arrival, he was met with a challenge from Michael Brady, then-director of the Rockwood School (now an FSU assistant provost). Brady emphasized to incoming faculty members the critical importance of visibility in upholding and championing the FSU brand. Taking the directive quite literally, Krotz visited a tailor and ordered a bespoke, custom-made suit splashed from shoulders to ankles with "FSU" typography and the university’s signature Seminole athletics logo.
A couple of weeks later, Krotz walked into a departmental meeting radiating garnet, gold, and absolute audacity. Brady stared at him with his mouth agape.
"You told me to be visible," Krotz said with a wide smile. "I’m visible."
Supporting Context & Metrics: Breaking Records in Academic Scholarship
While Krotz’s sartorial choices and theatrical classroom presence generate plenty of smiles across the Wertheim College of Business, his academic output is what truly commands authoritative respect.
Making History with the American Marketing Association
Less than five years after receiving his doctorate, Krotz achieved a historic milestone in early 2026 when he was awarded the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) Marketing and Society Special Interest Group Emerging Scholar Award. With this accolade, Krotz made history as the very first scholar to receive emerging or young-scholar awards across four different special-interest groups within the AMA. His prior AMA recognitions span specialized domains:
- Retail and Pricing Special Interest Group
- Doctoral Student Special Interest Group
- Organizational Frontlines Special Interest Group
This unprecedented sweep underscores the breadth, adaptability, and high-impact nature of his research agenda.
Better Marketing for a Better World
Krotz’s scholarly focus centers on complex, real-world challenges situated at the intersection of healthcare, frontline employee management, and public policy. Rather than confining his research strictly to corporate profitability, Krotz aligns his work with a burgeoning movement within his discipline: "better marketing for a better world."
His primary passion project centers on public health campaigns designed to motivate individuals to donate blood and save lives. This research is not merely theoretical; it has direct, life-saving implications. Recent studies, including his keynote presentation titled "Saving Lives in the Social Media Era: Increasing Blood Donations" delivered at a conference for the Association for Blood Donor Professionals, bridge the gap between academic theory and urgent societal needs.
His impactful work in healthcare advocacy has not gone unnoticed by external institutions. In 2023, Krotz received a formal commendation from the United States Senate. Shortly thereafter, in 2024, he was honored with the Advancement in Healthcare Access Award by a major blood center operating in the Southeastern United States.
Official Statements: Institutional Alignment and Praise
The leadership of Florida State University and the Herbert Wertheim College of Business have been vocal in their admiration for Krotz’s multifaceted contributions to campus life, classroom instruction, and public scholarship.
Michael D. Hartline, dean of the Wertheim College of Business, offered high praise for the young scholar:
"Riley’s achievements in scholarship, teaching, and service exemplify the high standard of excellence we strive for in our faculty," Hartline said. "We applaud his dedication, enthusiasm, intellectual energy, and commitment to our college, especially our students."
With a characteristic grin, Hartline added: "And we love his FSU suit."
Dean Hartline also noted that Krotz’s research aligns impeccably with the college’s expanding partnership with FSU Health—an integrated health system uniting Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, hospitals, physicians, clinics, and research institutions to improve community well-being, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Reflecting on his place at FSU, Krotz expressed profound gratitude for the institutional alignment:
"I don’t know how I got so lucky to land at a place where my research interests are so fundamentally aligned with the mission of the college," Krotz reflects. "This college and university are such a perfect fit for me. I love this college and university. The students, staff, and faculty I interact with every day give me joy and make my heart full."
Colleagues within the Rockwood School of Marketing echo these sentiments. Luke Hopkins, a senior lecturer and assistant director of the school, points out Krotz’s unique resonance with the student body:
"Riley’s name is consistently one of the first names students mention when talking about faculty who have impacted them," Hopkins notes. "Students know he cares about them, and his ability to create an environment where students genuinely enjoy learning is rare."
Ruby Lee, director of the Rockwood School and the Bob Sasser Professor of Marketing, similarly commended Krotz for his unwavering dedication "to everything and everyone in need."
Future Outlook: Mentorship, Legacy, and the "Must-Meet" Campus Icon
As Dr. Riley Krotz looks toward the future, his focus remains firmly anchored on two primary pillars: elevating his students’ critical thinking capabilities and expanding the societal footprint of socially responsible marketing research.
Cultivating Critical Thinkers and Future Academics
In his marketing research classrooms, Krotz teaches students to utilize data and methodology both offensively and defensively—offensively to engineer smarter, more effective business strategies, and defensively to empower them as informed, discerning consumers.
His mentorship extends far beyond standard office hours, often altering the academic trajectory of his students. Peyton Naylor, a senior marketing and real estate major—and former long snapper for the FSU football team—credits Krotz entirely with inspiring his ambition to pursue a Ph.D. in marketing.
Naylor recalls emailing Krotz late on a Friday afternoon to inquire about doctoral programs. Expecting a delayed response, Naylor was surprised when Krotz replied almost immediately with a comprehensive overview and an invitation for a weekend Zoom consultation. They met the following Monday, speaking for 45 minutes.
"His honesty, transparency, and willingness to help have made the process a lot easier than I expected," Naylor says.
The Legacy of "Grandpa"
Krotz’s deep empathy was recently underscored by a touching campus narrative involving his late dog, Grandpa. A small, frail, and toothless rescue dog, Grandpa served as an unofficial class mascot, living with Krotz for nine years until his passing early in the year.
Moved by Krotz’s public grief, Peyton Naylor asked his mother, Christy Naylor—an avid art hobbyist—to create a memorial portrait for the professor. Using graphite pencils, she rendered a lifelike portrait of Grandpa wearing an elegant bow, his nose glistening, looking upward with profound devotion. Dangling from the dog’s collar is a tag featuring a single word: Grandpa.
Upon receiving the artwork, Krotz was visibly moved to tears. "It was so meaningful," he recalled.
For students like Naylor, Krotz has transcended the traditional boundaries of an assistant professor to become an institutional fixture.
"I consider him a ‘must-meet’ individual on FSU’s campus," Naylor concludes. "The university is a better place because of him."
Looking Ahead
In an era where higher education continually strives to balance academic prestige with genuine community impact, Dr. Riley Krotz stands out as a living embodiment of FSU’s highest ideals. Whether he is analyzing the public policy frameworks required to bolster national blood reserves, earning unprecedented accolades from the American Marketing Association, breaking the ice with a rendition of "I’m a Little Teapot," or sporting his vintage garnet-and-gold suit, Krotz proves that rigorous scholarship and deep human compassion are not mutually exclusive. They are, in fact, the very ingredients that define a transformative educator.
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