Assistant Professor for the Spanish BBA Claudia Lovegrove on Playing to One’s Strengths

In early 2025, Claudia Lovegrove joined Empire State University as an assistant professor of business for the new Spanish Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program. Drawn in by the university’s commitment to flexible and accessible higher education, particularly for adult learners and diverse communities, she saw an opportunity for her work to reflect her values while teaching in her native language.

Lovegrove’s academic trajectory includes a bachelor’s degree in communications and advertising, a master’s degree in marketing with a specialization in communications, and a doctorate in marketing. Her time in academia founded her interest in studying consumer behaviors and intercultural dynamics, which set her on the path to her current role at SUNY Empire.

“My approach integrates practical experience with a strong foundation in academic theory. I can prepare my students for today’s global business challenges,” she says. With over a decade of marketing and market research experience focusing on Latin America, the United States, and Europe, her style in the classroom draws from both books and concrete experiences.

“Being in different cultures … gave me the experience to teach in this field. Teaching became an extension of my passion for knowledge.” Her focus on diverse locations created a nuanced understanding of how marketing operates across contexts, which provides her students with a more global understanding of the field.

Lovegrove was born in Manta, Ecuador, which is a coastal city, and is currently based in Seattle. She holds her culture close, making sure there is no shortage of Ecuadorian cooking on the days in which she feels homesick. She welcomes the opportunity to teach in Spanish, saying: “Being bilingual is not just a linguistic ability—it allows me to teach and learn across cultures, to listen deeply and communicate with authenticity.”

The value in having a Spanish-language business program lies in its ability to reach more learners, particularly those who may have felt unable to make the most of a learning experience had it not been in their native language. “Teaching in Spanish helps reach that gap and fosters academic participation,” comments Lovegrove.

The Spanish BBA is an initiative that Lovegrove strongly believes in—the first program taught entirely in Spanish within the SUNY system, which blends business fundamentals with cultural nuances that prepare its students for relevant, real-life scenarios. “Languages should not be a barrier to success—this program opens opportunities [for its graduates] to contribute to their communities,” Lovegrove notes, highlighting the program’s aim to promote upward mobility for Spanish speakers by removing the language barrier. “This is something groundbreaking, an opportunity and a hope for people who want to advance in their careers,” she says.

To current and future students of the Spanish BBA, Lovegrove says: “Sometimes learning in our first language doesn’t mean we are limiting ourselves, it means we are building on a strong foundation.” She encourages learners to embrace their strengths, and to lean on the resources that the program offers, such as multicultural and multilingual education, international faculty experts, and wraparound bilingual services such as financial aid guidance and tutoring. “This program fosters critical thinking and a deeper understanding of business systems. It will open doors in corporate and academic settings,” Lovegrove explains.

She is honored to be at the vanguard of bilingual higher education in the state of New York, and will continue to champion inclusive, empowering education. Lovegrove remains “committed to supporting the students who may not always feel represented in traditional educational spaces.”