Kate Thornton, Ph.D. profile and information

Professional Experience

Auburn University, Auburn, AL          

Director, Global Studies & Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Science, Jan 2026-Present

Teach and manage the Global Studies in Human Sciences Major and Master of Development Practice programs as well as manage National and Prestigious Scholar applicants for the College of Human Sciences.

Director, Office of Global Education, March 2014-Dec 2025

Lead all internationalization efforts for the College of Human Sciences as well as teach and manage the Global Studies in Human Sciences Major, Master of Development Practice, International Minor in Human Sciences, and until 2021 the Hunger Studies Minor. In addition to this manage all study abroad and exchange programs for the College. 

Director of International Outreach, Hunger Solutions Institute, Aug 2021—Dec 2023

I liaised with partners across the globe to enhance the mission of the Hunger Solutions Institute. 

Affiliated Faculty Member, Sept 2014—Sept 2019

Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Hospitality Management  

Director of Academic and Research Initiatives, Hunger Solutions Institute, Jan 2012—Aug 2021

Teach Introduction to Hunger Studies online course. As a part of this role I also liaise with various Humanitarian organizations and UN Agencies to further the goals of Universities Fighting World Hunger, the Hunger Solutions Institute, and the Auburn Hunger Studies Program. For many years I also taught all forms of the Intro Hunger Course and Hunger Studies Capstone Course. 

Post-Doctorate, Hunger Studies, Jan 2011—Dec 2012

Course Titles: Hunger: Causes, Consequences, & Responses and Hunger Studies Capstone

Taught Introduction to Hunger Studies as well as Hunger Studies Capstone courses. As a part of this role I also worked with WFP Diplomat in Residence to develop and implement a distance learning Hunger: Causes, Consequences, Responses course.  

Interim Director, MBA Admissions and Operations, MBA Programs (On Campus & Outreach), Dec 2007—Dec 2012                               

 Met target admissions, recruiting, and marketing goals. Managed intra-program activities including portions of the Blue Ridge Ethics and Leadership Conference, international educational travel to destinations all over the Globe (e.g. Malaysia/Singapore, France/Morocco, South Africa, Eastern & Western Europe), and MBA program orientation activities. Managed 50+ MBA Graduate Research and Teaching Assistants. Managed the online and physical brand presence of the On Campus & Distance MBA Programs through banners, brochures, online advertising campaigns, website, & social media outlets. Managed all reporting for major program surveys and rankings such as U.S. News and Forbes.

Visiting Lecturer, On Campus & Distance MBA Program, Jan 2011—Dec 2012

Course Title: Quality and Sustainability: The Triple Bottom Line

Co-developed and taught an On Campus and Distance MBA course with Ann Beth Presley, Ph.D.  Topics included: quality control definitions and metrics, sustainable manufacturing solutions, the intersection of quality & sustainability, quality & sustainability within government systems, and management of the triple bottom line.  This case-based course was also cross-listed with the M.S. and Ph.D. Programs available in the Consumer and Design Sciences Department. 

Visiting Lecturer, Executive MBA Program, Aug 2010—Dec 2012

Course Title: Sustainability and the Triple Bottom Line

Co-developed and taught EMBA course with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Woodrow W. Clark. Topics included: strategic sustainability metrics, the Third Industrial Revolution, sustainable communities, and management of the triple bottom line.

Instructor of Record, Department of Consumer and Design Sciences, Aug 2007—Aug 2010, Aug—Dec 2012

Course Title: Global Consumer Culture

Developed and taught an integrated course focused on marketing and consumer behavior in a global context. Topics included: globalization, brand, and consumer behavior in a cultural context.Because of the success of this course, I was asked to establish a special honors course for the Honors College that is more interactive and oriented towards community involvement and service learning.  This course was also chosen by the curriculum committee to be included in Auburn’s sustainability and hunger minors as well as potentially become a component of Auburn’s distance education program.

Teaching Assistant, MBA Programs (On Campus & Outreach), Aug 2007—Dec 2007

Course Title: Strategic Analysis and the Competitive Environment

Assisted in a course covering business strategy and economic theory in a global context.  Helped the Executive Director of the MBA Program manage both the on campus and distance education components of this course. 

Teaching Assistant, Department of Marketing, Aug 2006—May 2007

Course Title: Marketing on the Internet

Assisted in an advanced undergraduate course covering marketing principles as they apply in an online context.  Lectured on topics such as: consumer demographic and psychographic identification, motivations, and consumer subcultures. 

Research Assistant, Department of Consumer Affairs, Jan 2005—Aug 2007

Utilized both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques to understand and classify niche markets of adolescent consumer groups.  The goal of this research was to discern the size, economic power, and consumer decision-making capability of these consumers.

Green Industry Emergency Plan Developer, Auburn University Extension Office, Sept 2005—Feb 2006

Developed a tool for the Green Industry to help market and distribute emergency plan information in a timely manner.  This initiative was developed after Hurricane Katrina, and is being used by the Green Industry to disseminate emergency information, coordinate emergency logistics, and educate the industry about resources and assistance during times of disaster.

Kirchner Food Fellowship

Director of Education, Aug 2015-Aug 2022

I assisted in developing the Kirchner Food Fellowship curriculum and content flow and served as the Academic Director from 2015-2022.  The Fellowship goal is to identify and train the next generation of capital allocators capable of understanding and investing effectively in early-stage innovations that have the potential to transform the way we feed the planet. Each cohort of fellows engaged in investment decisions on agriculture-oriented businesses with ground-breaking technologies which have the potential to provide long-term sustainable solutions, both environmentally and economically to global food security. Fellows receive high-level mentoring from networks of investors from across North America and work directly with the Kirchner Food Fellowship leadership team and network of thought leaders, and engage in a series of face-to-face and on-line educational experiences using learning paradigms that expose them to practical, real-world issues of seed-stage and early-stage investment. Each team focuses on

Battelle Memorial Institute, Arlington, VA                                                                                     

Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, Nuclear, and High Explosives Analyst, Nov 2003-Dec 2004

Embedded as a consultant in a Navy programming office in charge of allocating 16.8B in funds for Public Safety according to a risk-based investment strategy.  Performed capability and gap analysis for various programs within the Joint Staff to assess strengths and weaknesses within the programs.  Through this work, I was able to make strategic recommendations for budgeting and procurement.  Other responsibilities included preparing an Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection Vision Brief for the Secretary of Defense and senior Navy Admirals.

The British Council USA, The British Embassy, Washington, D.C.                               

Intern, Aug 2003—Sept 2003                                                                                                            

Assisted in the coordination of events for the 2003 Marshall Scholars (prestigious national scholarship for study in the UK), which involved facilitating meetings with various international dignitaries.  These included: Sir David Manning KCMG (British Ambassador to the US), Richard Armitage (Former Deputy Secretary of State), The Honorable Bruce Babbitt (Former Secretary of the Interior & Governor of Arizona), and Thomas Friedman (Three time Pulitzer Prize Winner)

Innovation

Peer Reviewed Journal Publications

McCann, A., Tan, L., & Thornton, K. (2023). How’s your CQ? A Quasi-Experimental Study of Cultural Intelligence Levels in Traditional Students Following Study Abroad and Classroom-based Cultural Experiences. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 35(1): 115-151.

Graves, K, Scott, H, Black, M., Floyd, K.H., Lucier-Greer, M., Matei, S.A., & Thornton, K., (2023). Future Hunters Elective at the Command and General Staff Officer College: Exposing Leaders to the Power or Strategic Foresight. Journal of Security, Intelligence, and Resilience Education, 16(13): 1-11.

Tedesco, S.T, *Book, A.J., Thornton, M.K. & *Tennant, M.A. (2023). Food insecurity: What can TikTok reveal about hunger in the American condition? Auburn University Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship, 12: 231-234. 

Tumwebaze, J., Molnar, J., Thornton, M., & Brown, O. (2022). Efffectiveness of home gardening in improving food security and health in Chacraseca, Nicaragua: A Pilot Study. The Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 33(2): 842-856. (5% contribution)

Tumwebaze, J., Thornton, M.K., Molnar, J., Brown, O. (2020). Using Community-based Participatory Research to Identify and Prioritize Interventions for Ameliorating Food Security and Health in Chacraseca, Nicaragua. Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences, 7(2): 201.

Tumwebaze, J., Thornton, M.K., Molnar, J., Brown, O. (2018). Factors that Influence Food Security in Nicaragua and the Role of Home Gardening in Reducing Food Insecurity and Improving Income. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Science, 6(5): 555697.

Mukigi, D. Thornton, M.K., Binion, A., Brown, K., Church, M., Cook, M., Henry, D., Hopkinson, J., Masucci, C., Pruett, J., Rogers, M., Singleton, O., Vichi-Miller, V., Wofford, R., & Brown, O. (2018). Food Insecurity Among College Students: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences, 5(2), 201-209.

Brock, M.K., Connell, L.J., & Ulrich, P. (2009). Exploring apparel relationships of tween girls and their mothers through qualitative analysis of segmented focus groups. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 28(2), 95-111.

Other Publications

Henry, D. & Thornton, M.K. (2014).  Tackling Organizational Challenges: The Hunger Solutions Institute and the United Nations World Food Programme. Auburn Speaks: On Food Systems, 2, 198-203.

Thornton, M.K., Henry, D., Hunker, P., Acklin, K., Herndon, S., Rains, S., Ryals, M.L., Sellers, J., Singer, A., Stanley, K., Underwood, W. (2013). Qualitative study of World Food Programme Emergency Operations from 1999-2011: A look into the past to inform the future. Internal publication for the World Food Programme, Auburn, AL.

Refereed Published Proceedings

Rolling, V., Presley, A. B., & Thornton, M. K. (2018). The Impact of a Short-Term Fashion Study Abroad Trip on Undergraduates' Cultural Intelligence and Career Perceptions as Future Global Fashion Change Agents. Accepted for Publication in the Proceedings of the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Annual Conference, Cleveland.

Voorhees, C. M., Bourdeau, B. L., Cronin Jr., J., & Brock, M. K. (2008).  Strategic innovation: Effects on consumers' evaluations of sports experiences. Proceedings of the American Marketing Association Educators’ Conference: Enhancing Knowledge Development in Marketing, USA, 19 (1).