Ayse Ozturk is a Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. Previously, she worked as an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She received her Ph.D. in Marketing from Georgia State University. Her prior industry experience encompasses roles at companies including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and Peugeot.

Her research interests include artificial intelligence (AI), marketing strategy, international marketing, social media, and sustainability. Her publications appeared in journals including the Journal of International Business Studies, International Business Review, and Thunderbird International Business Review, as well as in book chapters and other creative products. She has taught undergraduate and MBA courses. She has served as a reviewer for several journals and for the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong.

Dr. Ozturk is recognized for her innovative teaching that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and experiential learning. She has delivered several talks on the use of AI in higher education as an invited guest speaker at national and international institutions. She has been selected for the USC Propel AI program, which focuses on enhancing expertise in advanced AI technologies, and has been awarded the ASPIRE AI seed grant. She was also selected as the Provost’s AI Teaching Fellow at USC, a year-long fellowship that develops faculty expertise in integrating generative AI into teaching. Her commitment to innovative pedagogy was recognized with the Alfred G. Smith Award for Teaching Excellence at the Darla Moore School of Business, the Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award-one of the University’s highest honors for teaching excellence, and the Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation. These honors recognize faculty members whose teaching has an exceptional and lasting impact on students through instructional quality, innovation, and dedication to student learning.

Select Teaching Awards

Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award (2026): The University of South Carolina’s most prestigious honor for undergraduate instruction.
Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation (2026): Honored for exceptional faculty commitment to innovative teaching strategies.
Alfred G. Smith, Jr. Award for Excellence in Teaching (2025): Awarded by the Darla Moore School of Business.
Provost’s AI Teaching Fellow (2025-2026): A year-long fellowship developing expertise in generative AI integration.
Career Influencer Faculty Recognition (2024-2025): Recognized for your impact on students’ professional development and career trajectories.

AI Case Study: Ozturk, A. (2026). LoomTech’s AI Dilemma. Case 526-0003-1. The Case Centre. https://casecent.re/p/211636

Topic: Positioning and re-positioning; AI integration; Branding and reputation

Abstract: The case concerns the tension between brand reputation and performance during a business’s AI transformation. LoomTech, a fictional education technology startup, has recently announced that it will become an ‘AI-first’ company. The new initiative improved several performance indicators, including the growth of new course offerings and the number of monthly active users. However, customers criticized the company’s shift toward a more mechanical and less human-centered approach. Lee must decide how to position LoomTech’s AI strategy to mitigate the risks of alienating customers while growing the business.

The Case Centre Link

Media Feature: Mentioned in The Wall Street Journal article “How WSJ Readers Use AI at Work” by Demetria Gallegos (Feb. 15, 2025), discussing Dr. Ozturk’s use of AI tools in teaching.

WSJ Article Link

Media Feature: Featured in the OpenAI Academy article “The Global Faculty AI Project: Professors Reshaping Pedagogy,”

OpenAI Article Link

WORKSHOPS

Dr. Ozturk has given talks about how instructors can approach integrating AI tools to enhance learning for students. Invited talks include:

Panelist at the AI Showcase of the Provost’s AI Teaching Fellowship Program, February 27, 2026.
“Practical AI Tips for Educators,” CIBER webinar, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, October 2025.
“How Do I Integrate AI Tools Into My Teaching?” CTE, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, September 2025.
“Teaching with AI; Practical Applications for Classroom Use,” CIBER, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, May 2025.
“The Use of AI in Academia and Professional Life,” Invited Guest Speaker by the ACM-W University of Ottawa, May 2025.
“Practical AI Applications for Teaching and Professional Growth” Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, March 2025.
Panelist at the GenAI Community of Practice (CoP) meeting, Center for Teaching Excellence, University of South Carolina, February 25, 2025.
Session leader at the IDEA Entrepreneurship Event, “Coffee and AI” Workshop, University of South Carolina, February 2025.
“Integrating AI Tools for Enhanced Teaching and Learning,” CTE, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, January 2025.
“Harnessing AI to Revolutionize International Business Education,” CIBER, Michigan State University International Business Center, East Lansing, MI, November 2024.
“Using AI for Teaching: Practical Tips,” Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University, ON, Canada, July 2024.
“The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education,” CIBER, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, May 2024.