Luke Liska, Ph.D., was recently named Assistant Director for the Humanities Program at the Virginia Governor’s School for the Visual and Performing Arts and Humanities. He also serves as Director of the Davis College Fellows, an Assistant Professor of Marketing, and a Faculty Senator at Radford University. Liska’s expertise spans digital marketing, consumer behavior, and sensory marketing, with a research focus on immersive virtual environments, artificial intelligence, and social good. His work has been published in prominent journals such as the Journal of Advertising and the Journal of Consumer Behaviour.
At Radford, Liska plays a pivotal role in fostering student innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. He teaches undergraduate courses in Creativity and Innovation, Digital Marketing, and Marketing in Esports, engaging students in real-world problem-solving. His Digital Marketing students collaborate with local businesses, while his Marketing in Esports class organizes and hosts an annual esports tournament. His Creativity and Innovation course culminates in the Wicked Festival, an interdisciplinary showcase of student projects addressing societal challenges. Liska’s students consistently earn Wicked Awards, reflecting his dedication to mentoring and developing young innovators. In Radford’s MBA program, he also teaches Predictive Analytics and Data Mining as well as Creativity in Business.
Beyond the classroom, Liska is an active faculty mentor for Honors Capstone Projects and Radford University’s Highlander Research Rookies Program, which provides research experiences to select high-achieving first-year and transfer students. His mentorship on a project exploring mental health stigma through virtual reality earned him a nomination for the Outstanding Mentor Award by Radford University’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship. Liska presented this project to Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears at Radford University, showcasing his research on virtual reality and mental health advocacy. Liska also serves as a coach for Radford’s Esports team, which placed second in the inaugural Big South Esports Championship.
As Director of Davis College Fellows, he oversees initiatives that connect high-achieving students with leadership development opportunities and industry leaders. Liska is also an active speaker, regularly presenting on topics at the intersection of artificial intelligence, business practices, and innovation. His engagements include appearances at the Roanoke Regional Chamber, Pulaski Chamber of Commerce, and keynote addresses like Discover the Future of AI in Business at the Winter Investor Luncheon, hosted by Onward New River Valley. Additionally, he was a guest on the Real Estate Tax Playbook to discuss Artificial Intelligence in Real Estate.
Liska holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of South Florida, along with an M.S. in Marketing from the University of Denver and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Tennessee. His passion for education, research, and community engagement drives his commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders and innovators.