The Stanley Slater Memorial Scholarship is being established in memory of one of the giants in the fields of marketing and management. Stan Slater was the Charles and Gwen Lillis Professor of Business Administration at Colorado State University from 2002-2016. Prior to that, he held appointments at the University of Washington, Bothell, and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Wherever Stan worked, he enjoyed teaching and mentoring students and colleagues. Naturally persuasive and charismatic, Stan was at home in front of people who wanted to learn.
Among scholars in marketing and management, Stan was most esteemed for his work on strategy. His research includes seminal articles on market orientation, marketing’s role in business strategy success, and strategies for innovation management. Stan published more than 60 articles on these and other topics. His work has received more than 30,000 citations, earning him a place on the list of ISI/Web of Science Highly Cited Scholars. In 2011, Stan received the Vijay Mahajan Award for Lifetime Contributions to Marketing Strategy.
When Stan was not busy serving others in the College of Business, you could find him in the outdoors. Stan first moved to Colorado in 1980 with his wife and best friend, Paula Galloway, in part to pursue their passion for the great outdoors. Stan loved skiing, fishing, hiking, and whitewater kayaking. Stan could never quite get the Colorado out of him. He returned twice - once after earning his Ph.D. at the University of Washington and again after a stint as acting chancellor at University of Washington, Bothell.
Perhaps Stan Slater’s greatest legacy comes from the manner in which he dealt with adversity. In 1984, Stan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As the symptoms turned into physical hardship, Stan refused to let these limitations hold him back. Ever a bright presence in the room, Stan faced his diagnosis with humor and a strong spirit. More than that, he adapted the world to meet his needs. With Paula at his side, Stan inspired others as he continued to seek adventure and live life to the fullest - from adaptive skiing to deep-sea fishing in a wheelchair-accessible boat to authoring textbooks and journal articles with voice-to-text software. Stan’s larger-than-life magnetism and ongoing contributions to others around him were unhampered by his physical constraints.
The Stanley Slater
Memorial Scholarship
In recognition of Stan Slater’s determination and indomitable
spirit, and to honor the inspiration he offered to all who knew him, the College
of Business at Colorado State University is establishing the Stanley Slater
Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship will be given annually to a graduate or
undergraduate business student facing exceptional challenges - physical, mental,
personal, or financial. May Stan Slater’s legacy continue to live on and
encourage others to face adversity with perseverance, humor, and courage.