Macon State College MVPs is a web feature that profiles notable students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Business faculty member Lucas Hopkins plays a key role in Macon State’s Center for Economic Analysis.
Full Name: Lucas Matthew Hopkins.
Hometown & Residence: Macon.
Family: Wife, Stacy; children, Ella (4), and Beckett (1).
Job Title: Lecturer of marketing; associate director of marketing research for Macon State’s Center for Economic Analysis.
Degrees: Bachelor of science in business, Macon State; master of business administration, Georgia College and State University; doctorate of business administration (in progress), Kennesaw State University.
Year he joined the Macon State faculty: 2008.
Some of his teaching career highlights are … “While my first paper acceptance was a highlight, I would have to say that receiving a thank you letter or email from a past student is very rewarding.”
He enjoys teaching at Macon State College because … “I appreciate the ‘real world’ experience that so many of the students bring to the classroom. It is not uncommon to have a student who is very knowledgeable about a specific topic covered in class because they live it every day.”
His favorite course to teach is … “I enjoy teaching consumer behavior and marketing research. Consumer behavior is a class that covers all of the factors that go into purchase decisions. While at first it comes across as a little overwhelming, the students quickly realize that the topics we are covering are very applicable to their everyday life. Marketing research is also a great class because we work with actual companies in the Middle Georgia area. I think that the students appreciate sitting down with a company and helping solve an actual problem, as opposed to doing another project on a random company.”
One thing people don’t know about Macon State is … "Many students have an incredible work ethic. So often I work with Macon State students who aren’t aware that they are doing so much more than the traditional college student. I think that potential employers should recognize the fact that as these students are completing degrees they are also raising families and paying mortgages."
One thing people don’t know about him is … “I really enjoy carpentry. My dad and I purchased a sawmill years ago and have since taken it upon ourselves to build extremely mediocre furniture. Actually, what started as a weekend project turned into the house that my family lives in today.”
In his spare time he likes to … “I spend most of my free time either hanging out with my family or working on my dissertation. If I do manage to grab a spare hour for myself I try to spend a little time running, swimming or cycling to counteract my love affair with pizza and Chick-fil-A sandwiches.”
The one person he’d most like to meet is … “I’m a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell, Donald Miller and Steve Levitt. They have such a unique way of looking at issues in society. After reading their work you find yourself reevaluating many of your preconceived ideas about current events. I think ‘Outliers’ and ‘Freakonomics’ should be required reading for all business students.”
If he wasn’t a college professor he would … “Work with small local businesses. Through my work with the Center for Economic Analysis, I’ve learned that many of the small business owners in Middle Georgia have great ideas as well as a great desire to succeed. I feel that an environment like this allows people to really grow to their potential instead of just settling in and punching a clock in a cubicle.”