The American Academy of Advertising recently named Professor Debbie Wideroe the recipient of the Charles H. Sandage Award for Teaching Excellence. “I come alive in the classroom,” Wideroe said with pride. The award recognizes outstanding contributions of advertising teachers, and Wideroe is only the third woman ever to receive this award.
Wideroe said she found her passion for advertising at an early age in junior high school in an advertising art class. She was told that she “wasn’t a good artist” but that didn’t stop her from pursuing her dreams.
“If you enjoy what you’re teaching and learning, you will be successful,” Wideroe said. Wideroe, a Harvard University graduate, began her advertising career overseeing global marketing efforts at Warner Bros. for the Looney Tunes brand and founded Multi-Media Promotions, an advertising firm and entertainment market.
Following that, Wideroe went on to establish her own marketing solutions company, the Wideroe Group, in California. When she first arrived at Pepperdine, Wideroe taught a class with broadcast professor Don Shores. Together, they taught an intro to radio and television class.
“I work hard to bring life to the classroom,” Wideroe said. Wideroe said she thinks it is her duty to be excited to teach even if the material is hard or the students are less interested than they should be. She boasts that her Pepperdine students are “some of the brightest and the best.” Wideroe noted that many of her past students have becomes leaders in the advertising business, because they leave Pepperdine equipped with the necessary skills.
“I love that my students have goals and they want to achieve them,” Wideroe said. “I feed off of the students and they feed off of me. It’s a combination and team effort.”
However, she admits to having certain moments as a teacher that are potentially frustrating. “The most challenging time to teach is when students are apathetic or not interested in what I’m talking about. It’s such a loss,” Wideroe said. “I then try harder to get those students interested.”
Another challenging aspect of teaching is giving honest criticism. For Wideroe, this is her time to “take off the teaching hat and put on the professional hat.” She said she believes this honest criticism only helps, never hurts anyone. “Kids really appreciate the advice because then they can refine themselves before they get into the workplace.”
One of the most important things a student can do in studying advertising or any field is to perform an internship, Wideroe said: “Interning is the key to success and to figuring out a path.”
As director of the internship program, Wideroe helps Pepperdine students’ every day with this task. “Just teaching and running the internship program is a full time job in itself.” Students have held internships around the world because of her ability to forge relationships with employers in diverse fields.
Wideroe went with her husband to receive the teaching award. “Receiving the award was so overwhelming. It was a very humbling experience.” Being honored by peers in the advertising field in this way was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
She said that winning this award is like winning an Oscar: “it’s one of the greatest thrills to win this award.” Wideroe proudly displays the wooden plaque awarded by the AAA, which now hangs in her office on the second floor of the CCB.
Wideroe said she is extremely grateful for the positive people in her life who encourage and reinforce what she does every day. Known to students, alumni and colleagues as the go to person to help make professional dreams come true, she acknowledges the importance of support in her own career as an award winning professor and advertising entrepreneur. “Without support, I would be nowhere.”
