Gail Kirby's 30 Years with RMI by Addy Camisa '21
The Retail Management Institute thanks Gail Kirby, a beloved teacher and integral member of the organization, with announcement of her retirement. Professor Gail Kirby has announced her retirement this year, after an impactful 30 years with the Retail Management Program. With her immense contributions to the program and insights as a professor to her students, we as a community will miss her greatly. Kirby, a lecturer at the University, has taught courses in Principles of Marketing, Retail Management, Sustainability Marketing and Marketing Across Cultures. She originally joined RMI in 1991 after connecting with Cynthia Gamage and following her passion to pursue an academic program.
When in New York, Kirby worked with industry professionals and RMI alumni to arrange tours of buying offices and branding centers to make sure the attending students witnessed retail execution taking place in the big city.
When asked about her favorite RMI moments, Kirby states that the Jill Curran Scholarship program, and its annual trip to New York, has been especially notable. After the tragic death of Curran while studying abroad in London, her family put together resources to create this scholarship and honor her in a special way. “The Jill Curran scholarship trip to New York was something that I helped develop and lead since 2004,” explains Kirby.
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