Aodheen McCartan joined the School of Communication in 2003 (now the School of Communication and Media).  She teaches in the areas of advertising, consumer behaviour and digital communication and she is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.  She was the Course Director of the BSc (Hons) Communication, Advertising and Marketing for more than ten years.  Her research interests are in the fields of advertising, small firm marketing and financial services marketing. She has also engaged in research focusing on cross-community relations and youth unemployment in Northern Ireland.Prior to an academic career, Aodheen worked in marketing positions in the voluntary and private sectors. Her first degree is in Business Administration and Computer Science which she followed with a Master’s in Business Administration. She completed her PhD in 2002 and her doctoral thesis centred on the role of networking in small firm marketing.