Professor Barton, J.C. Penney Eminent Scholar Chair and Executive Director of theDavidMillerCenterfor Retailing Education and Research at theUniversityofFlorida,U.S.has visited China Retail Research Center of Tsinghua SEM during October 29 toNovember 2, 2007. Professor Barton attended the 3rd China Retail Forum on October 30 and delivered a speech on the future trend of retail industry. Later in the day, Professor Barton visitedBeijingModernPlazaaccompanied by Executive Deputy-director of China Retail Center Professor Li Fei, Deputy-director of the Center Wang Gao and held talks with President of Modern Plaza Jin Yuhua. On November 1, Professor Weitz delivered a lecture entitled "some observations on undertaking and publishing academic research" at Tsinghua SEM and had an in-depth discussion with students from the Department of Marketing.

(Professor Weitz speaks at Tsinghua )

Tsinghua tour was Professor Weitz's first visit toAsia. Professor Weitz is a former Chair of Board of Directors of American Marketing Association and member of the Board of Directors of the National Retail Federation and the National Retail Federation Foundation.The Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research at the University of Florida, established by Dr. Weitz, is supported by 31 retail industry firms including JCPenney, Macy’s, Target, Kohls, and Walgreens.

Professor Weitz's research interests focus on the development of long term relationships between firms in a channel of distribution (retailers and vendors), firms and their employees, and salespeople and their customers. He has published over 70 articles in marketing and management journals. His research has been recognized with two Louis Stern awards for research publications making the greatest contribution the understanding channel issues and a Paul Root award for research making significant contribution to management practice published in the Journal of Marketing.

He was also editor of the Journal of Marketing Research, the leading academic marketing journal. In 1998, Professor Weitz was the recipient of the American Marketing Association/Irwin Distinguished Marketing Educator Award for lifetime contribution to the marketing discipline. In 2006, he was honored as Retail Educator of the year by the National Retail Federation.He is the co-author of Retailing Management, a textbook published by McGraw-Hill, now in its sixth edition.The textbook is used by over 25,000 students inU.S.colleges and universities annually.