Tyra Banks is no stranger to building a personal brand, turning her supermodel fame into a successful television show, "America's Next Top Model," and all the made-up catchphrases (smize, booty tooch, etc.) that go with it. Now, Banks is taking what she's learned and imparting her wisdom to the business school elite: She's set to co-teach a course all about branding yourself to Stanford MBA students.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the course, called Project You: Building and Extending your Personal Brand, will be offered for two weeks next May and be open to 25 graduate students, and will advise enrollees "how to harness all forms of old and new media to showcase their strengths." The official course guide offers further clarification about what students can expect to learn from Professor Banks (who is lecturing alongside former television exec Allison Kluger):

What is a personal brand and how can it be unleashed as a valuable, competitive advantage? Why do you need a personal brand? How do you differentiate yourself and create a brand identity and strategy? How do you use social and traditional media to enhance your brand effectively as well as measure the metrics of social media responses? And how do you know when to pivot and evolve your brand for sustainability?

And lest you think that Banks's reality show past will cause her to slack off, think again: The model-turned-host-turned-teacher told WSJ that she'd adopt a fun but tough approach to the classroom.

"If I see somebody not paying attention," Banks said, "I'm gonna call on them."

Banks also posted on Instagram about her new gig, noting she was "beyond thrilled" to get started. (Maybe she can compare notes with fellow celeb lecturers Angelina Jolie and Matthew McConaughey?)


"Students, get ready for an intense, enlightening and exhilarating ride," she wrote, adding the hashtag, #ProfessorBanx.

We like the sound of that. Expect plenty of dispatches from the campus in the star's future.

[via: Wall Street Journal, Stanford, Tyra Banks]

Photo credit: Getty Images for 2016 Essence Festival