The Leon Hess Business School of Monmouth University presented its inaugural Societal Impact Award at the International Society of Marketing (ISM) annual conference in Chicago on March 22-24.
“The Leon Hess Business School is committed to the idea that we must cultivate a position at the intersection of academia and practice by engaging in strategic relationships with business partners and aligning our teaching, research, and outreach to the needs of the business,” said Raj Devasagayam, dean of the Leon Hess Business School, during the award ceremony. “This award is our way of recognizing our faculty colleagues who are actively engaged in promoting societal impact in their spheres of influence.”
Based on a vigorous reviewing process, three finalists were recommended to present their research and case studies at the conference. A judging panel, including deans, faculty, and Executive V.P. and Global Chief Accreditation Officer at the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Stephanie Bryant, Ph.D., selected a winner and a runner-up of the award after the presentation section. The winner of the inaugural award was Yi-hsuan Chiang, M.S., from National Taiwan Sport University, Taiwan, with the presentation, “Athletics and their New Friend: The Tournament Mascot as an Identity Shaper through Social Marketing during the Pandemic.” The runner-up was Andy Shome, DBA, MBA, from Ferrum College, Virginia, who presented, “Will Adoption Of Artificial Intelligence Powered Robotic Teaching Assistant Help Teachers In Enhancing Classroom Engagement And Help Undergraduate Students On Low Motivation To Graduate On Time?” The jury found both papers to be of high interest to academicians and practitioners and believed that the papers of these scholars were of significant societal impact beyond their own institutions.
“This competition strives to recognize and honor outstanding research and case studies from faculty and students who have demonstrated excellence in the area of societal impact,” said Min Lu, DBA, associate professor and chair of the department of Marketing and International Business. Lu chaired the special track along with departmental colleagues, Assistant Professor Nguyen (Win) Pham, Ph.D., and Professor Joe Rocereto, Ph.D.
The Leon Hess Business School is AACSB accredited, a distinction awarded to less than five percent of business schools globally.
