Gies College of Business

Tatyana Deryugina: “Why Where You Live Matters”

Income, health, and other important outcomes vary systematically within the United States and other countries. Are these differences mainly caused by where people live or by similar people tending to live in the same places? Tatyana will discuss innovative research that quantifies the degree to which where you live matters for outcomes, as well as the remaining challenges that researchers face in understanding how place of residence shapes our lives.

Justin Leiby: “Promoting Equity and Dispelling Myths in the U.S. Cannabis Market”

Although over half of Americans live in a state where any adult can buy cannabis in a store, the US continues to arrest over 500,000 people per year for cannabis offenses, with Blacks being 3.5 times more likely to be arrested than Whites. In response, most states with a legal, commercial cannabis industry prioritize supporting cannabis entrepreneurs from groups harmed by the war on drugs, but these entrepreneurs confront an environment of ongoing social stigma, costly regulation, punitive tax laws, and little access to traditional banking. Justin will talk about the use of data to dispel the myths about cannabis that create a less equitable society while also supporting entrepreneurs from marginalized groups.

Joseph Cheng: “Translating Innovative Research to Marketplace Success”

Technology startups bring many economic benefits to society but are inherently high risk, with over 50% of tech startups failing during the first three to five years. Seeking to improve the capability of new technologies to successfully enter the marketplace, Joe will talk about his latest NSF-funded research on developing and field testing a comprehensive entrepreneurial training program for academic researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This training will arm early-stage entrepreneurs with the information and confidence they need to launch a startup to commercialize their innovations.

Maria Rodas: “Perspective-Changing Brands”

This research identifies perspective-change as a novel way for marketers to build brands that deliver value. Perspective-changing brands allow consumers to experience a shift in their understanding of the world via brand features that offer a new perspective, ultimately increasing their self-efficacy and their valuation of the brand. Different ways in which brands can change consumers' perspective are examined, from directly manipulating consumers' perspective with a figure-ground illusion logo and a metaphor to providing a new perspective on how to consume a product and addressing social issues. This research is the first to examine how brands can increase consumers’ self-efficacy through perspective change, providing an additional tool for building brands that resonate with consumers.

Ujjal Mukherjee: “Delivering Social Healthcare to Underserved Communities”

Social healthcare delivery is an important and increasingly challenging endeavor for policymakers and healthcare organizations. The third of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals is “Good Health and Well-Being,” which aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” However, the progress towards this goal has been “uneven both within and across countries.” In this presentation, Ujjal derives insights from several of his studies in different countries around the globe (China, India, and the United States) to address this challenge. He will present examples and insights from several research projects to provide some important pointers toward achieving accessible and affordable care for all, increasing community engagement, and building partnerships and collaboration.