Honoring scholars, sharing new discoveries

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Every day, researchers in the University at Buffalo School of Management push past boundaries to tackle complex business challenges. That culture of innovation was on display for the entire university to see during the 12th annual PhD Showcase.

Through a series of three-minute presentations, School of Management doctoral students from every academic department presented their research on a wide range of topics — from whether an overworked lifestyle signals high status, to how a CEO’s fiduciary duty of loyalty affects corporate tax policy, to how friendships affect mental health. 

Held April 24, the PhD Showcase celebrated doctoral student research and success, culminating with the announcement of several student awards.

Two students — Xinghui Chen of Haikou, China, and Shuxian Xiao of Guangzhou, China — were honored with Poster Presentation Awards based on their overall presentation and the clarity, strength of design and implications of their research. They each received a $1,000 cash prize.

Representing the Marketing Department, Chen presented her research that found consumers are more likely to choose an environmentally friendly product if they’re asked to explain their choice between the green item and a conventional one.

Meanwhile, Xiao, from the Operations Management and Strategy Department, shared her study that explored which pricing strategies and loyalty programs maximize hotel profits through direct booking and online travel agencies.

From the Accounting Department, Zhiru Lin of Xiamen, China, received the Dean’s Award for Research Excellence, which goes to the senior doctoral student who demonstrates the highest level of potential as a scholar based on journal publications, research awards and presentations or papers at top conferences. Lin, who presented research on how turnover in accounting firms affects financial reporting quality, received a $2,500 prize for the honor.

Finally, two students — Victoria Gonzalez of Santiago Metropolitan, Chile, and Vincent Rice of Providence, Rhode Island, were named Rising Stars for exhibiting exceptional early performance in the program through their engagement with faculty on research, coursework and contributions to the intellectual atmosphere of the school. They each received a $1,000 prize.

Gonzalez delivered her Showcase presentation on how to build trust to safely integrate artificial intelligence into organizations and society, while Rice explored the factors that affect teams that leverage AI in their work.