HSB Supports Faculty Research with Symposium

Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business (HSB) hosted the second annual HSB Research Symposium on Friday, April 5. 

The event featured discussions on impactful research, undergraduate research assistants and topical issues facing faculty at HSB. 

“The Hankamer School of Business strives to foster a culture where faculty feel supported in their pursuit to produce purposeful research,” Mitch Neubert, the senior associate dean of Research and Faculty Development, said. “The HSB Research Symposium is just one way we can grow as a community that promotes scholarship that makes a difference in our disciplines and society.” 

The symposium started with faculty awards for teaching, service and scholarship. HSB also recognized faculty who had earned awards from the University and outside entities. 

The 2024 HSB Scholarship Award winners held a panel discussion on impactful research from their respective fields. Faculty members Andrew Detzel, Yulia Sullivan, Gabriella Cacciotti and Daniel Chen spoke briefly about their research, gave tips on staying motivated and growing as researchers, and discussed how to deal with the rejection of conference or journal submissions. 

Cacciotti was also joined by Assistant Professor Rongen “Sophia” Zhang to highlight their experiences with the Undergraduate Research Assistantship (UGRA) Program. Zhang spoke about the rewards and challenges she faced in the process and spoke highly of her undergraduate assistant, Cole Flenniken, a senior Management Information Systems and Entrepreneurship major. Cacciotti shared her experience working with Jose Rodriquez Aranaga, a sophomore Pre-Business student, stating she believed the UGRA Program has opened a future in research for him. 

“It is great to hear from our faculty and undergraduate students who have participated in the UGRA Program,” Neubert said. “I am proud to have a program that helps our faculty produce high-quality research and provides our students with experiential learning opportunities.” 

The symposium concluded with an interview of Hollylynne Lee, the 2023 Cherry Award winner and the Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Education at North Carolina State University. Lee shared about her experience integrating research into her teaching, securing grants and her work with the William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. 

“The Business School is proud of our faculty and their efforts in research,” Neubert said. “It is important for our faculty to have events such as this to build relationships and learn from one another to advance research at HSB.”