USM School of Marketing Hosts Student Research Showcase
Thu, 04/14/2022 - 01:23pm | By: Van Arnold
Five presentations won special recognition during the annual Student Research Showcase held April 8 at Scianna Hall on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus.
The USM School of Marketing hosted the event, which featured 18 research presentations, representing undergraduate and graduate students from the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses. Presentations spanned various disciplines in the College of Business & Economic Development including Marketing, Interior Design, Sport Management, International Business, Journalism, Hospitality & Tourism, Economic Development, Healthcare Marketing, and Human Resource Management.
The Showcase is an annual event where student researchers disseminate their knowledge as they present their research in five minutes, followed by a five-minute Q&A. Students competed for cash and prizes. The students all conducted primary research into their topics, generating new knowledge for their fields.
“Much of this research will ultimately be presented at international conferences and published in quality academic journals,” said Katie Howie, Assistant Professor in the School of Marketing. “The students demonstrated exceptional courage, commitment, and skill in presenting their projects to a diverse audience of USM faculty, staff, and professionals from the community.”
The event’s main sponsors were Domino’s, Java Moes, and Mario’s Italian Restaurant. Prizes were supplied by Pyro’s and Mark Killingsworth former Dillard’s executive and USM Executive-in-Residence. The Hardy Street Boys will be featuring a winner on their podcast in the coming weeks.
Top presentations included:
- Best in Proposal - Landon McFarland, “Fighting the Stigma: Consumers' Perceptions of Frontline Employees with Disabilities.” Major: Marketing and Applied Economics (double major). Hometown: Diamondhead, Miss.
- Runner Up for Best in Proposal - Robbie McDonald, “If You Build It, They Will Learn: An Analysis of How Classroom Environments Affect Student Mental Wellbeing.” Major: Interior Design. Hometown: Metairie, La.
- Best in Final - Faiyaz Hussain, “Mississippi Aquarium Impact Analysis.” Major: Master of Science of Economic Development. Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Runner Up for Best in Final - Abigail Douglas, “Naval Air Station Meridian Economic& Fiscal Impact Analysis 2021.” Major: Master of Science of Economic Development. Hometown: Brookhaven, Miss.
- People’s Choice - Ka’lon Duncanson, “What Do Mississippi Gulf Coast Divers Value in their Diving Experience?” Major: Marketing. Hometown: Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas
Other presentations included:
“Social Justice Initiatives’ Influence on College Students’ Sense of Community,” Elizabeth Jones
“Consumer Perceptions of Cause-Marketing Tactics: Checkout Charities,” Shaylee Ferguson
“NIL: Monitoring the Effects of a Game-Changing Policy,” Charlie Luttrell
“Understanding Perceptions in the Southeast: A Qualitative Analysis on PopCorners,” Taylor Bonvillion, Shauana Brown, and Morgan Kelley
“3D Doritos: A Frito-Lay Partnership,” Mary Wright and Makayla Payne
“All Bodies Are Created Equal: The Effects of Body Equality on Holistic Wellbeing,” Victoria Jones
“I Want to Treat Myself: How Opportunity Cost Salience Inhibits Reward Point Donations,” Clancy Slay
“Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ: A Qualitative Research Study,” Dylan Dominguez and Craig Watson
“Frito-Lay Multipack: A Qualitative Research Study,” Morgan Lomen and Elizabeth Stieffel
“Slidell Waterfront,” Florence Maillot
“Sports Betting and Fantasy Sports Participants' Ticket Purchase Intentions: The Moderating Role of Team Identification,” Yongjoon Bae
“Luxury State of Mind: Implications of Luxury Branding Strategy on Luxury Consumer Segments,” Lauren Beverly
“Conceptualization of Perceived Service Innovation: A Mixed-Method Study,” Sophie Unson