Twenty Kennesaw State students presented their research among marketing professionals at this year’s Atlantic Marketing Association Conference in New Orleans, a historical achievement for the annual event.
The Atlantic Marketing Association Conference’s 43-year anniversary was held from Sept. 26-29 in New Orleans, Louisiana, under the leadership of Executive Director Dr. Deborah Lester. The conference showcased research that looked at the challenges marketing academics and practitioners face.
Since its inception, the conference has only consisted of research submitted by marketing professionals and educators, but this year, 30 student researchers from nine universities were also invited to share their findings.
Conference Chair Dr. Leila Borders said that KSU sent the largest delegation of both undergraduate and graduate students by filling up 20 of the 30 available spots for student researchers.
Borders said that other KSU students also played instrumental parts in this year’s conference. Camille Carpenter Henriquez and Muhammad Bilal designed the program and served as photographer and on-site logistics coordinator, respectively. Henriquez, Bilal, Carly Keller, Megan Colapinto and Jefferson Beard also served as session chairs, engaging in service activities on behalf of the university.
Borders was instrumental in establishing a new Student Illustrations track along with co-track chairs Dr. Jennifer Hutchins and Dr. Mona Sinha. The track allowed students to present research alongside marketing faculty.
According to the Atlantic Marketing Association website, the tracks for the conference consisted of general and special topics of marketing such as advertising, analytics and experiential learning.
Borders said that students had an opportunity to engage in academic conversations with faculty from other schools and business personnel that are working in their perspective fields.
Borders also said that student researchers would be able to add two new lines to their resumes, one for their presentation and another for their academic publication, which for many of the students, was their first.
Beard is a KSU marketing major who presented an abstract called “Marketing to Seniors: Adapting Strategies to Meet Evolving Generations.”
“The Atlantic Marketing Conference exposed me to so many great people and opportunities,” Beard said. “The faculty created an atmosphere of support and encouragement that allowed me and my fellow students to prosper and gain invaluable knowledge.”
KSU had several student researchers receive awards for their outstanding research, Borders said.
Clay Wilderman and his co-authors received the Undergraduate Outstanding Case Study award for their abstract, “Namaste in the USA: The Growing Pains Yoga Faces in American Culture.”
Christine Billen received the Graduate Outstanding Abstract award for her work, “What Does Mentoring Have to Do with It? Effects on Multi-Faceted Role Ambiguity.”
Mizzani Walker-Holmes and her co-authors received the Undergraduate Outstanding Paper award for their work, “Food for Thought: Analyzing Public Opinion on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”
“As students took to the podium to share their research with newfound poise and professionalism, we saw them transformed from nervous, anxious participants into confident, self-assured researchers,” Borders said.
This was the first year the conference was totally electronic, and in previous years students would submit their research via email. Borders said the conference utilized the DigitalCommons technology for the conference. According to the KSU website, DigitalCommons is a permanent digital archive of the intellectual and creative output of the university community.
“We as faculty have a responsibility to students that isn’t just to provide them education from a textbook, but to socialize them into the business world,” Borders said. “Faculty are human too and we can relate to students outside of the classroom in other academic settings.”
