• The Marketing Department at Pamplin College of Business hosted a Virginia Tech & University of Virginia Research Camp on October 18, 2024, to foster collaboration and innovation between the two universities. The event featured presentations of ongoing research, feedback sessions for PhD Student dissertations, and roundtable discussions on impactful research practices. Dean Saonee Sarkar and Associate Dean for Research Rajesh Bagchi emphasized the importance of building a vibrant research community across institutions and producing rigorous, meaningful contributions to the marketing field. The camp strengthened ties between the universities while cultivating impactful ideas for future academic work. 

  • On November 15th, faculty and staff from Women in Marketing and Sales (WIMS) convened for a Mini-Workshop focused on Practical Applications of AI in Teaching, Research, and Administrative Work. Led by Professors Monica Hillison, Shilpa Rao, and Boya Xu, the session offered interactive, hands-on demonstrations and practical strategies for utilizing AI tools like Large-Language Models (LLMs) to streamline administrative processes, enhance research capabilities, and elevate teaching practices. Participants explored various tools and innovative methods for integrating ChatGPT into their workflows, sparking lively discussions and generating fresh ideas for academic applications. The workshop was highly successful, providing valuable insights and inspiring attendees to harness AI's transformative potential in their professional endeavors. 

  • Professor of Marketing, Shane Wang, has been awarded 2024 Marketing Science Institute (MSI) Scholar - Shane joins Professor Jian Ni (MSI Scholar 2020) and Associate Dean Rajesh Bagchi (MSI Scholar 2020) as a new member of the esteemed scholar group. The MSI Scholars program was established to bring together a select group of mid-career level academics, with the purpose of recognizing individuals’ excellence in scholarship, developing a cohort across marketing disciplines and strengthening ties between scholars and MSI. His research focuses on artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques with applications in business and social media analytics, firm strategy, and management. His current research and teaching interest maps the relative strategic positions of competitors where they matter most – in the minds of customers.