Alpaslan Akay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Gothenburg, where he has been employed since 2013. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Gothenburg (2008), with prior doctoral training at Istanbul University (2005–2008). His research spans behavioral and experimental economics, happiness economics, migration economics, and applied microeconometrics, with a recent focus on positional concerns and teaching pedagogy. He actively collaborates across disciplines and serves as a referee for top journals. Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Gothenburg (2008) Master of Mathematical Statistics, Istanbul University Bachelor of Economics, Istanbul University Research Focus: His work examines positional behavior, immigrant assimilation, and well-being dynamics. Notable areas include the economic impacts of migration, the role of empathy in decision-making, and the interplay of relative income concerns with health and labor market outcomes. He also explores innovative pedagogical strategies in economics education. Professional Contributions: Organized large-scale economics conferences Member of high-profile scientific committees Referee for leading economics journals Key Themes in Publications: Happiness economics and positional concerns Immigrant labor market integration Experimental analysis of social behavior Policy implications of well-being metrics
Charles Spence is Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Somerville College, where he heads the Crossmodal Research Laboratory. His work bridges cognitive neuroscience with real-world applications in multisensory design, spanning food science, human-computer interaction, and environmental psychology. Spence's research centers on how the brain integrates sensory inputs (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) to form unified perceptual experiences. This foundational work drives innovations in sensory marketing, product design, and human factors engineering, with significant implications for optimizing everyday interactions with technology and environments. His approach combines rigorous laboratory experimentation with industry collaborations to translate theoretical insights into practical solutions. Recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward applied crossmodal research, particularly in consumer contexts. His 2025 output reveals growing emphasis on digital commerce environments, nature-food perception interactions, and multisensory flavor enhancement—showcasing how sensory cues can be strategically deployed to influence behavior in retail, dining, and digital platforms. His major recognitions include: 10th Experimental Psychology Society Prize British Psychology Society Cognitive Section Award Paul Bertelson Award (Young European Cognitive Psychologist of the Year) Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award 2008 IG Nobel Prize for Nutrition (for 'sonic crisp' research) Spence maintains extensive industry partnerships, having consulted for Toyota on multisensory warning systems, ICI on environmental psychology, and Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant on culinary innovation. His research attracts significant commercial funding through these collaborations, though specific grant details aren't publicly itemized. The Crossmodal Research Laboratory operates as an interdisciplinary hub where psychologists, neuroscientists, and industry partners investigate sensory integration mechanisms. Current projects focus on optimizing driver alert systems, designing immersive food experiences, and understanding how built environments affect cognitive performance—maintaining Spence's legacy of translating basic science into tangible human benefits.
Unnati Narang is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration and John M. Jones Fellow of Marketing at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Gies College of Business. She also holds affiliations with the Deloitte Foundation Center for Business Analytics, the University of Illinois-Personalized Nutrition Initiative, and the Informatics Department. Her research focuses on mobile marketing, consumer mobility, and digital engagement, employing methods like causal modeling and machine learning. She has published in leading journals like Journal of Marketing Research and Marketing Science . Education: PhD in Marketing (Texas A&M University), Master of Commerce (Delhi School of Economics), Bachelor of Commerce (Shri Ram College of Commerce). Research Interests: Mobile Marketing, Service Marketing, Retailing, AI applications in education, and consumer mobility. Methodological strengths include econometrics and deep learning. Awards: 2023 Poets&Quants Professor of the Year, 2022 Excellence in Research Award, multiple Emerging Scholar recognitions, and the PITA Award for AI in education. Teaching: Courses include Marketing Analytics, Business Analytics, and MOOCs with over 60K enrollments. She founded the Marketing Analytics Group (MARG) at UIUC and mentors doctoral committees. Labs/Teams: Active in the Deloitte Analytics Center, UIUC’s Personalized Nutrition Initiative, and collaborates with global institutions like Rotman School of Management and INSEAD.
Sonika Singh is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Business School and serves as the Marketing Postgraduate Program Director. She holds a PhD in Management Science from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research focuses on Digital Marketing, Marketing Analytics, and Retail Strategy, with emphasis on AI applications, consumer information search, and sustainability. She has been recognized with awards including the 2020 UTS Learning and Teaching Team Citation Award and Top Teaching List 2023. Education: PhD in Management Science (UT Dallas, 2012) Industry Experience: Market research roles at Sandvik Asia, Kirloskar Oil Engines, and Premier Automobiles Her research explores topics such as Google search advertising, social media marketing, and AI-driven recommendation systems. She has presented at international marketing conferences and published in journals like Journal of Retailing and Customer Needs and Solutions . Recent funded projects include examining geographic disparities in aged care access and evaluating domestic violence support programs. She actively engages in social impact initiatives, including volunteering for Survivor Vision Australia. Awards: UTS Teaching Citation (2020), Social Impact Grant (2023) In teaching, she combines industry insights with research expertise, delivering courses in Digital Marketing, Marketing Analytics, and Business Statistics. She supervises PhD students in areas like predictive analytics in fast fashion and social media brand analysis.
Prof. Emanuel Gomes is Professor of Strategy and International Business at Nova SBE (Universidade Nova de Lisboa) and Academic Director of Executive Education. With a PhD from Coventry University, he researches M&A, strategic alliances, servitization, and international business. Former Associate Dean for Digital Transformation and Deputy Head at Birmingham Business School. Research contributions : Developed frameworks for acquisition partner selection and post-merger integration Pioneered studies on servitization in emerging economies Authored 50+ peer-reviewed articles in top journals including Journal of International Business Studies Industry engagement : Collaborations with Chatham House, UK Trade and Industry, British Embassy Angola, and multinational corporations including MG Motor.
Dr. Asieh Hosseini Tabaghdehi is a Senior Lecturer in Strategy & Business Economy at Brunel Business School, Brunel University of London. She serves as Programme Lead for the BSc International Business Programme and Trade2Grow Executive Education Programme. Additionally, she is Impact Lead at the Brunel Centre for AI: Social and Digital Innovation, where she leads the capability area in the Future of Work. Dr. Tabaghdehi is also an economist and social impact advisor for the independent NGO, Social Innovation Movement. Dr. Tabaghdehi earned her PhD in Economics and Finance (2008) and MSc in International Money, Finance, and Investment (2015), both from Brunel University London. She also holds a BA in Theoretical Economics from University of Mazandaran. She completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Dr. Tabaghdehi is internationally recognized for her research on digital transformation, with particular expertise in the ethical integration of artificial intelligence and digital technologies. Her work focuses on how emerging technologies shape industries, labor markets, and society, with emphasis on enhancing SME growth through technological innovation. She explores applications across critical sectors including social care, supply chain management, and environmental sustainability. A central theme in her research is smart data governance, ensuring ethical, transparent, and responsible use of data in decision-making processes. Her research portfolio demonstrates a consistent focus on the intersection of technology, ethics, and business strategy. She has developed frameworks like the Digital Business Auditing Framework, which has been adopted internationally for smart city initiatives. Her work connects academic research with practical policy applications, as evidenced by her presentations as oral and written evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee. Her publications span AI ethics, digital footprint implications, fertility economics, and healthcare cost analysis, showing interdisciplinary breadth while maintaining thematic coherence around digital transformation's societal impact. Scientific Awards and Recognition Semi-finalist: Research Impact Award at Brunel University London, 2023 Staff Award: Exceptional in Collegiality and Supportive to Colleagues at Brunel University London, 2022 Exceptional Performance at Regents University London, 2018-19 Staff Award in Teaching, Learning and Assessment at Regents University London, 2016 Best Lecturer Award at London Brunel International College, 2014 Best Lecturer Award at London Brunel International College, 2013 Dr. Tabaghdehi actively supervises PhD students researching areas including Smart Data Governance, Ethical AI Governance, Digital Innovation Impact, Responsible AI Adoption Strategies, Sustainability, and Future of Labour Market. She has secured research funding from multiple sources including the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), Brunel University London, and Brunel Business School. Her current projects include research on AI Adoption and Governance, Youth digital addiction, Algorithm Reliability Framework, and SMEs digital footprints. She has also co-designed the "Digital Adoption" module for the UK Government's Help to Grow Management program, demonstrating the practical application of her research. As a member of multiple professional organizations, Dr. Tabaghdehi serves as an associate practitioner at Social Value International, associate member of the Big Innovation Centre, and member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI. She is also a member of the ESRC Review College, British Academy of Management Review College, and Energy Institute UK, contributing to the broader academic and policy communities through these roles.
Sarah Xiao is a Professor of Marketing and Head of Department at Durham University Business School, with a dual role as Programme Director for the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) at Fudan University, China. As a consumer psychologist, her work bridges technology, marketing, and behavioral analysis in retail, tourism, and digital economies. Her research spans: Behavioral Change in consumer decision-making Consumer Analytics (AI, Big Data, Machine Learning) Illicit Consumption and consumer misbehavior Neuroscience in marketing and consumer choice Mobile Commerce and Digital Marketing strategies Recent publications focus on AI-driven consumer behavior, social media revenge typologies, and predictive modeling in tourism demand forecasting. She supervises PhD students including Bai Dan, Matthew He, Coco Li, and Shujun Xiao, while collaborating with global institutions and private-sector partners. Her work has attracted significant research funding and appears in leading journals like Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and Annals of Tourism Research .
CHIEN-WEI CHEN is Professor and Chairman of the Department of International Business at National Chengchi University's College of Commerce. With over two decades of service at NCCU, he progressed from Assistant Professor (2000) to Associate Professor (2012) and full Professor (2019), concurrently serving as Department Chair (2023-2026). His research specializes in marketing strategy, international business, and competitive analysis, with particular focus on technology product launches and consumer behavior dynamics. Education: Ph.D. in Business Administration, University of Warwick (1996-2000) M.S. in Business Administration, National Taiwan University (1988-1990) B.S. in Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University (1983-1987) Research Focus: Dr. Chen's work bridges marketing strategy and behavioral economics, examining how technological disruption influences consumer decisions (e.g., smartphone upgrades), how firms signal value through product preannouncements, and how co-branding strategies shape market perceptions. His research consistently applies empirical methods to high-technology contexts in international markets. Publication Trends: His 15 most recent articles (2002-2023) reveal three dominant themes: 1) Strategic signaling in product launches and financial markets, 2) Psychological drivers of technology adoption/upgrading, and 3) Cross-border marketing efficiency. Methodologically, they combine behavioral experiments, event studies of stock reactions, and empirical analyses of firm strategies. Awards & Honors: 20-Year Outstanding Teacher Award (NCCU, 2020) 10-Year Outstanding Teacher Award (NCCU, 2010) International Research Excellence Award (NCCU, 2006) Research Leadership: As Principal Investigator for 10+ National Science and Technology Council projects (2013-2021), he secured funding for studies on consumer technology adoption patterns, signaling theory applications in marketing, and service innovation frameworks. Projects include 'Fear of Product Obsolescence' (2013-2015) and 'Upgrade Decisions for High-Tech Durables' (2015-2017).
Joel Mero is an Associate Professor at the School of Business and Economics, University of Jyväskylä , leading the Digital Marketing and Communication (DMC) research group and directing the International Master's Program in Digital Marketing and Corporate Communication (DMCC) . He holds a D.Sc. (Econ.) from Jyväskylä University (2016) and has designed over 20 courses across 10 institutions, covering all academic levels from Bachelor to Doctoral. His research focuses on B2B digital marketing management , particularly leveraging digital data and technologies in business markets. Notable achievements include two Best Paper Awards (2017 & 2019) in the Industrial Marketing Management journal. His work explores topics such as influencer marketing, big data analytics, marketing agility, and AI-driven strategies. Current research groups include the Sound Science Lab (music perception) and Digital Marketing and Communication (DMC) . He collaborates on projects like the Finnish Quantum Flagship , aiming to advance quantum technology applications. Mero emphasizes practical applications of digital tools, bridging academic insights with industry needs. Publications span conceptual frameworks, empirical studies, and industry guides, with a focus on B2B customer journeys, AI in content creation, and data-driven decision-making. His teaching and research highlight agility, innovation, and the ethical use of emerging technologies in marketing.
Shu-Jung Sunny Yang is a Professor and Chair in Operations Management at the School for Business and Society, University of York. He has held faculty positions at institutions including the University of Melbourne, University of Essex, and National Taiwan University, alongside administrative roles such as department head and research centre director. He earned his PhD in Management from the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of Sydney and University of New South Wales. His research focuses on Supply Chain Resilience, Sustainable Operations, and Data-Driven Operations, combining formal theory, data science, and operational research. Recent work includes modeling supply chain collaboration for medical mask distribution during disruptions and exploring altruistic venturing through community-based approaches. His book Building Resilience: Consistent Re-rationalisation in Digital Transformation and Business Inheritance won the 2022 Golden Book Award in Taiwan. Awards: 2022 Golden Book Award (Taiwan) 2004 Sasakawa Young Leader Fellow (Japan) 2019 Ta-Yu Wu Memorial Award (Taiwan) Yang leads the Human futures in the digital transformation interdisciplinary cluster. His teaching includes Operations Management and Supply Chain Management. He currently serves as a guest editor for Transportation Research Part E and holds editorial roles at Journal of General Management and Journal of Management and Systems . Research grants include the British Academy-funded project on Optimising Product Line Design in Professional Service Operations . He actively collaborates with industry and academia, emphasizing practical applications of operations strategy.
Dr. Ying Zhu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies at the Lang School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph. She holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from Texas A&M University, alongside master’s degrees in Computer Science (Minzu University, China) and Management (University of Lethbridge, Canada). Previously, she served as an Associate Professor at UBC Okanagan. Her research focuses on digital marketing, consumer behavior, marketing analytics, and the impact of technology (e.g., AI, Metaverse) on consumer decisions. She has published 19 peer-reviewed articles since 2017, many in top-tier journals like American Psychologist and European Journal of Marketing . Her work explores themes such as brand extension strategies, digital advertising effectiveness, and sustainability initiatives. Dr. Zhu has received significant funding through SSHRC grants and has been recognized for her teaching excellence, including the Golden Apple Award. She actively advises graduate students and volunteers with community organizations like the Kelowna Museums Society. Her research on smartphone-induced consumer behavior has garnered media attention in outlets like Time Magazine , Global News , and Science Daily .
Elmira Djafarova serves as the Head of the Marketing Subject Group in the Department of Marketing, Operations, and Systems at Northumbria University's Faculty of Business and Law. She holds a PhD in Tourism and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her academic leadership includes roles as Programme Director for Top-Up and Postgraduate Business programmes, focusing on enhancing international student experiences through initiatives like the International Mentoring Scheme. Her research spans digital influencers, social media engagement, consumer behavior, and tourism marketing. Notable contributions include studies on influencer credibility, crisis resilience via digital technology, and Generation Z's ethical consumption patterns. She has authored over 30 journal articles in outlets like *Computers in Human Behavior* and *Tourism Analysis*, and actively reviews for *Tourism Management* and *Journal of Advertising Research*. Research Interests: Electronic Word of Mouth, Social Media Analytics, Crisis Communication, Digital Marketing Professional Roles: Associate Editor for *Journal of Marketing Management*, Programme Chair at the Academy of Marketing Conference (2016) Recent work explores the impact of data usage patterns in Africa and the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions against fake news. She supervises PhD candidates researching cancel culture, showrooming behavior, and university search experiences. Djafarova has presented keynotes at the Operational Research Society and participates in international conferences on marketing innovation and digital transformation.
Dr. Anna Grudecka is an Assistant Professor at the Warsaw School of Economics , affiliated with the Department of International Business . Her work bridges marketing, international business, and cultural studies. Research Focus: Consumer behavior in global markets, country-of-origin effects, cultural values in branding, and digital platform dynamics. Publications: Recent studies explore cross-border e-commerce, charitable crowdfunding, and the interplay of cultural values with digital marketing strategies. Her work spans 2015–2025, with recent emphasis on pandemic-related shifts and multi-sided platform economics. Awards: No scientific awards explicitly mentioned in available sources. Advising: No student names provided in public records.
Indranil Bose is a Distinguished Professor and Head of the Area of Excellence in AI, Data Science, and Business at NEOMA Business School, with a Ph.D. in Management from Purdue University. He specializes in business analytics, big data, and digital transformation, leveraging expertise from prior roles at IIM Calcutta, University of Hong Kong, University of Florida, and UT Arlington. Education: Ph.D. in Management (Purdue University, 1997) M.S. (Purdue University) M.S. (University of Iowa) B.Tech (IIT Kharagpur) Research Focus: His work spans predictive analytics, social media impact on business, innovation management, cybersecurity, fintech, and AI ethics. Key themes include consumer behavior in digital ecosystems, AI-driven decision systems, and ethical implications of emerging technologies. Publication Trends: Recent articles emphasize AI ethics, digital misinformation, and predictive modeling in finance/healthcare, reflecting a focus on societal impacts of technology. Methodologies include deep learning, sentiment analysis, and causal inference. Awards & Recognition: Winner, EFMD 2017 Case Competition Ranked 29th globally for Information Systems research productivity (2005–2014) Editorial Leadership: Senior Editor for Decision Support Systems and Pacific Asia Journal of the AIS ; Associate Editor for Information & Management , Journal of the AIS , and Communications of the AIS .
Samuel Levy is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration in the Marketing Area at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. He teaches the marketing core course for the full-time MBA program and holds a B.S. in Economics from École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, an M.S. in Marketing from Tilburg University, and a Ph.D. in Marketing from Carnegie Mellon University. His research focuses on customer analytics , data fusion , and privacy-preserving methodologies in marketing. He employs Bayesian econometrics , probabilistic machine learning , and deep generative models to address challenges in brand affinity, CRM optimization, and decision-making complexity. His work includes innovations like digital marketing twins for counterfactual analysis and privacy-preserving data fusion techniques for telecom industries. While no scientific awards or student advisement details are explicitly mentioned, his methodological contributions in Gaussian processes and Bayesian nonparametrics advance choice modeling and charitable giving research. He actively collaborates with scholars like Longxiu Tian and Alan Montgomery on high-impact projects.
