Academics

Marketing colloquium gives Smeal doctoral students access to top researchers

Andrew Petersen, associate professor of marketing, talks about his research during the 8th Annual Marketing Academic Research Colloquium. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business recently hosted the 8th Annual Marketing Academic Research Colloquium (MARC) in the Nittany Lion Inn and Business Building on the University Park campus.

MARC brings together five of the top marketing departments from universities in the Mid-Atlantic region, including the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Maryland, Georgetown University, and the University of Virginia, as well as Smeal.

In opening remarks, Russell Barton, Smeal’s senior associate dean for research and faculty, noted that these five universities have published more than 100 papers in leading marketing journals over the past five years.

More than 60 faculty members and doctoral students came together to strengthen relationships and discuss cutting-edge research. “Networking across institutions is important to Ph.D. students and junior faculty to make connections that might influence future collaboration,” said Karen Winterich, chair of the MARC organizing committee for Smeal, professor of marketing, and Frank and Mary Smeal Research Fellow.

MARC opened with a doctoral consortium and also included doctoral student poster presentations. Part I of the doctoral consortium focused on the research paper review process and included editors and associate editors from six leading marketing journals, including:

  • Journal of Marketing Research
  • Journal of Consumer Research
  • International Journal of Research in Marketing
  • Journal of Public Policy and Marketing
  • Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
  • Journal of Consumer Psychology

In Part II of the consortium, students and faculty were grouped by seniority as well as research area, so students could focus on questions more relevant to their interests and stage in the doctoral program.

Part III of the consortium, titled “Research Ideas: Worth Moving Forward?,” arranged faculty and students into five groups. Each student was then able to make a brief 2-3-minute pitch regarding one of their research ideas to the group and receive feedback on their idea.

“I was able to present my research in a poster session and receive valuable and immediate feedback,” said Gretchen Wilroy, a Smeal marketing doctoral student. “I am using the feedback to progress my research project.”

On the second day of the colloquium, one faculty member from each university gave a presentation on a recent research project.

“This was my first time at MARC, so I didn’t know what to expect, but it was a great experience,” said Smeal marketing doctoral student Franziska Schmid. “I learned a lot from the diverse viewpoints during the research presentations. Additionally, it was great to meet faculty in a more personal setting and get the chance to ask questions in small groups of students and faculty. I also enjoyed making connections with other Ph.D. students and learn about their research.”

Penn State Smeal also hosted the colloquium in 2013.

Last Updated July 3, 2018

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