MBA student Karlee Cook earned second place in Appalachian State University's 2025 Three-Minute Thesis competition for graduate student researchers.
Cook's research, “Chemical Accidents and Newborn Health: A Difference-in-differences Analysis,” and the associated presentation earned her a $400 award.
From left are Dr. Dennis Guignet, Karlee Cook and Dr. Ashley Colquitt, dean of the Cratis Williams School of Graduate Studies. Photo by Troy Tuttle.
The event, held at the Plemmons Student Union on Friday, November 21, featured three Walker College of Business students among the 20 students competing.
Related: Three Walker College of Business students to compete in App State’s Three-Minute Thesis
MS in Applied Data Analytics (MSADA) and MBA student Emily Charlip and MBA student Anna Silva were also selected to compete. Cook and Charlip advanced to the final round of the university-wide competition.
The students' research advisors, including Cook's advisor Dr. Dennis Guignet, an associate professor in the Department of Economics and a 2025 Dean's Club Research Prize winner, were in attendance. Also in attendance were Walker College Dean Sandra Vannoy, Walker College of Business Research Excellence Professor David Dickinson, and Associate Dean for Advanced Studies of Business Jason Xiong.
Each student’s project showcased how business research can address real-world challenges.
Emily Charlip, MSADA, MBA
Title: “Mind the (Gender) Gap: How YouTube Creators Shape Community Responses.”
Advisor: Dr. Jeff Kaleta
Emily Charlip presents at the 3MT competition at App State. Photo by Troy Tuttle
Karlee Cook, MBA
Title: “Chemical Accidents and Newborn Health: A Difference-in-differences Analysis.”
Advisor: Dr. Dennis Guignet
Karlee Cook presents at the 3MT competition at App State. Cook earned second place overall. Photo by Troy Tuttle
Anna Silva, MBA
Title: “Does the effect of drinking water pollution on home values diminish over time? A meta-analysis of property value studies.”
Advisor: Dr. Dennis Guignet
Anna Silva presents at the 3MT competition at App State. Photo submitted
"These projects highlight the breadth of graduate research in the Walker College of Business, from environmental and health impacts to digital media, gender, and community behavior," said Dr. Xiong. "Their success in the Three-Minute Thesis competition highlights the strength of graduate education in the Walker College."
Both the MSADA and MBA programs now offer an AI concentration, emphasizing data-driven, technology-enabled decision-making, which, together, position Walker College students at the forefront of AI-enabled business practice and research, according to Xiong.
View more photos from the event.
About Student Research in the Walker College of Business
Given the speed by which the world changes, students must develop the ability to adapt constantly. While the traditional classroom setting plays an important role, it may be complemented with other approaches that fully develop students' adaptive capabilities and enhance readiness for an ever-changing world. To reach this goal, the Walker College supports project-based applied research and learning opportunities through partnerships with external entities, encourages research collaboration across departments, campus, and other institutions, and promotes student involvement in faculty-led research. Learn more at business.appstate.edu/students/research.
From left are Dr. Jason Xiong, Emily Charlip, Dr. Jeff Kaleta, Dr. Sandra Vannoy, Dr. David Dickinson, Anna Silva, Karlee Cook, and Dr. Dennis Guignet
Walker College of Business representatives at App State's 3MT Competition (Photo submitted)