Four professors in the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University have earned Dean’s Club Research Prizes. They are, pictured clockwise from top left, Dr. Joseph Cazier, Dr. Edgar Hassler, Dr. Lubna Nafees and Dr. Jason Xiong.
The Dean’s Club Research prize recognizes and rewards innovative business research at Appalachian that reflects the Walker College of Business mission, vision and values, while aligning with the UN 17 sustainable development goals.
The prizes were awarded during the Walker College of Business’ annual Sywassink Day of Excellence on April 29, 2021.
First Prize: Designing a smart honey supply chain for sustainable development
Drs. Joseph Cazier and Edgar Hassler earned first place and a $5,000 prize for their research paper Designing a Smart Honey Supply Chain for Sustainable Development.
In it, the researchers propose a system and smartphone technology to restore the trust of consumers who buy premium honey products and simultaneously give beekeepers access to premium honey markets where they can earn a fair price for their product.
The research touches on several of the SDGs, according to Dr. Dennis Guignet, who earned the first prize last year and presented this year’s award.
Related: Three earn Dean's Club Research Prizes
Dr. Joseph Cazier
Dr. Joseph Cazier is a professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems. Dr. Cazier, a past recipient of the Walker College’s Sywassink Award for Excellence in Research, is a leader in the field of analytics and has published and worked extensively on grant-funded projects using analytics to build a better world, especially in the areas of education and sustainability. He holds a Dean’s Club Professorship in the Walker College of Business.
Related: Seven earn professorships in Walker College of Business
Dr. Edgar Hassler
Dr. Ed Hassler, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems and chief data officer for the Center for Analytic Research and Education, co-authored the first prize research paper.
Dr. Hassler's primary research interests are in the areas of evidence-based decision support, systems/software development, analytics and artificial intelligence. He is a past Chancellor’s Innovation Scholar.
Related: Winners announced for 2019 Chancellor’s Innovation Scholars Program
For the ’Gram”: An Exploration of the Conflict between Influencers and Citizen-Consumers in the Public Lands Marketing System
Dr. Lubna Nafees
Dr. Lubna Nafees, an associate professor in the Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management, earned a $2,500 prize for her paper, For the ’Gram: An Exploration of the Conflict between Influencers and Citizen-Consumers in the Public Lands Marketing System.
Dr. Nafees’ research interests include social media and sustainable and conscious consumption, and this paper studies how social media influencers shape the attitudes, perceptions and buying habits of consumers.
Related: For ‘the gram’: App State’s Dr. Lubna Nafees studies social media influencers
Equitable Healthcare Provision: Uncovering the Impact of the Mobility Effect on Human Development
Dr. Jason Xiong
The other $2,500 prize was awarded to Dr. Jason Xiong, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems.
His research, Equitable Healthcare Provision: Uncovering the Impact of the Mobility Effect on Human Development, contributes to UN SDGs #10, reducing inequality, and #3, promoting well-being. The paper was published in 2020 in Information Systems Management.
Dr. Xiong's research focuses on IT for development (IT4D), e-commerce, and the value of information systems. He serves as communication editor for Journal of Information Technology for Development and as an editorial board member for Journal of Database Management and Journal of Information Systems Applied Research. Dr. Xiong is the Vice President for Communication for Association for Information Systems (AIS) SigGlobDev and a founding member of IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS)’s Technical Committee (TC) on Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT).
About the Dean’s Club Research Prize
The Dean's Club Research Prize supports and rewards Appalachian State University business faculty who are engaged in mission-driven, high impact and innovative scholarly work. The winners are selected by an interdisciplinary committee of business faculty members.
Past recipients of the Dean’s Club Research prize are:
- Pia Albinsson (2018-19)
- Neel Das (2019-20)
- David Dickinson (2018-19)
- Dennis Guignet (2019-20)
- Brandy Hadley (2019-20)
- Rajat Panwar (2018-19)
- David Shows (2018-19)
The awards are funded by the Walker College of Business Dean's Club.
About the Dean's Club
The Walker College Dean's Club is an annual giving society designed to benefit our students and faculty while enhancing our academic programs. Contributions from Dean's Club members provide unrestricted support each year for critical needs in the college such as: student scholarships, travel funds for faculty and students to attend course-related conferences and/or visits to corporations, seed money for new programs or opportunities within the college, and resources to bring guest lecturers, such as leaders in business and government, to the classroom. Become a member, or learn more online, business.appstate.edu/partner/give/deans-club.
About Faculty Research in the Walker College of Business
Walker College of Business faculty produce and disseminate extensive research through both academic and professional communities. In the last five years, faculty members have published approximately 400 peer-reviewed academic journal articles, 130 conference proceedings and made more than 400 conference and professional presentations in 170 different venues. In total, the faculty has produced more than 700 individual intellectual contributions in basic discovery research, more than 400 contributions in applied or integrative research and 240 contributions in teaching and learning research. For more information, visit business.appstate.edu/faculty/research.
Four professors in the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University have earned Dean’s Club Research Prizes. They are, pictured clockwise from top left, Dr. Joseph Cazier, Dr. Edgar Hassler, Dr. Lubna Nafees and Dr. Jason Xiong.
From top left, clockwise, are Joseph Cazier, Edgar Hassler, Lubna Nafees and Jason Xiong