Kellogg faculty and alumni named 2017 MSI Young Scholars

12/1/2016 - This year, the Kellogg School of Management is proud to recognize two Kellogg faculty members and four Kellogg alumni as 2017 Marketing Science Institute’s (MSI) Young Scholars. This group of accomplished men and women account for an impressive 20 percent of this year’s MSI honorees.

Bringing the “best of science to the complex world of marketing,” MSI distinguishes rising stars whose novel research already hints at their game-changing potential. Kellogg marketing professors Blake McShane and Song Yao were named to the esteemed group of scholars for 2017. Kellogg alumni Andea Bonezzi (New York University), Aaron Brough (Utah State), David Dubois (INSEAD) and Kanishka Misra (University of Michigan) were also members of this select cohort of scholars.

Focusing on individuals who earned their PhDs within the past four to seven years, the biennial program uniquely shines a spotlight on junior-level faculty. It often serves as an early indicator of success for budding thought leaders in the field.

“This is an incredibly strong showing for Kellogg,” says Angela Lee, Mechthild Esser Nemmers Professor of Marketing and Chair of the Marketing Department. “It demonstrates our commitment to mentoring our students and the reputation of our department.”

In January, promising Young Scholars from around the world will gather at a MSI-hosted conference in Utah to present their research and spark collaboration. McShane, associate professor of marketing, will share his work on applying statistical methodology to enhance reproducibility in the complex area of consumer psychology. Assistant professor Yao will discuss his quantitative findings on the power of social media and its influence on consumer behavior. In recent work, Yao and colleagues discovered that microblogging, indeed, had an impact on TV viewership thanks to a government shutdown of China’s equivalent to Twitter several years ago.

Named a Young Scholar in 2015, Kellogg faculty member Kelly Goldsmith will participate in the upcoming conference. Goldsmith studies consumer response to uncertainty. She has found that in times of resource scarcity, while selfishness increases so does self-improvement. “By working harder or getting smarter, people can improve their competitive fitness to get even more of what remains,” says Goldsmith.

MSI launched the Young Scholars Program in 2001. Of the 29 individuals it recognized, Lee was the first Kellogg faculty member represented at the time. Today, Kellogg proudly counts among its faculty 11 MSI honorees.