THE REACH OF RESEARCH

A two-sided coin, the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration leads the way in both quality education and outstanding research. The latter often receives less exposure, but is no less critical.

Research fuels the success of students, faculty, communities, and the College. It attracts the finest educators to teach at the NCoBPA. It creates a platform for students and faculty to collaborate. It invites leading scholars to inspire students through seminars and lectures. It grows into transformational programs across the region.

“Research constitutes a core mission of flagship universities and can bring about discoveries that have major societal impact,” says Dr. Chih Ming Tan, NCoBPA Associate Dean of Research.

Dr. Tan explains that career advancement for scholars — in the form of promotions or tenure — is largely dependent on research productivity.

“To the extent that we cultivate and nurture a research environment, we simultaneously strengthen our ability to recruit and retain the most talented professors at UND. He adds, “And, naturally, we want our students to be trained by the best!”

There is a personal dimension to this issue as well. In the vast majority of cases, people who become scholars could have chosen to pursue other lucrative careers, but they instead chose to dedicate a significant number of years toward completing a doctoral degree.

Dr. Tan says, “This tells us that these are people who find deep fulfillment in the creative process, the freedom to pursue discoveries, and the opportunity to share their work. They are truly passionate about pushing forward the intellectual frontier in their subject areas. The enthusiasm they bring to students is infectious and directly contributes to student outcomes.”

“And that is why it is important for us to build and sustain a strong research culture at UND – it is a key ingredient in persuading others to join our community and to invest in our success just as we invest in theirs,” states Dr. Tan.

Each year, NCoBPA alumni throughout the world recognize the impact of research and graciously provide their support.

One way they do this is by supporting seminars and lectures, which bring top researchers to campus to interact with faculty and students.

Sponsored by UND alumnus Paul Korus, the College’s Korus Seminar Series in Economics and Finance has, for nearly a decade, featured speakers from University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Federal Reserve, and other well-known organizations.

Korus and fellow alumni Jim Williams and Rick Burgum, have also funded a distinguished lectureship series that allows the College to welcome eminent scholars in economics to give public lectures at UND. Those scholars have included macroeconomist Dr. Robert Hall of Stanford University and health economist Dr. Janet Currie of Princeton University.

Seminar and lecture participants spend the day learning about recent discoveries. In the process, those from outside of North Dakota become more familiar with the NCoBPA’s research efforts.

“These seminars connect our faculty and students to the cutting edge of research in their disciplines and facilitate the active exchange of ideas,” says Dr. Tan. “Alumni support empowers us and our leaders to make an impact and to take this institution forward.”

Dr. Tan, who is a Page Endowed Chair in Applied Economics, notes the value of endowed faculty positions. “Wouldn’t it be great if students could learn from the very professors who wrote their textbooks? From people like Dr. Sean Valentine, a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor whose textbook on human resource management is now in its 14th edition.”

These professors bring extensive networks and program management expertise. The newly-hired Burwell Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship, Dr. Sanjay Goel, is a premiere researcher in the area of family business. Dr. Tan says, “Dr. Goel will be instrumental in helping us build out our Entrepreneurship programs, which have seen enormous interest from students.”

Similarly, Drs. Jason Jensen and David Flynn are establishing an applied research arm of the NCoBPA — the Institute of Policy and Business Analytics (IPBA).

Dr. Jensen, the IPBA’s Executive Director, says, “Our focus is on serving the state and region by providing study results that inform decision-making.”

The Institute creates opportunities for faculty and students to engage in all stages of the research process, involving everything from conducting surveys and focus groups to analyzing existing economic data.

This is where the NCoBPA’s unique competencies in both business and public administration become pivotal.

An affiliated faculty member for the IPBA, Dr. Tan says, “The NCoBPA has many key capabilities in data analytics, economic impact analysis, policy and regulation, business ethics, and entrepreneurship. We know that UND has many distinguishing strengths in aerospace, autonomous systems, energy, and rural health, to name a few.”

He describes the IPBA as a connection point between the NCoBPA and the greater UND community, which gives rise to multidisciplinary, synergistic effects. Many NCoBPA faculty members participate in grant applications and publish in peer-reviewed journals related to unmanned aircraft systems and energy production.

Dr. Tan says, “The Institute clearly demonstrates the value and impact of our College’s expertise to UND’s strategic mission.”

Since its inception in 2019, the IPBA has received numerous grants and research contracts from local and state entities, along with support from alumnus-donor Paul Korus.

The IPBA’s prominent location in the new Nistler Hall will, according to Dr. Jensen, “expand research partnerships and collaborations within the College, across campus, and beyond. We want to make an impact by becoming the go-to research center in the state to inform public policy and business decisions.”

Their efforts are already spurring change. The IPBA has connected NCoBPA faculty with state agencies such as the North Dakota Department of Commerce and Grand Forks Housing Authority.

They have examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workforce development and labor supply, business sentiment, and demographics.

“Their findings have resulted in white papers that have made their way to state lawmakers, as well as the executive branch,” says Dr. Tan.

Along with the faculty, research is also opening doors for students.

Dr. Jennifer Stoner, a recently tenured Associate Professor of Marketing and Morrison Endowed Fellow, actively engages students in her research.

One such student is Rijana Adhikari, who completed her second master’s degree at UND in May 2022.

Originally from Nepal, Adhikari grew up fascinated by her father’s work as a manager. She would frequently ask him how he became skilled at working with people of diverse backgrounds. Each time, he would respond, “It comes with experience.”

“I want to be you when I grow up,” she told him. Adhikari’s father had no formal business education, but he and other members of her family encouraged her to pursue UND’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

Adhikari, alongside her MBA coursework, served as a Graduate Assistant for Dr. Stoner.

“She let me know that if I ever wanted to do research on my own, I could,” says Adhikari.

Not until taking a required course in econometrics, however, did Adhikari fully realize her enjoyment for data analysis. She quickly turned to Dr. Stoner for consultation, who suggested she explore the Master of Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics (MSAEPA) program within the NCoBPA.

Adhikari was immediately drawn to this possibility, accompanied by the prospect of continuing her work with Dr. Stoner and the Marketing Department.

Shortly after graduating from the MBA program and joining the MSAEPA program, Adhikari began assisting Dr. Stoner with a study on anthropomorphism, the application of human features to nonhuman objects. An example of this marketing phenomenon is the collection of humanized candy characters for M&M’s, or Mr. Peanut for Planters nuts.

“We are researching how anthropomorphism impacts food consumption,” explains Adhikari. “We conducted online surveys and observed participants’ eating behaviors in a lab.”

Dr. Stoner and Adhikari are now in the process of submitting their study for journal publication.

Earlier in the year, meanwhile, Adhikari was given the chance to present their work at a university-wide event called the Three Minute Thesis (3MT). UND students nearing graduation compete for scholarships by summarizing their thesis projects within three minutes.

The Department of Economics & Finance connected her to another careeradvancing opportunity: an internship with the Energy and Environmental Research Center. There, she spent a summer analyzing the cost of using food waste to create biofuel.

Reflecting on the MSAEPA coursework, Adhikari says, “I don’t feel limited to only financial or data analysis jobs. The courses incorporate many computing programs like STATA, R, and SQL. This broadens my qualifications.”

All of Adhikari’s experiences at UND have expanded her professional network, strengthened her technical skill set, and clarified her personal goals. She is now exploring opportunities in analytics, human resources, and research with an interest in someday returning to school for a PhD in Economics.

As someone who has visited many parts of the world, Adhikari has grown fond of North Dakota. “I always tell my parents who are still living in Nepal, ‘It’s really cold outside, but when I enter the NCoBPA, the people are so warm that the cold outside doesn’t even matter anymore.’”

Adhikari says, “Whenever I meet new people, they smile back at me. This is what makes me want to stay. I love the people here and I love UND.”

From the faculty to the students, every corner of the UND campus is touched by research. Its reach, further magnified by generous alumni, will benefit individuals and communities long into the future.