| Faculty who mentor undergraduate research, teach CURE courses, or support student projects are encouraged to participate. Faculty involvement is key to making this a meaningful and impactful experience for students and to strengthening the college’s culture of inquiry. |
Courses and Project Pathways
Projects featured in the showcase may come from a variety of instructional and research
contexts, including:
- CURE Courses
Course-based undergraduate research experiences where students engage in authentic
research questions and methods.
- Experiential Learning Projects
Applied, community-engaged, and industry-partnered projects that result in tangible
outcomes.
- Research-Oriented Courses and Mentored Projects
Capstone courses, independent studies, upper-division research classes, and faculty-led
or lab-based research.
|
Illustrative Student Projects
The examples below illustrate the breadth and depth of student scholarship appropriate
for the Undergraduate Research & Engagement Showcase.
Strategic Marketing in Film Sequels: Lessons from Wicked’s Record-Breaking Success
Student: Nell Chetrit
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heather Morgan
This project analyzes the marketing of the sensational and highly successful movie
Wicked, exploring how it became the highest-grossing Broadway film adaptation of all
time through its innovative and strategic promotional campaigns. Building on prior
research of the original Wicked release, this study focuses on the upcoming Wicked
Part 2 and the marketing tactics driving its continued success.
The project investigates how the franchise combats common challenges such as sequel
fatigue while maintaining strong audience engagement and excitement. Research will
include a student-based study examining how brand and promotional partnerships influence
enthusiasm for the sequel, how movie posters shape audience perception, and how trailers,
with and without audio, affect anticipation and overall enjoyment.
By comparing marketing strategies, audience reactions, and overall performance between
Wicked and Wicked Part 2, this project aims to uncover the factors that allow major
film studios to sustain consumer interest and achieve record-breaking box office results.
The final findings will be presented through a creative, data-driven presentation
in December 2025.
|
What Drives Franchise Chain Success? Exploring Experience, Public Ownership, and Marketing
Support
Students: Valerie Thomas, Kana Lewis, Dev Patel, Avery Seiz, Morgan Lucas, Lisbeth Gallardo,
Samuel Dunphy, Jayden Perdue
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melih Madanoglu
Franchising is a central component of the U.S. economy, encompassing more than 800,000
outlets and employing nearly nine million individuals, including over 300,000 franchised
restaurant units. Prior research shows that a higher proportion of franchised units
is generally associated with stronger firm profitability (Madanoglu et al., 2011),
yet limited evidence explains the organizational factors shaping chain-level financial
success. This study examines how franchising experience, public ownership status,
and local marketing support influence the financial performance of restaurant franchise
chains.
Data on 73 U.S. restaurant franchising chains was provided by FRANDATA and ranged
from 2016 to 2019 (274 firm-year observations). Financial performance is measured
as gross margin while controlling for royalty rates, franchise fees, geographic dispersion,
startup investment, and franchising proportion. Results indicate that greater franchising
experience and local marketing support are positively associated with profitability,
whereas publicly traded status corresponds with lower gross margins. Higher royalty
rates and franchise fees are also positively related to financial firm performance.
These findings provide theoretical and managerial insight into governance, operating
experience, and localized support as drivers of franchise chain success.
|
Where Veterinarians Learn About New Products: An Analysis of Media and Information
Sources
Course: Marketing 4100 (Marketing Research)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Patrick Fennell
As innovation in animal health occurs, pharmaceutical marketers must understand how veterinarians learn about new product offerings. In partnership with a professional market research firm, undergraduate marketing research students designed and fielded a survey to examine veterinarians’ media consumption habits and preferred information sources.
Data were collected from more than 300 practicing veterinarians and vet techs across
the United States. The survey assessed frequency of exposure, perceived credibility,
and influence of various channels, including sales representatives, conferences, trade
publications, peer networks, continuing education programs, and digital platforms.
Students conducted descriptive analyses, mean comparisons, cross-tabulations, and
correlations to identify the most influential information sources and key differences
across segments. The findings offer practical guidance for pharmaceutical firms seeking
to optimize their communication strategies while demonstrating the value of applied,
industry-partnered marketing research in a classroom setting.
|
Combating Loneliness: A Rapid Review of Interventions
Student: Jade Saunders
Course: ECON 3478 (Economics of Healthcare)
Faculty Mentor: Weiwei Chen
Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly recognized as major public health
concerns with significant economic consequences. Chronic social isolation is associated
with higher risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression, and premature mortality.
This study presents a rapid review of the economic evaluations of interventions designed
to reduce social isolation among adults. Relevant studies were identified through
searches in the KSU EBSCO database, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Twenty five studies
met the inclusion criteria. The interventions examined included community based programs,
social prescribing initiatives, and digital or technology supported platforms. Overall,
community programs and social prescribing emerged as the most effective strategies,
while digital tools were beneficial primarily when user engagement was strong. Evidence
suggests that integrating digital and in person approaches may provide the most sustainable
and accessible solutions, although further long term research is needed.
|
Blood Wedding Theatre Audience Research Project
Course: MKTG 3800 (Entertainment Marketing)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kara Kapczynski
This project examined the audience experience for Blood Wedding through a theatre audience research initiative conducted during Fall 2025. Dr. Kara Kapczynski designed a student-centered learning experience in which marketing students in the Coles College of Business partnered with stakeholders from the production team—including the show’s director to define research needs and identify priority insights. Students developed and deployed a survey using professional tools (Qualtrics) and collected responses from 579 audience members across eight performances. AI-supported methods were used to generate promotional flyers and assist
with data analysis. While 27 students in Entertainment Marketing led the research, the effort expanded to include
70+ students and faculty who contributed to requirements development, promotion, and
in-person data collection. Findings were delivered to clients in the College of the
Arts and shared at the Coles College of Business Research Symposium in December 2025.
|
|
