Mason hosts Junior Scholars with product ideas

  • Welcome
    Welcome  Professor Michael Luchs kicks off the Junior Scholars Conference.  
  • Junior Scholars Conference
    Junior Scholars Conference  Attendees came from as far away as Vancouver, Canada and California.  
  • Mason School Team
    Mason School Team  Undergraduate intern Maria Zarate with Mason School Professors Professors Michael Luchs and Scott Swan  
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On July 10-11, 2009, Scott Swan, Associate Professor of International Business and Marketing, and Michael Luchs, Assistant Professor of Marketing, hosted a conference on Product Design at the Mason School of Business.

The conference provided an intimate atmosphere for the attendees that came from as far away as Vancouver, Canada and Los Angeles to attend. Conference attendees were selected based on recommendations by prominent product design and marketing researchers.

The goal of the conference was to create a networking atmosphere and research forum for junior scholars conducting research on innovations in Product Design. The presentations addressed a broad variety of interdependent topics related to the form and function of products, from initial conception through market adoption.

On July 10, the conference began with a welcome by Larry Pulley, Dean of the Mason School of Business. Throughout the day, scholars gave presentations detailing their current research projects. Participants also received an exclusive tour of Miller Hall, the new home of the Mason School, led by Jon Krapfl, Associate Dean, and Gabriel Pall, Executive Director of Enterprise Management.

Following the second day of research presentations, the conference concluded with a presentation from keynote speaker Abbie Griffin, Ph.D., a leading scholar in Product Design who holds the Presidential Chair in Marketing at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah.

Dr. Griffin was the former editor of the Journal of Product Innovation Management. As one of the world's leading authorities on new product development and innovation, she offered insights on the future of research in product design.