Syracuse Sun

The 2024 Product Development & Management Association (PDMA) Doctoral Consortium took place at Syracuse University from July 30 to August 2. The event was co-sponsored by the Snyder Innovation Management Center, housed in the Department of Marketing at the Whitman School of Management, and by PDMA.

Scholars and doctoral students from universities in the U.S. and abroad attended the consortium to discuss new product development and innovation management. According to S.P. Raj, director of the Snyder Center and distinguished professor of marketing at Whitman, the selection of Snyder as this year’s venue highlights the prominence of research in marketing and innovation at Whitman.

“The primary focus is grooming future thought leaders, particularly students researching emerging topics in market-focused innovation,” said Raj. “This is consistent with the primary areas of focus of the Snyder Center.”

The event began with an overview by Raj and a welcome from Vice Chancellor J. Michael Haynie. Doctoral student fellows then presented their dissertation proposals in small groups, receiving feedback from faculty scholars.

Doctoral students applied for selection to attend, with chosen participants coming from universities in the U.S., Europe, and India. The event was limited to 25 students to ensure personalized feedback and mentoring.

Most student fellows were in early stages of their dissertation research. Feedback on proposals, guidance on building research portfolios, and career advice were critical elements designed to foster a community among innovation scholars.

Seven student fellows were selected to present their work to all attendees on the second day. Arabella Pollack from Rotterdam School of Management won the Best Dissertation Proposal Award, while Chi Zhang from Texas A&M University was runner-up.

The consortium included sessions on various topics such as Future Directions in Innovation Research; Data and New Research Ideas; Emerging Methodologies; Tools in Innovation Research; Developing a Research Paper; a Thematic Research Agenda; and concluded with a workshop on Theory Building.

Participants toured Baxter International's facilities in Skaneateles, New York, organized through an invitation by alumna Michelle McGrath ’88 G’97. Networking events included a cruise on Skaneateles Lake and dinner at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurant.

Luigi M. DeLuca from Cardiff University commented: “What an intense week of research discussions... A huge ‘Thank You’ to the Snyder Innovation Center and Syracuse’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management for hosting this event!”

Raj noted that holding the consortium at Whitman’s Snyder Center had special significance due to its 30th anniversary this year and its founder David Wilemon's role as a co-founder of PDMA.

Whitman’s marketing faculty members participated along with alumni Gloria Barczak G’87, K. Sivakumar G’92, and Gerard Athaide G’94 G’95.

Student fellow Mahak Bisen from Indian Institute of Technology Madras said: “I am immensely grateful for the opportunity... The Consortium gave me an opportunity to interact with numerous professors.”

Faculty fellow Frank Piller added: “The consortium was a great experience... learning from 25 great doctoral students.” Alina Sorescu from Texas A&M University also remarked: “There are so many conferences these days... but this one will definitely stand in memory.”

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