From investigating ways to improve the customer experience at centers housing families of children undergoing cancer treatment to examining how socioeconomic status affects individuals’ ability to accurately predict the viability of their financial investments, students in the Kenan Scholars MBA program showcased a wide range of business interests during the presentation of their capstone research projects on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at the Kenan Center.
Scholars presented nine projects, the culmination of their year-long work with UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School faculty to investigate real-world business issues.
One such project, presented by scholar Eric Brown, explored the relationship between startup cofounders. Brown’s research suggests that effective cofounder relationships are frequently extremely close. “Many successful cofounders view their relationship like a marriage,” said Brown, “and conflict resolution is critical.”
In addition to conducting research, scholars put their findings to work. Yingyu Fu, whose survey of existing hedge fund databases revealed a lack of consistency in coverage and identifiers, developed an algorithm to aggregate and standardize data, resulting in a single source for multiple data streams.
Lingmei Howell, MBA Kenan Scholars program manager, said she was proud of the work produced by the scholars. “The work these students have done over the past year has certainly benefitted them, preparing them for the business world,” said Howell. “But it’s also a valuable addition to the outstanding body of work for which Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Kenan Institute are known.”
For more information on the Kenan Scholars program, visit the Kenan Scholars webpage.
“The work these students have done over the past year has certainly benefitted them, preparing them for the business world, but it’s also a valuable addition to the outstanding body of work for which Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Kenan Institute are known.”