INSIDE VSB
New Laboratory Established for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research
Travis Bucknall ’20 VSB, Sarah Ericson ’20 VSB, Nicholas Spina ’20 VSB, Jessie Malatesta ’20 VSB, Brian McMahon ’20 VSB
Students Win
in Bartley briefCASE Challenge Each academic year, VSB juniors team up to design solutions to real-life business problems in the bi-annual Bartley briefCASE Challenge. The case challenge is part of the Backpack-to-Briefcase professional development program, designed to holistically prepare students for success and leadership in business throughout their four-year VSB experience. In each round, the teams’ solutions are evaluated by judging panels comprised of VSB faculty and business executives. In the fall 2018 semester, students studied the company HTC and its position within the virtual reality market. Students developed presentations addressing how much of the virtual reality ecosystem HTC should participate in, along with determining the most profitable customer segments to target. This spring, teams examined Verizon, a company who in 2018 was faced with slowing growth in traditional business lines. Students were challenged with plotting a course to profitability by finding a focus in the complex and rapidly changing digital communications landscape. Fall 2018 Winners
Spring 2019 Winners
Lauren Constant ’20 VSB Connor Cruz ’20 VSB Becca Gleeson ’20 VSB Alexandra Lilly ’20 VSB Francis Mottola ’20 VSB
Travis Bucknall ’20 VSB Sarah Ericson ’20 VSB Brian McMahon ’20 VSB Jessie Malatesta ’20 VSB Nicholas Spina ’20 VSB
VSB opened its Laboratory for the Advancement of Interdisciplinary Research (LAIR), a behavioral research lab that provides a physical space for VSB faculty and students to conduct research studies using surveys, interviews, focus groups and other primary sources. Funded by the generous support of VSB donors, the LAIR will also serve as a resource for course projects that require primary data collection and support other activities that call for cutting-edge research practices. The setup of the space includes a main area where subjects will participate in research studies, with an adjacent room for researcher controls such as a central computer and intercom system. The LAIR has already caught the attention of faculty and students in the recruiting process, allowing VSB to attract top talent. While use of the lab has yet to be formally incorporated into specific courses, students have access to do research for their classes. Over the next several semesters, opportunities will be incorporated throughout the VSB curriculum requiring students to participate as a subject and/or experimenter in the LAIR. The LAIR supports the growing interest in academic research from VSB’s undergraduate and graduate students, in addition to building a legacy of innovative programs that position VSB students and faculty as thought leaders in their fields.
Laboratory Features 764-square-foot space with 25 subject capacity Audio & visual recording equipment for data collection 25 laptops and two screens Two-way mirror for subject observation
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