Appointment of Meng Zhu as Head of Marketing Department at Virginia Tech
Meng Zhu has officially been named the head of the Department of Marketing within the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, effective August 10.
“Dr. Zhu embodies a distinctive amalgamation of academic rigor, collaborative leadership, and a cross-disciplinary vision for the Department of Marketing,” remarked Saonee Sarker, dean of the Pamplin College of Business.
“Her dedication to advancing research and nurturing innovation harmonizes perfectly with the objectives of Next-Gen Pamplin. I am fully confident that her tenure will be marked by continued growth and significant contributions to the college, Virginia Tech, and the broader field of marketing.”
Since her arrival at Virginia Tech in 2023, Zhu has held the position of marketing professor and senior fellow at the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology. She ascended to the role of interim department head in July 2024, succeeding Rajesh Bagchi, who now serves as the college’s associate dean for research, graduate programs, and centers.
“By deepening our engagement with Next-Gen Pamplin, we can empower our faculty to generate pioneering research and equip our students for success in an evolving landscape,” Zhu expressed. “This endeavor not only supports our university’s ecosystem but also bolsters the economic development of the commonwealth.”
Zhu possesses a robust background in marketing research, specializing in behavioral economics and human decision-making. Her academic inquiries also encompass health and medical decision-making, alongside the interplay between humans and artificial intelligence.
She is presently collaborating with the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology on a significant project focusing on the functionalities of architectural spaces utilizing artificial intelligence. This initiative unites students and faculty across disciplines—including architecture, computer science, human sciences, and marketing—to innovate building technologies powered by AI.
Additionally, Zhu has secured a grant from the National Science Foundation in conjunction with a cohort of faculty members, aimed at exploring peer-to-peer learning for the integration of ethics into the research framework. This initiative underlies the Innovative Research and Ethical Impact team as they cultivate networks designed to embed ethical considerations into departmental and laboratory cultures. The project is supported by the university’s Office of Research and Innovation.
Before her tenure at Virginia Tech, Zhu was a marketing professor at Johns Hopkins University. She earned her undergraduate degree from Nanjing University, followed by a master’s and Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University.
Source link: News.vt.edu.
