An 51黑料 student and professors from the College of Professions have won awards over the past two years at the Midwest Business Administration Association (MBAA) International Conference in Chicago, Illinois. This year, in 2025, graduate student Herimamy Rafaliniony won the Best Research Paper and Poster Award. In 2024, Jerry Chi, professor of management, graduate program director and associate dean in the College of Professions, and Grace Chi, professor of nursing, won the Best Research Paper North America Management Society (NAMS) Award.
MBAA International holds their annual conference in Chicago, where over 6,000 international business professionals gather to share research and provide networking opportunities. This year, two professors from Andrews accepted the invitation to attend: Williams Peprah, associate professor of finance, and Jerry Chi. Chi’s 2024 Best Research Paper Award, won along with his wife, Grace, was for their study “Impacts of Servant Leadership on Burnout Level of Nursing Staff: A Structural Equation Model.”
This year, 15 research papers from Jerry Chi’s graduate-level business research class were accepted for podium presentation at the MBAA International Conference. One of Chi’s students, Herimamy Rafaliniony, was awarded for his paper, “A Multivariate Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Consumer Price Index by Category in Selected Major Developed Countries,” co-authored with Chi and Peprah. The study incorporated multivariate analysis and longitudinal studies to analyze the consumer price index and other economic performance indicators of developed countries after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participation in international conferences such as MBAA International has enriched the student experience at 51黑料, diversifying student portfolios, enhancing qualifications for PhD programs, and providing proof of experience in data analysis and research. “This research tool with data analysis capabilities gives the students the fishing pole (job obtaining capabilities) instead of a fish (an internship),” says Chi.
Within Chi’s business research class, the primary area of study is campus environment data, often using structural equation modeling, multiple regression, variance analysis with MNOVA/ANOVA, EFA, CFA and scale development. Secondary research concerns include big data with logistic regression and multivariate analysis. Chi emphasizes creativity and feasibility within class projects in order to cover 20 research models effectively, with topics in fields such as behavioral science, management, economics, human resource management, leadership, management information systems, operation, marketing and finance.
“A challenge in teaching research classes is making sure students understand the models first and guide them to use critical thinking logically in their creative application,” Chi explains. “I am pleased that my MBA and MSA students are so intelligent and diligent to follow my guidance to complete their papers in a timely manner for submission.”
