MWDSI Paper Awards

MWDSI proudly recognizes excellence in research through two annual awards: the Stan Hardy Best Conference Paper Award, honoring the most outstanding scholarly contribution to the conference, and the Student Paper Competition, which showcases exceptional graduate and undergraduate research. Whether you’re an established scholar or a student researcher, we invite you to submit your work and be part of this tradition of excellence.

Stan Hardy Best Conference Paper Award Winners

The Stan Hardy Best Conference Paper Award is presented annually at the MWDSI Conference to recognize outstanding research contributions in the field of decision sciences. This prestigious award is given to the best overall paper submitted to the conference, showcasing excellence in methodology, originality, and impact. The winning paper is selected through a rigorous review process by a panel of experts. This award honors the legacy of Dr. Stan Hardy, a distinguished scholar in decision sciences, and encourages high-quality research in the discipline.

2026

2025 ($750) - MWDSI Penn State Behrend, Erie, PA

  • Paper Title: “Does News Coverage of ESG Violations Affect Brand Sales? An Empirical Analysis “
  • Authors: Yao Chen (Bucknell University, Lewisburg, USA), Rakesh Mallipeddi (Presenter) (Ohio State University, Columbus, USA), and Serkan Akturk (Clemson University, Clemson, USA)

2024 - Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH

  • Paper Title: “Strategic Pricing and Marketing in Saas Startups: Enhancing Investment Prospects”
  • Authors: Dr. Ping Su & Dr. Xiangling Hu

Best Student Paper Award Winners

The MWDSI Student Paper Competition offers an exciting opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students to showcase their research and compete for cash prizes. 

MWDSI 2025 – Penn State Behrend, Erie, PA

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT DIVISION ($300)

  • Paper Title: “Who is More Likely to Enjoy Football as Their Favorite Sport? The Impact of Gender & Previous Sports Experience”
  • Authors: Eileen Zhan (Calvin University) and Yong Xu (Ferris State University)

    • GRADUATE STUDENT DIVISION
    1st place ($300) + MWDSI Social Media Award ($200):

    • Paper Title: “Mapping the Path to Translations: Empowering SIL to Reach New Frontiers in Language Translations”
    • Authors: Vandana Brahmasa, Amy Fischbach, Parvathy Nair, Gitanjali Nambiar, Aryan Ritesh (Presenter), Huilin Xu, Rohan Ajay, Matthew Lanham (Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA)

    2nd place ($200):

    • Paper Title: “Detecting and Predicting Phantom Inventory Using Random Forest and LSTM Models”
    • Authors: Hung-Chen Hsu, Kratika Jain (Presenter), Da Fang Lin, Yiran Liu, Kaushalya Naidu, Namitha Ramakrishnan, Rohan Ajay, Matthew Lanham (Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA)

    3rd place ($100):

    • Paper Title: “Simulating B2B Sales Process Using Agentic AI”
    • Authors: Chhaya Tundwal (Presenter), Kshitij Chauhan, Tirth Patel, Vishnu Anand, Yash Kothari, Yu-Yang Ho, Rohan Ajay, Matthew Lanham (Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA)

    MWDSI 2024 – Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH

    • Paper Title: “Impact of Media Platforms’ Sentiment on IPO Underpricing: Focusing on Social Network Service, Message Boards, and News”
    • Authors: Changee Han & Yukyung Cha