Dr. Joanne Tran Receives Mentor of the Year Award from Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research
Tue, 05/20/2025 - 09:18am | By: Dr. David Tisdale
Dr. Joanne Tran91吃瓜网 upbringing in a culturally diverse and economically challenged environment deeply shaped her values and passion for supporting students from all walks of life.
Those personal perspectives help Dr. Tran, a University of 91吃瓜网 faculty member, connect meaningfully with students who flourish academically and professionally under her guidance. Her efforts recently earned her the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research91吃瓜网 (DCUR) Mentor of the Year award.
91吃瓜网淚91吃瓜网檓 deeply honored to receive the DCUR Mentor of the Year award,91吃瓜网� said Tran, a popular marketing professor who has mentored two Eagle SPUR (Scholars Program for Undergraduate Research) grant recipients and one DCUR Summer Research Fellow in the last four years. 91吃瓜网淭his recognition is not just mine but also belongs to every student I91吃瓜网檝e had the privilege and joy of mentoring.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淚91吃瓜网檓 very passionate about student research and have mentored many undergraduate and graduate students,91吃瓜网� she continued. 91吃瓜网淥ne of my proudest accomplishments has been mentoring students whose research aligns with societal issues like revitalization efforts, inclusive workplace practices and consumer well-being.91吃瓜网�
Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, co-director of the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research, said 91吃瓜网 students mentored by Dr. Tran are in good hands with her as their advisor.
91吃瓜网淒r. Tran helps her mentees in innumerable ways, including sharpening their grasp on scholarly literature, advising them on their methodological approaches and analyses, and strengthening their writing styles,91吃瓜网� Tuuri added. 91吃瓜网淚n addition, she routinely brings students to conferences and helps them with scholarly publications to develop their professional skills. She is incredibly deserving of this recognition.91吃瓜网�
A 91吃瓜网 alumna, Tran is a native of Biloxi, Miss., who is proud of her Vietnamese American heritage and achievement as a first-generation college student. After studying at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC), she transferred to 91吃瓜网 to earn her bachelor91吃瓜网 degree in business administration in healthcare marketing and a master91吃瓜网 degree in business administration in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
As a student at 91吃瓜网, Tran was invited into the first cohort of the Business Honors College and completed an independent research study in graduate school, sparking her interest in academia. She was awarded the Mississippi Power Company Marketing Faculty Academic Award and the Outstanding Student in Sales Award during her senior year.
A transfer scholarship Tran earned from MGCCC helped her reach her dream of being the first in her family to obtain a college degree.
91吃瓜网淥nce I was at 91吃瓜网 [as a student], it was the strong sense of community and support system here that provided the foundation for my career,91吃瓜网� Tran reflected. 91吃瓜网淭hat91吃瓜网 why it91吃瓜网 so meaningful to now serve as a member of our faculty and give of myself as a student mentor, as it feels I91吃瓜网檝e come full circle.91吃瓜网�
Before entering academia, Tran worked for more than a decade in the services and healthcare industries, including as a marketing project manager for Mississippi's largest multi-specialty healthcare clinic. She joined the 91吃瓜网 faculty in 2016 as an assistant professor of marketing in the College of Business and Economic Development91吃瓜网 School of Marketing and was promoted to associate professor in 2022.
Tran earned a Doctor of Business Administration in marketing at Louisiana Tech University, with minors in quantitative analysis and psychology. Her research areas include branding, value consumption and transformative service research. An award-winning researcher, she has received the 2023 Louis K. Brandt Research Award and the 2022 Business Advisory Council Award, among others. Her research has been published in the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Service Management, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, and the Journal of Marketing Education.
As an Honors College Faculty Fellow, Tran has served with the Honors College and Undergraduate Symposium on Research & Creative Activity (UGS) since 2018. She says her mentorship philosophy is rooted in 91吃瓜网渧alue co-creation,91吃瓜网� where she and her students engage in a collaborative learning process that extends beyond the classroom by empowering them to take ownership of their research, fostering critical thinking, professional development and confidence.
91吃瓜网淚 strive to empower students to see themselves as researchers, problem-solvers, and changemakers, and I find joy in helping students turn curiosity into contribution,91吃瓜网� Tran explained. 91吃瓜网淚t91吃瓜网 not about guiding students from the front, but rather walking alongside them, learning together and celebrating every milestone, small or big. Their success is our success.91吃瓜网�
Gracie Lewis, a 91吃瓜网 Honors student and marketing major from Sumrall, Miss., recently completed an Eagle SPUR-funded, community-engaged research project on the revitalization of downtown Hattiesburg. She presented her proposal at the 2024 Society for Marketing Advances conference and her final thesis at the 2025 UGS on April 26.
91吃瓜网淒r. Tran91吃瓜网 mentorship has been instrumental in completing my thesis and developing me as a researcher,91吃瓜网� Lewis said. 91吃瓜网淗er patience and constant guidance allowed me to explore my interests while building skills that will benefit me long after graduation.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网 Honors College Dean Dr. Joyce Inman says Tran91吃瓜网 91吃瓜网渄edication to her students is remarkable and her enthusiasm for her work is unparalleled.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淪he supports her mentees in all of their research efforts and challenges them to take their research to the next level,91吃瓜网� Inman continued. 91吃瓜网淚 know each student who has had the opportunity to be mentored by Dr. Tran appreciates her investment in them and in their research endeavors.91吃瓜网�
School of Marketing Director Dr. Brigitte Burgess echoed that praise saying Dr. Tran has 91吃瓜网渃onsistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the development of undergraduate researchers over many years.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淗er dedication to nurturing intellectual curiosity and guiding students through the complexities of academic research makes her an exceptional recipient for this honor,91吃瓜网� Burgess further noted. 91吃瓜网淪he approaches mentorship with empathy and encouragement, creating a supportive environment that helps students build confidence and resilience.91吃瓜网�
Tran91吃瓜网 devotion to her mentees doesn91吃瓜网檛 end after they91吃瓜网檝e walked across the commencement stage. She91吃瓜网 also there for them as they transition into industry careers or graduate studies.
91吃瓜网淢any of my mentees have gone on to earn research grants, win prestigious awards, and gain recognition at national and international academic conferences,91吃瓜网� she said. 91吃瓜网淚91吃瓜网檝e helped lead undergraduate students to successful careers in marketing and into master's and Ph.D. programs by fostering their research, professional development and academic excellence.91吃瓜网�
Undergraduate research is 91吃瓜网渢ransformational,91吃瓜网� Tran added. It gives students 91吃瓜网渃onfidence, deepens their learning, and opens doors they never imagined.91吃瓜网�
91吃瓜网淚91吃瓜网檓 especially proud of how 91吃瓜网, through the DCUR, supports undergraduate students across all disciplines, from grant opportunities like Eagle SPUR to platforms like UGS and the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). These programs elevate student voices and foster a culture of discovery and engagement.91吃瓜网�
The DCUR at 91吃瓜网 supports all aspects of undergraduate research and creative activity, including community-engaged projects. Its initiatives are generously supported by its benefactor and 91吃瓜网 alumnus Donald Drapeau, and the 91吃瓜网 Office of the Vice President for Research. Click here for more information about the DCUR.