On November 28, 2025, the Business Doctoral Association at the Alberta School of Business hosted its 30th annual Business PhD Research Conference, bringing together faculty researchers and professors, guests and PhD students for a showcase of innovative research and learning. PhD students across five disciplines — accounting, finance, marketing, operations and information systems, and strategy, entrepreneurship and management — shared their work through poster sessions, 15-minute presentations and 3-Minute Thesis-type talks, offering the students diverse and accessible ways to communicate their research.
Highlights from this year’s conference include the 3MT and poster award winners. First place for the 3MT went to PhD marketing student Roghi Teimourfamian Asl for her presentation examining the impact of how frequently brands respond to customer comments on their social media posts. First place for the poster went to PhD operations and information systems student Roham Bahri for his work on how hospitals can more efficiently schedule surgeries.
Vice Dean Trish Reay and Sarah Moore, Associate Dean of Research and the PhD Program, spoke about the importance of this conference in shaping and informing research, which provides students with valuable exposure to academic audiences outside their specific disciplines, and in highlighting the strength of the school’s PhD program, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Operations and information systems PhD candidate Yasser Zeinali presents his research on optimizing data for wildfire suppression resource deployment.
Strategy, entrepreneurship and management PhD candidate Mehri Baloochi (SEM) discusses her research: This Body Will Not Obey: The Five-Decade Struggle for Legitimacy in Iranian Women’s Resistance.
Business PhD Research Conference attendees participate in the morning poster session, where students present research that addresses complex organizational and economic challenges.
Business PhD Research Conference attendees discuss SEM PhD candidate Natalie Eng’s research findings in the conference poster sessions.
PhD marketing student Roghi Teimourfamian Asl during her winning 3MT presentation about the impact of how frequently brands reply to customer comments on social media.
Second year operations and information systems PhD student Roham Bahri and his winning poster that presents research on how hospitals can more efficiently schedule surgeries.
Business PhD Research Conference attendees take in the conference poster sessions.