Dr. Lei Huang

State University of New York at Fredonia School of Business Professor Lei Huang and a SUNY Plattsburgh colleague share an award from the Society for Marketing Advances.

The Innovations in Teaching Award was presented to Huang and Assistant Professor Priyanka Singh at the society’s annual conference. “The Age of AI” was the theme of the Nov. 6 to 9 conference held in Tampa.

The innovative methodology of Huang and Dr. Singh that won the teaching award is designed for courses such as Digital Marketing, Marketing Research and Analytics, Strategic Marketing Management, and Advertising to balance the use of Artificial Intelligence (e.g. ChatGPT) with creative thinking in marketing and business education.

“It highlights the significant differences in creativity and practical utility between AI-generated and human-created contents, enhancing student engagement and critical thinking,” Huang explained.

Evidenced by the students’ learning outcomes from SUNY Fredonia and Plattsburgh, the methodology has not only exposed students to AI’s potential and limitations but also bolstered essential analytical and creative skills, crucial for navigating the evolving landscape of marketing.

The pedagogical method and its practices have been accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Marketing Education Review to benefit a broader audience.

Huang teaches a variety of marketing courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. One of his upper-level elective classes, BUAD 351: Digital Marketing, is open to all majors and includes students in the Honors Program.

The competition at the conference sponsored by the premier marketing association brings together marketing educators as well as professionals from the United States and abroad. The innovation aspect of this award refers to novel activities, teaching methods, assessments, exercises and instructor/student/industry engagement which contribute to active and experiential learning. It is open to all instructors of marketing from all higher-education institutions.