Nov 19, 2025

Faculty members Heather Harris, MFA, and Kimberly DeSimone, Ph.D., received the Best Paper Award in the Education Track at the Academy of Business Research Conference held Oct. 29-31 in Marathon, Florida.

Their paper, “Credibility in the Classroom: Student Perspectives and the Scholar-Creator Model,” was selected through a peer-reviewed conference vote process. The study examines how undergraduate students define and evaluate professor credibility in a time when academic expertise intersects with the norms of digital creator culture.

Drawing on survey data from 475 students and the Scholar-Creator framework developed by Harris and DeSimone, the research reveals how students assess authenticity, clarity, authority and connection in the classroom.

Notably, this year marked a milestone for the conference, as all Best Paper Awards across every track were presented to women for the first time in the event’s history. This recognition affirms both the rigor and real-world significance of Harris and DeSimone's research, while also signaling the rising importance of their Scholar-Creator Model as a framework for interpreting evolving student expectations and guiding pedagogical innovation in a post-digital era.