Associate Professor Erin Willis earned a doctorate from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Willis’s research examines the ways in which health messages influence people’s behaviors. She is particularly interested in the processes by which health behavior is shaped by the information and technology that people use every day. The goal of her research is to explore how message design can influence people’s understanding about health and health promotion, which is central to public health. Willis’s work has appeared in notable journals such as Health Communication, Health Psychology, Health Informatics and Health Promotion and Practice.

Willis joined CU Boulder from the University of Memphis, where she served as an assistant professor. Prior to academia, Willis worked in public relations and marketing communications.

Manuel is currently the Deputy Research Director at the National Citizen Observatory, a Mexican leading think tank and NGO specialized in criminal justice, security and lawfulness. As a trained economist he has participated in multiple mixed-method research projects about homicides, extortion, money laundering from human trafficking, kidnappings for ransom, political violence, electoral crimes, money laundering policy, forced disappearances, child recruitment into organized crime, among a vast array of other topics in Mexico.

Moreover, in 2020 he co-authored the first report on the supply side of counterfeiting and the institutional response against it. Years later, he co-authored the first report on illicit pesticides in Mexico including those that are substandard, stolen, tampered, unregistered, smuggled and counterfeit.

He is a regular op-ed writer in online newspapers targeted at Mexican and international audiences. He has also published articles in peer reviewed journals such as Revista Mexicana de Opinión Pública and Boletín Criminológico. Last year, he participated as research assistant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Issue Paper on Organized Crime and Gender: Issues Relating to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. He co-authored a chapter from the book Genética forense en México: promesas y realidades titled Infraestructuras forenses: claves conceptuales para su reflexión published by Editorial Siglo XXI in 2022. He is also a security expert group advisor at the U.S.- Mexico Forum 2025 from the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies based at the University of California San Diego.

Sandy K. Strick, a graduate of Purdue University, has been on the faculty of the School of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of South Carolina for more than 20 years and took over as interim director for the school in July 2024. Strick has previous experience leading the school having been its chair for five years. She also serves as director of the Wine and Beverage Institute at USC.

She teaches Wine and Spirits, Meeting Planning and Multicultural Human Resources courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Strick has dedicated a significant portion of her professional effort toward the improvement of hospitality education through her work with the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Education where she ha,s among other positions, served two terms as commission chair, and continues to participate actively in accreditation site visits. Strick is also a certified hospitality educator with the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Strick is a certified wine specialist. She is active in the Society of Wine Educators where she has been an instructor for several of their classes and serves on the society’s educational advisory board. Strick is the founding director of the Wine and Beverage Institute at Carolina. The institute is dedicated to wine and beverage education in the Columbia community. Through the institute, Strick teaches a variety of wine courses to include Wine 101, Bordeaux, Rose, and Sparkling Wines and Champagnes. For the past several years, she has participated in the Banfi Scholarship Tour that provides students and faculty with a Tuscan food and wine experience.

Saetbyul Park is an assistant professor in Apparel & Textile Design at Michigan State University. She received her degrees of B.S. and M. S. in Clothing and Textiles from Seoul National University in Korea and her Ph.D. from University of Minnesota, specializing in Apparel Studies with a minor in Anthropology.  She also studied in the Professional Designation Program of Merchandise Product Development at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). She has developed her solid foundation in apparel design and product development through her career as a designer and merchandiser in Korea and the United States. She is a current member of International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) and Costume Society of America (CSA).

Prof. Park’s main research focuses on socio-cultural influence on the aesthetic perspectives of immigrants in the United States. Her interest lies in investigating different migratory experiences among ethnic groups and its influence on their apparel related practices and experiences. An important contribution of the research is to show that the dynamics in the culture of origin and the host culture of immigrants influence their social identity and to find that they modify their attitudes and behaviors on appearance to balance fundamental needs of inclusion and exclusion depending on their cultural contexts. Her research also seeks to examine the growing issues of sustainability and ethical consumption of apparel, concerning how consumers can be responsible in the procedure of apparel consumption and disposal.

Dr. Rogers is an Associate Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University.  His primary research interests include the financial impact of supply chain sustainability, emerging logistics technologies, supply chain cyber security and various other emerging purchasing and logistics issues.  Dr. Rogers’ work has appeared in multiple academic journals, corporate white papers, trade publications, and conference proceedings.  He is also a frequent speaker at both academic and practitioner-oriented conferences.  Dr. Rogers earned his B.S. and M.B.A. degrees at the University of Nevada, Reno and his PhD in supply chain management from Arizona State University. Prior to returning to academia Dr. Rogers worked as a purchasing agent for a large hotel-resort and as an operations manager for Quidsi, a subsidiary of Amazon.

Haley Paluzzi is an Assistant Professor in Supply Chain Management at the University of Colorado. Before that she was a Ph. D. Candidate at Iowa State University. Paluzzi received her Bachelor of Science degree from the Colorado School of Mines in metallurgical and materials engineering and an MBA from the University of California, Riverside. Paluzzi has five years of industry experience, working as a senior metallurgical engineer and logistics analyst in the steel industry. Her research interests include consumer impatience, consumer-centric supply chain management, e-commerce, and omni-channel fulfillment. She is also interested in the development of logistics capabilities and supply chain sustainability.

Victoria Nelson is a doctoral student in the Information and Media program. She is interested in the intersection of health, emerging technology, and the law. Specifically, she is interested in blockchain and artificial intelligence in healthcare settings especially when applied to those with chronic illness. Victoria received her Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law (2020) and her B.S. in Supply Chain Management and Political Science from The University of Tennessee (2017).

Moldir Moldagaliyeva is an Information and Media doctoral student in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. She is an international student from Kazakhstan interested in cross-cultural comparative studies on social media and digital technology use, the digital divide, and digital literacy. She is working on projects on older adults’ ICT use in the US and Central Asia. She is also a Research Assistant at the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at MSU for a global study on counterfeit product sales.

She earned her Master’s in Advertising and Public Relations from Michigan State University in 2022. Before joining MSU, Moldir worked as a Marketing and Public Relations Specialist for a nationally recognized IT company in Kazakhstan and participated in initiatives to promote e-government services and enhance citizens’ digital literacy through the e-government portal.

Mirko Nazzari is currently enrolled in the third year of the International Ph.D. in Criminology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and is a researcher at Transcrime – Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime where he researches money laundering, terrorist financing, and illicit financial flows.

Tim Mackey is a professor of global health in the Global Health Program at UC San Diego in the Department of Anthropology, the director of the Global Health Policy and Data Institute, and the editor-in-chief of JMIR Infodemiology. He is also the CEO and co-founder of the data science and research services company S-3 Research, currently funded by the National Institutes of Health and through other government and private sector contracts. He holds a BA in political science-international relations, a master’s degree in health policy & law and also earned his Ph.D. in global public health from the joint doctoral program at UC San Diego – San Diego State University.  Mackey’s work has been featured in high-impact journals such as Science, JAMA, Nature Biotechnology, the Lancet, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Clinical Microbiology Reviews, and BMC Medicine. His research and expertise have also been featured in major news outlets such as CNN, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal. His work focuses on an array of multidisciplinary topics in domestic and global public health. He also has extensive professional experience including over 10 years experience in the private sector and acting as a consultant for the World Health Organization, the US Department of State and others.

Dr Honglei Li is an assistant professor in Computer Sciences in Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Northumbria University. With over 20 years’ research experience in information systems, she has developed herself into an expert in end-user information technology adoption particularly for virtual communities, smart cities, online recommendation systems, and artificial intelligence.

She has published papers in top tier journals such as IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Systems, Information Technology & People, Information & Management, Social Science Computer Review, Journal of Association for Information Science and Technology, Internet Research, Electronic Commerce Research, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, etc. She has served as the senior editor for Information Technology & People and Associate Editor of Journal of Electronic Business and Digital Economics. She has serves as the reviewers for top journals such as Decision Support Systems, MIS Quarterly, Information & Management, etc.

Dr Honglei Li has been leading a research team in electronic governments with the blockchain technology, P2P energy trading and artificial intelligence with Computer Vision. She has successfully secured funds from the university studentship and other sources for her PhD students. Dr Honglei Li has successfully secured funds from various sources, including the A-CAPP grant of USD30000 from Michigan State University as PI, the Innovate UK fund of Innovation Voucher by looking into how online recommendation systems could be applied into the property management industry in 2014 as PI; the e-social science research fund from the China Academy of Social Science in 2015 as PI to examine how the social science research could be digitalized; and, digitalization of flood prevention system as Co-PI from Northumbria University in 2021. Dr. Honglei Li will be leading the project, responsible for the design science section of the project, including the e-commerce and blockchain system analysis, design, and implementation, and final report.

Dr. Honglei Li serves as the website officer in the UK Association of Information Systems. She has also served as the conference chair and successfully organized the 19^th International Conference on Electronic Business held in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 2019. She serves as the co-chair for the UKAIS 2025 annual conference to help organize the conference.

Heijin Lee is a doctoral student in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. Her research aims to explore the role of social media in interpersonal and international communication. She is particularly interested in influencer marketing and the role of social media influencers in public diplomacy and intercultural/international communication.

Heijin received her M.A. in Mass Communication at Tsinghua University in China, and B.A. in Journalism and Chinese Foreign Affairs and Commerce at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Korea. Before joining MSU, she worked as a marketer at TikTok and cooperated with government agencies and companies as a social media influencer.

Kyoo il Kim is a Professor of Economics at Michigan State University. He also worked at the University of Minnesota, Amazon.com, Sungkyunkwan University, and Singapore Management University. He completed a B.A. at Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in Economics at UCLA. His research focuses on topics in Econometrics and Industrial Organization including differentiated products demand, discrete choices, random coefficient models, hedonic pricing, nonparametric identification, control function methods, production function, firm productivity, corporate social responsibility, and minimum wage.

Anastasia Kononova is an associate professor of advertising at MSU. Media multitasking is an overarching focus of Kononova’s interdisciplinary and international research that lies in the intersection of three areas: media and technology use across different cultures and social groups; psychological responses to media devices and persuasive messages; and advertising and digital literacy. Kononova’s primary research interest is related to exploring media multitasking behavior, i.e. using/being exposed to multiple media at the same time. Studying media multitasking patterns reflects idiosyncrasies and commonalities of media use across markets. Such knowledge helps enhance international communication, especially with regard to using multiple platforms to convey messages effectively. Kononova has studied media multitasking not only in a cross-cultural setting but also across the lifespan, focusing on media use behaviors of older adults.

A large body of Kononova’s media multitasking research is devoted to exploring the effects of this behavior on cognition, emotion, rationalization, and resistance to persuasion. Kononova has found that switching between online tasks and using multiple screen devices at the same time negatively affect memory for mediated content, elicit less skeptical responses to persuasive messages (e.g., health and advertising messages), and hinder rational choices (e.g., choice of healthful snacks). In a related area of research, Kononova has explored how individuals cognitively and affectively respond to advertising messages placed in congruent and incongruent online contexts.

In a recent project, Kononova focused on the use of health mobile applications (apps) and privacy concerns associated with sharing personal information via smartphones, exploring credibility judgments that individuals made of sponsored health mobile apps.

Kononova’s word appeared in highly ranked peer-reviewed journals, such as Computers in Human Behavior, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, International Journal of Communication, Journal of Health Communication, Journal of Medical Internet Research: mHealth and uHealth, and others.

Before joining the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Michigan State University, Anastasia worked as an assistant professor of communication and media at the American University of Kuwait. She earned a doctoral degree at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and a master’s degree at Oklahoma State University. Before graduate school, Anastasia studied in Rostov State University (Southern Federal University since 2006) in Russia, where she also worked as a corporate communication specialist.

Patricia Huddleston is a professor of retailing in the Department of Advertising + Public Relations and Director of the Information and Media Ph.D. program at Michigan State University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She is a Research Council Member with the Anticounterfeiting and Product Protection Center (ACAPP). She teaches consumer behavior, retail strategy, and strategic brand communication courses.

Her current research focuses on eye-tracking to evaluate consumer information processing of point-of-purchase retail display elements (e.g., signage, price) and how these elements motivate purchase intention. This research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program and Horticulture Research Institute. Her work has been published in publications such as the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, PLOS, and the Journal of Product and Brand Management. Recently, she has co-authored a 17-country study to understand global attitudes and behavior toward counterfeit products funded by Underwriters Laboratories.

Patricia Huddleston is a professor of retailing in the Department of Advertising + Public Relations and Director of the Information and Media Ph.D. program at Michigan State University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She is a Research Council Member with the Anticounterfeiting and Product Protection Center (ACAPP). She teaches consumer behavior, retail strategy, and strategic brand communication courses.

Her current research focuses on eye-tracking to evaluate consumer information processing of point-of-purchase retail display elements (e.g., signage, price) and how these elements motivate purchase intention. This research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program and Horticulture Research Institute. Her work has been published in publications such as the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, PLOS, and the Journal of Product and Brand Management. Recently, she has co-authored a 17-country study to understand global attitudes and behavior toward counterfeit products funded by Underwriters Laboratories.

Dr. Holtz’s  research explores the adoption, perceptions, and outcomes of telemedicine, mobile phone health apps (mhealth), consumer grade sensors (i.e., Fitbit, Apple Watch, etc.), electronic medical records, AI, and social media for health topics.

More generally, Dr. Holtz’s research sits at the intersection of health communication, information communication technologies (ICT or “technologies”) and the promotion of healthy behaviors through persuasion. Within this space, she is especially interested in the adoption of consumer health technology, telehealth services, and artificial intelligence (AI) in health communication. Her goal is to help improve health outcomes and individuals’ quality of life and has built a successful record of mixed methods research around this mission. This record includes 40 peer-reviewed articles, five book chapters, and numerous presentations (both conference and invited). I have also submitted proposals for internal, foundation, and federal funding and demonstrated success with more than $2 million in research awards, as either the PI or a Co-I.

Dr. Holtz studies a variety of technologies, populations, and conditions on an array of health topics, which tend to include chronic illnesses, mental health, and activities conducted over longer periods of time (e.g., fitness, nutrition). She uses a variety of theoretical frameworks from both health communication and information systems to match the questions/phenomenon.

Dr. Holtz has been recognized as an outstanding instructor having been awarded both the Faculty Impact Award and an Adams Academy Teaching Fellow by Michigan State University. Where in her classes she focuses on professional development, campaign planning and design, and health communication. She regularly brings students to Chicago to visit Public Relations firms.

She received her B.A. in Telecommunication from MSU, her MSc in Information Systems from the London School of Economics, and her Ph.D. in Media and Information Studies from MSU. She completed her postdoctoral training at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System in the Health Services Research and Development Department. She returned to MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences in 2012.

Kevin Hoff (PhD, University of Illinois) is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Psychology. Kevin’s research focuses on individual differences and career and life outcomes. In particular, he studies the use of psychological assessments (personality, interests, values, and skills) for decision-making purposes, including career planning and human resource management. He also studies issues related to the future of work, such as the impact of automation and technology on people’s careers. Kevin has contributed to several applied projects aimed at developing free career exploration tools for public use, including collaborations with The World Bank and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET).

Rowan Hilend is an Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University. Her research is largely focused on illicit behavior spanning international supply networks. She integrates criminological theories to examine the motivations, effects, and responses to illicit behavior in both traditional supply chains and expressly illegal contexts from a range of interdisciplinary and global perspectives.

Michael Haupt is a computational social scientist, freelance data analyst, and graphic designer. His research investigates online communication dynamics and misinformation spread using machine learning, natural language processing, and social network analysis. He also conducts experimental research examining how psychological and cognitive traits (eg., conscientiousness, narcissism) influence how we perceive credibility in online environments.

Professor Griffis is the Bowersox-Thull Endowed Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management in the Department of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University. His primary teaching interests include logistics and supply chain management.

Professor Griffis received his Ph.D. in Business Administration from The Ohio State University with a major in Logistics and a minor in Information Systems Management. He also holds a Master of Science in Logistics Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Master of Arts in Logistics from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining academia he worked on numerous logistics system design programs for the U.S. Air Force.

Professor Griffis’s research focuses on a variety of issues including how consumers truly value the set of logistics and supply chain services companies strive to differentiate upon (returns, assortment, speed).  Additionally, he researches vehicle routing through real supply chain networks, seeking to account for the variability in traffic, stop lengths, and goods/services delivered/picked up in ways that classic vehicle routing techniques ignore.  Lastly, Dr. Griffis works in the area of illicit supply chain networks where goods (e.g. counterfeit or illegal) co-mingle with legitimate supply chains, creating challenges for legitimate business operations.

Professor Griffis has published research in the Journal of Business Logistics, Journal of Operations Management, Decision Sciences, International Journal of Production Research, Transportation Journal, European Journal of Operations Research, Journal of Management, International Journal of Management Science (Omega), International Journal of Production Economics, Supply Chain Management Review, and the Journal of Transportation Management.

Karen Edwards serves as associate dean of academic programs and student affairs and is a senior instructor in the Department of Retailing at the University of South Carolina. Recipient of the University’s 2019 Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation, the 2017 Faculty Integrity Award, and the 2010-11 Harry E. Varney Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, Edwards teaches in the areas of digital commerce, asset protection and law-related issues affecting retailers. Edwards has developed numerous undergraduate and graduate-level courses, such as Law for Retailers, Fashion and the Law and Asset Protection for Retailers. She has also led numerous study abroad programs and co-developed the University’s first-ever virtual study abroad course. In 2016, Edwards received the Brian J. and Linda L. Mihalik Global Scholar Award. She is a frequent presenter and past associate director for distributed learning at the University’s Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE).

Edwards’ research focuses on legal issues affecting retailers/service providers and best practices in online learning. In 2019, she was named a Fulbright Specialist through the U.S. State Department. She was elected to the Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) board of directors in 2022. Edwards’ research has been published in International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Journal of Retail and Consumer Services, Tourism Management, Sport Marketing Quarterly, and other scholarly publications. Her work has been presented at various conferences, including the University of Queensland Digital Service Transformation Summit, Quality Matters annual conference,  the Association of Marketing Theory and Practice, and Online Learning Consortium Accelerate. She is a reviewer for Journal of Business Research, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Journal of Services Marketing, and Bloomsbury/Fairchild Publishing.

Prior to arriving at USC, Edwards practiced law with Duff, White and Turner, L.L.C., a firm serving public school districts and colleges across South Carolina. Her practice, which focused on employment law and education law, included significant amounts of workforce training on legal matters for her clients. Before attending law school, Edwards worked for a number of years in retail management, including roles as a merchandise coordinator, human resources manager and corporate trainer. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Joseph F. Rice School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Coker University in Hartsville, South Carolina. Edwards is a past chair of Coker’s Board of Trustees, and a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, South Carolina Women in Higher Education, American Collegiate Retailing Association and American MENSA.

Summer Kostelnik most recently served as a policy advisor in the Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) within the Executive Office of the President, where she advised senior officials on a wide range of intellectual property matters and led cross-agency coordination efforts to advance U.S. intellectual property policy and enforcement priorities domestically and internationally. In this role, she helped develop the United States’ strategy on IP enforcement.

Prior to joining IPEC, Summer was a patent attorney in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where she advised the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and director of the USPTO on domestic and international patent issues and contributed to the formulation of agency policy positions and strategic initiatives. Earlier in her career, she served as a patent examiner in the medical devices field, applying technical expertise to the review of innovative technologies.
Summer holds a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh.

Thomas Nichols is a career security professional with experience in both the public and corporate sector. In his career supporting the US Government, Thomas has contributed to counterterrorism intelligence analysis operations for Department of Defense and national security actions. In the corporate space, he has experience as a professional security leader and brand protection specialist at General Motors. His experience includes intelligence collection, research and analysis, background investigations, security operations performance, quality assurance, security compliance, security management and brand protection investigations and actions. Thomas has partnered with Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center and several additional government agencies in support of intellectual property rights protection. As a member of the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council (A2C2) and the representative for A2C2 to the Michigan State University Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection’s Brand Protection Council on Global Impact, Thomas engages with automotive OEM manufacturing colleagues, industry members, government officials and academia to prevent counterfeiting, enforce brand rights and spread public awareness of the dangers of counterfeit automotive parts.

Thomas holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Management from The Catholic University of America.

Emily LaClear is the communications liaison at the A-CAPP Center, where she manages communication strategy, research dissemination, and public relations. She brings more than a decade of experience in communication and marketing, with special emphasis in health and science communication.
Emily holds a Master of Arts in Health and Risk Communication from Michigan State University.

Rachael Roy is the Office Coordinator at the A-CAPP Center, where she plays a crucial role in ensuring smooth and efficient operations. With a strong background in Management in the restaurant industry, Rachael has honed her skills in management and team coordination, bringing a wealth of practical knowledge to her current role.

Before joining the A-CAPP Center, Rachael successfully managed her own tax business for ten years, demonstrating her entrepreneurial spirit and expertise in financial management. Her diverse experience in both the service and financial sectors allows her to approach her work with a unique perspective and a strong focus on efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Rachael’s commitment to excellence and her ability to adapt to different industries make her an asset to any team and to help in the fight to combat counterfeiting.

Sara is the strategic operations manager at the Center, where she oversees financial operations, human resources, and the administration of the Center’s education, outreach, and research programs. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University’s College of Natural Science and has been with the Center since 2011. Sara appreciates the variety her role offers and values the opportunity to support the Center’s mission to combat counterfeiting.

Saleem Alhabash is a Professor of Public Relations and Social Media at Michigan State University’s Department of Advertising + Public Relations and the Associate Director of Research for the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection. He also co-directs the Media and Advertising Psychology (MAP) Lab. His research focuses on the processes and effects of new and social media within the context of persuasion. More specifically, his research investigates the cognitive and emotional responses, and psychological effects associated with using new and social media. His research is geared toward understanding how new communication technologies can be used as persuasive tools, most recently in relation to marketing of alcohol as well as digital aggression across the lifespan. He also studies how new and social media can facilitate cross-cultural and international communication, with emphasis on changing attitudes and stereotypes of foreign nations. In 2014, he was named the inaugural recipient of the American Academy of Advertising’s Mary Alice Shaver Promising Professor Award. His research won best article, top paper, and top poster awards at national and international conferences. Saleem received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Pre-academia, he worked in a youth nonprofit organization focusing on media and well-being.

Kari Kammel is the Director of the A-CAPP Center, overseeing the center’s research, education, outreach and the Industry Advisory Board and four brand protection councils.  She maintains an active research agenda on legal issues pertaining to trademark counterfeiting in the U.S. and internationally, including primary and secondary liability issues, as well as overlapping issues of criminal law, first amendment, public international law and others.  She has testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee twice based on her research.

Prior to coming to the center, she worked in International Studies and Programs at MSU; she was Deputy Chief of Party at DePaul College of Law’s Iraq office for the International Human Rights Law Institute, where she managed rule of law programs; and Deputy Executive Director in the Chicago office.

She is a licensed attorney in Illinois and Michigan with a J.D. from DePaul University, an M.A. in Political Science from the American University in Cairo, and a B.A. from the University of Chicago.

She was an Academic Leadership Fellow at MSU in 2023-2024; received the A-CAPP Center’s Pioneer Award in 2024; served 6 years on the Academic Specialist Advisory Committee at MSU, where she was chair, vice-chair, and chair of the promotion subcommittee. She is also an adjunct professor of law at MSU’s College of Law, where she teaches Trademark Counterfeiting Law and Food Counterfeit Law. Additionally, she is a member of INTA, AIPLA, and the ABA.

Marco Dugato is Senior Researcher at Transcrime since 2009 and Adjunct Professor of Methods and Techniques for Criminological Research at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. From the a.y. 2010/11 to the a.y. 2012/13 he has been Adjunct Professor of Crime Statistics at the Faculty of Sociology of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano. He holds a PhD in Criminology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and a MA in Sociology at the Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca (2009). He is a founding partner and administrator of Crime&tech, spin-off company of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Transcrime. His main research fields are spatial analysis of crime; predictive policing; crime and criminal justice statistics; organized crime and illicit markets. He has coordinated several national and international research projects.

Jay Choi is a University Distinguished Professor of Economics at Michigan State University. His research is in industrial organization, with a focus on intellectual property rights, economics of network effects, and antitrust economics. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and a BA from Seoul National University.

Dr. Xuemei Bian is Professor in Marketing at University of Northumbria, EDI Lead of MOS and Innovation Fellow of the British Academy 2022/23. She is an advisor to the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the national government agency, which operates and maintains a clear and accessible intellectual property system in the UK to encourage innovation and helps the economy and society to benefit from knowledge and ideas. Between November 2020 and June 2021, she served IPO’s Exhaustion of Intellectual Property Rights evidence sub-group in her capacity as advisor. She currently holds the visiting professor role at Tianjin University and is also Adjunct Professor at Michigan State University. Her main research interests are in consumer behavior, branding and advertising, with a focus on how judgments, evaluations and choice vary as a function of different decision-making strategies. She has established and sustained an international reputation and recognition in three main research areas: 1) consumption behavior; 2) branding and brand management, and 3) effective advertising with a focus on the influences of advertising appeals on brands, consumer well-being, and behavioral tendency.

She is one of the leading scholars in the field of consumer and counterfeit studies. Her research has appeared in many journals of international repute, such as Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Marketing, Marketing Letters, British Journal of Social Psychology, International Business Review, Journal of Brand Management, International Journal of Consumer Studies, Journal of Consumer Behavior, Advances in Consumer Research, Journal of Product and Brand Management, and The Marketing Review among others. Her paper titled “New Insights into Unethical Counterfeit Consumption” was selected and included in Elsevier’s Newsletter for Science Journalists (2016) and is the “Top Rated” paper in the Journal of Business Research.

Her research has attracted media attention in recent years and has featured in national and international popular outlets and trade magazines such as Huffington Post, Marie Claire, BBC Radio Kent, Refinery29, Fućsia (Colombia), The World Trademark Review, Luxury Daily (USA), and numerous online news websites. She is a regular contributor to national and international popular outlets, including The Sunday Times and BBC Radio Kent, commenting on consumer related topics.

Alberto Aziani is an Assistant Professor of Criminology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, where he specializes in illegal markets, trafficking activities, organized crime, and illicit financial flows. His work on these topics has been widely published in leading scientific journals. He holds a PhD in Criminology from Università Cattolica, an MSc in Economics and Social Sciences and a BSc in Management from Bocconi University, Milan. Over the years, he has overseen numerous projects for international and supranational organizations and funding institutions, such as the European Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Dr. Anwar is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for MSc Information Science (Data Analytics and Library Management) in the Department of Computer & Information Sciences, Northumbria University, UK. He received his PhD in Computing (Data Mining) from University of Sunderland, UK. He has done his MSc and BSc in Computer Science from University of Karachi, Pakistan. He has been working in academia for the last many years at different national and overseas universities. He had been a Research Ethics Lead / Deputy Lead for the Department of Computer & Information Sciences at Northumbria University. He is a Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and also a member of FHEA applications’ review committee at Northumbria University. Before joining the Northumbria University, he worked at The Open University, UK as a Research Fellow. He had also worked as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at University of Sunderland, Knowledge Media Institute (KMi) and The Open University Business School, UK. Previously, he was also a full-time Lecturer at Department of Computer Science, University of Karachi, Pakistan. He is also an external examiner at various universities.

Dr Anwar combined his knowledge and research in data mining in the form of a book based on medical data. He has published his research work in many international conferences’ proceedings and journals. Previously he had obtained grants as a Principal Investigator from SAMS (Society for the Advancement of Management Studies), UKCES (UK Commission for Employment Skills) and ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council), UK, and as a Co-investigator from Research Beacon, University of Sunderland, UK. He is a Member of the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) UK Peer Review College to review reports and bids/proposals for their schemes and programmes. He has also reviewed many national and international bids. He supervises PhD students, and has chaired and examined many PhD students. He is also a reviewer for many international journals and has been a Technical Programme Committee member for many international conferences.

Dr Anwar is involved in quantitative and qualitative research. His research interest includes qualitative and quantitative data analysis, big data analysis, data mining, business intelligence, digital methods and machine learning, health informatics, intelligent hybrid systems (using a combination of machine learning techniques), information systems, decision support systems, international businesses/entrepreneurship, online businesses/entrepreneurship, online home-based businesses, entrepreneurial marketing, and digital social media. He is open for discussion for research with prospective self-funded postgraduate researchers (MPhil/PhD and Visiting Scholars) or businesses/companies/organizations who are interested in above areas.

Dana Anafina is a second-year master’s student in the Department of Communication. Her research focus is health communication, specifically how social norms influence an individual’s behavior. She is interested in exploring how persuasive messages can challenge and reshape existing social norms for positive health outcomes. Inspired by current fellows, Dana is excited to work with and learn. As a leadership fellow, she aims to create an environment for international students where their voices are heard and to ensure each individual feels valued and supported.