The Translational Research Center (TRC) has launched its plan for the 2020-2021 academic year.
TL Hill, professor of strategic management and the new managing director of the TRC, hosted a showcase on June 15 that shared plans for the future, as well as celebrated past successes, with faculty, staff, students and alumni of the Fox School of Business and the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.
“One of my main priorities is (for the TRC) to build a stronger relationship between the research community and the business and policy communities,” says Hill. “I see this work as a way to position the schools as valued intellectual partners with business and nonprofit and governmental leaders.”
The showcase outlined the four main pillars of the TRC’s work for the upcoming year: connecting research to practice, communicating research insights for public consumption, supporting faculty as they bring research learnings into the classroom and affecting policy-level change.
Monica Wadhwa, the center’s new research impact director, moderated a short discussion between Kevin Mahoney, DBA ’18, and CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and Sezgin Ayabakan, assistant professor of Management Information Systems. Their conversation focused on the effects of COVID-19 on behavioral science, spotlighting the healthcare industry.
“The experts shared three main takeaways,” says Wadhwa. “First, the pandemic has given telehealth a boost. Second, assuming reimbursement can be worked out, telehealth should help patients with chronic conditions adopt preventive health behaviors. Finally, there is a great need for more collaboration between health practitioners and behavioral scientists to encourage preventive behaviors.”
This event series, called “Research Connect,” will be 90-minute conversations between researchers and industry practitioners on current issues. While dates are being determined, the upcoming topics for the fall 2020 semester include
- Engaging Racism at Work: Effective Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives.
- Recovery: Managing the Economy and Industry after Crises.
- Behavioral Nudging for Wellbeing.
The TRC also highlighted its plans—ongoing and future—for helping to provide research insights to people who can apply them. Currently, research is translated through the Fox Newsroom blog, the Catalyst podcast, school-wide publications, media mentions and op-eds. New communications initiatives include a template for one-page research summaries, which the STHM’s Sport Industry Research Center piloted. These templates, called nanopublications, will help researchers focus on who the audience is and how to distill research into the practical and applicable highlights.
“We’re also developing a searchable web-based repository to house all the translational research products and to support research insight diffusion efforts,” says Megan Alt, associate director of communications and lead for the TRC’s insights distribution. “In partnership with Fox Marketing and Communications, the TRC will expand opportunities for workshops on media training, op-ed writing, nanopublications, Three Minute Thesis presentations and more.”
Marilyn Anthony, the TRC’s new strategic outreach director and assistant professor in the Department of Strategic Management, outlined the plans for building a collaborative community of engaged business partners, case writers and case teachers at the schools. Along with Fox colleagues Bertrand Guillotin and Dennis Paris, Anthony discussed resources and tips for those both familiar and new to case writing. In the coming academic year, the TRC will offer case writing and teaching workshops, discussions about the ROI for case writing, and publishing support.
The showcase brought excitement and momentum to Fox and STHM researchers, who will have many opportunities and resources in the coming academic year. “We want to help make rigorous academic research accessible to business executives, policymakers, government officials and community leaders,” says Hill. “We also want to work closely with leaders to ask better research questions. Overall, our goal is to provide researchers with the resources and support they need to affect change.”
Learn more about the Translational Research Center at fox.temple.edu/trc.