The award is given biennially at the ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø Winter Academic Conference to recognize academics in the field of marketing who are productive scholars and who have been instrumental in developing doctoral students in marketing.
The ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø Foundation (ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍøF) is proud to recognize V. “Seenu” Srinivasan, Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emeritus, Stanford University, as the recipient of the 2025 V. Kumar Doctoral Student Mentorship Award! Click here to read more about Seenu and his award-winning impact.
Eligibility
All scholars who are at a career stage in which they have built a substantial record of impact on doctoral students will be eligible for the award. The nominees should have made significant and recognition-worthy contributions to the advancement of PhD students in marketing and helped create the pipeline of marketing scholars who continue to contribute to the marketing discipline through their research, teaching, and service.
The nominee should:
- Have completed their doctorate degree a minimum of fifteen (15) years prior to the nomination year.
- Be recognized as a productive marketing scholar based on service to and publication in leading marketing journals and, specifically, in ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø journals.
- Have a substantial record of training, mentoring, and placing doctoral students.
- Have a substantial record of service to ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø initiatives that have nurtured doctoral student success, such as ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø conferences, the John A. Howard Doctoral Dissertation Award, ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø DocSIG activities, and the PhD Project’s Marketing Doctoral Student Association, as well as attending a number of ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø/Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortia and other doctoral consortia or similar activities.
- Additionally, the doctoral students that the scholar has mentored should have contributed to the marketing discipline through their own exemplary service, research and teaching.
Application Process
Nominations for the award will be submitted online and shared with the award committee for evaluation. The following information is needed to submit a nomination:
- Nominee and nominator contact information
- Nominee’s CV
- Three letters of nomination (one must be from an individual who has completed their dissertation with the nominee as their chair). The three letters must speak to the following criteria:
- Evidence of the fact the nominee is a leading scholar in the field (i.e., number of articles published in top tier ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø journals and/or evidence of impact as shown through citations, implementation, etc.
- Evidence of significant service to initiatives that have nurtured doctoral student success.
- The award will be given once every two years. No self-nominations will be accepted. Nominations will open for the 2027 award in September 2026.
History
The ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø V. Kumar Doctoral Student Mentorship Award was established in 2018 to recognize academics in the field of marketing who are productive scholars and who have been instrumental in developing doctoral students in marketing.
Goodman School of Business
Brock University
Judging Process
A panel consisting of a mix of award recipients, ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø Foundation Board of Advisors members and marketing scholars will serve on the selection committee. All judges will be leaders and experts in the field of marketing with careers as marketing academics and scholars.
Recognition and Benefits
The recipient of the 2025 award will receive a cash prize, a complimentary conference registration, and a plaque/award. The recipient may be asked to give a brief acceptance speech at the ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø Winter Conference award lunch.
ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of the ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø, the ÂÜÀòÉç¹ÙÍø Foundation champions individual marketers who are making an impact in our profession and community. We recognize marketing visionaries who have elevated the field, and we support the next generation of marketers who will transform the profession.
Past Recipients
2025
V. “Seenu” Srinivasan
Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emeritus
Stanford University
2023
James Bettman
Burlington Industries Professor of Business Administration
Duke University
2021
Linda Price
Professor and Dick and Maggie Scarlett Chair of Business Administration
University of Wyoming
Richard Staelin
Edward and Rose Donnell Professor of Business Administration at The Fuqua School of Business
Duke University
2019
Donald R. Lehman
George E. Warren Professor of Business
Columbia Business School