L-R: Assistant Professor Hyejin Kim, PRAD student Marissa Pareles, Instructor Marshall Goldman, Instructor Juliet Stantz, Dean Lexa Murphy, Professor Kelly Chu, University of Tennessee Associate Professor Maria DeMoya Taveras, and Assistant Professor Tony Deng. Photo Credit: Jef I. Richards.The 2023 American Academy of Advertising (AAA) conference was a phenomenal event filled with 28 informative sessions spread across three days (March 23-26). Attendees had the opportunity to discover 20 competition paper tracks, seven special topics sessions, and one meet the editor session, making it an immersive experience to learn and network with like-minded academic professionals.A key highlight from the conference was DePaul College of Communication's very own Professor Kelly Chu, inaugurated as 2023 President of the AAA. During the President's Reception event, Dean Lexa Murphy expressed her praise for Chu's exceptional work ethic, describing her as highly devoted and passionate about advertising research. In a light-hearted moment, Dean Murphy spoke about Professor Chu's lightning-fast response to emails, joking that she sometimes responds even before the email has been sent.
Professor Chu's specialty focuses on electronic word of mouth, cross-cultural consumer behavior, and corporate social responsibility. During school hours, she teaches principles of advertising, international advertising, and senior capstone courses. She also leads study abroad courses in Taiwan and Japan. Her appointment as AAA President is attributed to her diligence and forward thinking. Given her track record of excellence in advertising academia, there is no doubt that Professor Chu will offer remarkable leadership to the AAA in 2023.
Throughout the conference, there were also many notable presentations. Assistant Professor Tony Deng presented his research paper "Cultural Differences in TikTok Uses and Gratifications across the United States, Spain, and Chile” and Assistant Professor Hyejin Kim's moderated the session “Consumer Well Being.” Furthermore, many DePaul College of Communication professors attended the conference in support of Professor Chu. Faculty members Marshall Goldman and Juliet Stantz were in attendance and had the opportunity to connect with scholars and be enlightened by the world of advertising academia. The AAA conference also provided a valuable learning opportunity for PRAD undergraduate student Marissa Perales, who gained insights into the field of advertising research as well as a fresh perspective on both industry and academic career paths.
Overall, the American Academy of Advertising conference was an amazing experience that allowed students and professors to network, learn about current research and trends, and leave feeling inspired to continue advancing the advertising landscape. Professor Chu's appointment as AAA President made the DePaul’s Public Relations and Advertising program proud and demonstrated the merit of DePaul as a whole.
Marissa Perales is a Student Assistant in the College of Communication and a senior in the Public Relations and Advertising program.