FY25 Junior Faculty Fellowship Testimonials

The Hariri Institute’s Junior Faculty Fellowship (JFF) provides early-career scholars with funding, mentorship, and opportunities to engage with a vibrant interdisciplinary community. Here’s what our 2025 fellows shared about their experiences:

Tesary Lin

Isabel Anderson Career Development
Assistant Professor of Marketing (Questrom)
Junior Faculty Fellow (2022)

Engagement with the Hariri Institute Community:

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Hariri Institute for the generous support and the opportunities provided throughout this fellowship, which have been invaluable to my academic and professional growth.

During my appointment, I actively engaged with the Hariri Institute community by following various events, including seminars and speaker series. For one semester, I had the opportunity to host the Distinguished Speaker Series, which enhanced my ability to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and connect with researchers across fields. Additionally, I used the SAIL team to support one of my research projects that requires software engineering support.

Use of the Hariri Award Fund:

I primarily used the fellowship award to support my research and professional development. I allocated the funds to attend conferences, which allowed me to present my work and engage with a broader academic audience. Additionally, I used part of the grant to hire research assistants, which contributed to the progress of my projects.

Impact:

Receiving this award has had a positive impact on my experience at the Hariri Institute. It allowed me to access resources and opportunities that enriched my research and professional growth. The resources and support enabled me to focus on my work while engaging with the vibrant academic community fostered by the Institute.

Jinglong Zhao

Jinglong Zhao, Assistant Professor of Operations and Technology Management (Questrom); Junior Faculty Fellow (2022)

Experience & Community Engagement:

As a Hariri Junior Faculty Fellow, I had the opportunity to engage with a vibrant interdisciplinary community. I participated in institute events, including research seminars and networking receptions, which helped me connect with colleagues working at the intersection of data science and other fields. These engagements sparked several conversations around potential collaborations. I am chatting with my cohorts about potential opportunities to write grant proposals together.

Use of Fellowship Award:

I used the fellowship award for conference travel, including one international travel to Canada and London (MSOM and RMP conferences, combined as one trip), and one domestic travel to the biggest annual meeting in my field (INFORMS annual meeting). At Questrom we have our discretionary fund. The fellowship award helped me cover conference travel costs, so I used more of my discretionary fund to hire RAs to support my research.

Impact:

The award enhanced my visibility within the Institute and facilitated new conversations with researchers I might not have otherwise encountered (such as the ones I am speaking with to write grant proposals). Conversations with these researchers helped me generate ideas that are important to my ongoing works. The recognition affirmed the importance of my research direction and gave me the resources and confidence to pursue it further.