LEWISBURG, Pa. — These are Bucknell University story ideas that may interest you in April
AN ENTERPRISING ENDEAVOR — Three Bucknell researchers — Daniella Gangemi ’25, business administration; Freeman College of Management Professor Robyn Eversole, Howard I. Scott Professor of Practice in Social Entrepreneurship; and Margo Bigue ’29, a Malesardi Arts & Sciences Merit Scholar — have spearheaded an enterprising research project that will benefit the Susquehanna River Valley. Last fall, they completed the region’s first-ever social enterprise study, started in 2024. They presented their findings at a fall Social Enterprise Workshop with the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and the Bucknell Small Business Development Center where local stakeholders gathered to hear their findings and discuss the role of social enterprise in the region. Social enterprises are “organizations with a mission to create positive social change that trade to fulfil their mission.” Social enterprises create benefits for communities by addressing social issues while using business activities to support their economic value creation economic sustainability. Their research found the concept and language of social enterprise is relatively new and not yet well understood in this region. The practice of social enterprise is evident in the region to some (limited) extent, in the form of socially impactful private business as well as enterprising not-for-profit organizations. And there is considerable interest in the potential role that social enterprise can play in helping the region to meet current challenges. The researchers have also developed strategies for cultivating social enterprises and are keen to speak with interested stakeholders as their work enters the next phase. CONTACTS: Eversole, 570-447-4645, r.eversole@bucknell.edu; Bigue, mpb022@bucknell.edu
AI CUSTOMER DISSERVICE — As more companies adopt AI agents as the initial interference on customer service inquiries, customers are left feeling angered and distrust of AI only grows. Corporations are left facing the question, “optimization or customer satisfaction?” Professor, Brian King, Xin Faculty Fellow in Computer Science & Engineering and faculty fellow for the Dominguez Center for Data Science, has expertise in the ever-evolving AI landscape. He believes AI development is all too new to really understand best practices for AI deployment, including customer service. “Beyond software development, we have very little evidence to justify the rate of adoption we’re seeing,” King says. “Sadly, so many are jumping on the AI bandwagon out of FOMO — fear of missing out. They are not taking the time to understand how the blind deployment of these agents in the wrong way may have long-lasting detriments, many of which will be hard to recover from. It’s a misguided optimization that ignores the customer.” King points out that AI agents have no affective intelligence, or “the capacity to perceive, interpret, and respond appropriately to human emotional states.” Though AI has proven useful in many ways and capable of assisting humans in their work, King concludes, “It should not replace humans, especially in human-facing roles.” CONTACT: King, 570-577-3427, brk009@bucknell.edu
THE STRAIGHT ON HORMUZ IMPACT — As the war with Iran continues, the world continues to bear the geopolitical ramifications. The war has disrupted diplomatic efforts in the region, and the oil flowing through the Straits of Hormuz, which were officially declared closed by Iranian forces on March 2. The de facto closure has brought significant disruptions to non-oil cargo as well. Freeman College of Management Professor Jimmy Chen, analytics & operations management teaches global supply chain management and studies how suppliers allocate inventory and how retailers regulate their suppliers through vendor compliance programs. Chen sees serious supply chain impact beyond oil if the Straits remain closed for an extended period. “Oil prices would spike, raising transportation and logistics costs across sea, road and air networks,” Chen says. “Beyond higher transportation costs, petroleum is also a key input for plastics, fertilizers, and synthetic materials, so the shock would ripple through manufacturing and agriculture, affecting products people might not immediately associate with oil, such as packaged food, polyester clothing, plastic packaging, building materials, and fertilizers used to grow crops.” CONTACT: Chen, 570-577-1678, jimmy.chen@bucknell.edu
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CONTACT: Mike Ferlazzo, 570-577-3212, 570-238-6266 (c), mike.ferlazzo@bucknell.edu