Angelina Ladner presents at South's Undergraduate Research Symposium

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Posted on October 24, 2025 by

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Angelina Ladner, a senior marketing major, recently represented the Mitchell College of Business at South’s Undergraduate Research Symposium. Ladner was one of 6 undergraduate students selected to give an oral presentation on her research.

The symposium is the culmination of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). This program supports outstanding students from all academic majors participating in scholarly research projects or creative activities under the direction of faculty mentors.  

Fellows are offered opportunities to:

• Acquire scholarly expertise through hands-on experience.
• Develop skills in scholarly communication.
• Enjoy participation in a community of scholars.
• Contribute to the discovery of new knowledge or the development of new perspectives.

Ladner was accepted into the SURF program to further her research on the behaviors of Gen Z buyers alongside Dr. Marianne Loes, assistant professor of marketing. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), their study analyzed the statistical significance of hypotheses exploring how various marketing tactics shape purchasing decisions among Gen Z consumers.

The Mitchell College values undergraduate research, as it exposes undergraduates to research principles and scholarly activity while developing their critical thinking skills.

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