Jindal School Now – July 2025

Chatbot Answers Preferred Over Those of Physicians

A study by a team of researchers from the Naveen Jindal School of Management reveals that when laypeople compare answers from licensed physicians to those from AI chatbots like ChatGPT, they consistently prefer AI — even when experts rate the chatbot’s answers as lower in clinical quality.

In their experiments, the team — Dr. Mehmet Ayvaci, an associate professor in the Jindal School’s Information Systems Area; Dr. Alejandro Zentner, an associate professor in the Jindal School’s Finance and Managerial Economics Area; and Dr. Dicle Yagmur Ozdemir, who graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas in 2023 — found that study participants consistently rated ChatGPT-generated answers as more helpful and convincing than those written by licensed physicians, even when those responses were rated by experts as lower in clinical quality.

“That might sound surprising, but it makes sense when you think about how people without medical training judge information,” Ayvaci said. “They tend to focus on things they can evaluate like how clear or respectful the response is rather than how medically accurate it is. ChatGPT usually gives longer, more detailed, and polite responses, which makes it feel more helpful. So even if the content is not always better, the style makes people trust it more.”

Study Investigates New Pricing Model To Prevent ‘Utility Death Spiral’

A new study by Dr. Metin Çakanyildirim at the Naveen Jindal School of Management proposes a subscription-based pricing model for residential solar power users. As more homeowners install solar panels and reduce their reliance on traditional electricity, utilities face declining revenue and increased costs from buying back excess solar energy. To prevent raising electricity prices for all customers and avoid a potential “utility death spiral,” the study suggests charging solar adopters a fixed monthly fee based on home size. This fee would help maintain grid infrastructure and balance costs between solar and non-solar users.

“This study acts as a harbinger,” Çakanyildirim said. “A utility’s death spiral into bankruptcy is the doomsday scenario we are trying to avoid.”

JSOM Professor Joins Elite Ranks with ISS Distinguished Fellow Award

Dr. Zhiqiang (Eric) Zheng, Ashbel Smith Professor in the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s Information Systems Area, was one of the winners of the Information Systems Society’s 2024 ISS Distinguished Fellow Award.

By winning this award, Zheng has joined an illustrious list of JSOM faculty members who have won the award, including Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean, who won in 2012; and Drs. Vijay Mookerjee and Sumit Sarkar, both Charles and Nancy Davidson Chairs and professors in the IS Area, who won in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

“Receiving the ISS Distinguished Fellow Award is an immense privilege for me, both personally and professionally,” Zheng said. “UT Dallas is one of the few institutions with multiple recipients of this prestigious recognition, and being mentioned alongside such distinguished scholars and pioneers of the information systems field is truly an honor.”

Healthcare Management Interdisciplinary Area Launched in Jindal School

As the healthcare industry undergoes a fundamental transformation, the Naveen Jindal School of Management has introduced its new Healthcare Management Interdisciplinary Area at an ideal time to take advantage of those rapid developments.

“The industry is shifting from volume-based to value-based models, reshaping how care is paid for, delivered and evaluated,” said Dr. Mehmet Ayvaci, an associate professor in the Information Systems Area and coordinator for the new area.

“Patients now expect more personalized, tech-enabled care,” he said. “Physicians are being trained and assessed differently. Tech companies are entering the space with disruptive innovations, and regulators are rewriting the rules.”

Double Degree Programs Revamped at Jindal School

Starting in fall 2025, the Naveen Jindal School of Management is updating its double-degree programs to provide a more streamlined path for students interested in expanding their skill sets across two disciplines. These changes make it easier for motivated students to stand out in an increasingly competitive job market.

“Sometimes adding a double degree can make a world of difference and open doors to opportunities you’d never thought of before,” said Omer Ahmed, who will graduate in December holding a bachelor of science degree in not one but two undergraduate management disciplines — Global Business and Marketing. “It’s been a great journey throughout, academically and socially. I found the right people to push me to become a better version of myself.”

Jindal School Helping Equip Healthcare Industry C-Suites

An educational partnership that began in 2011 between the Naveen Jindal School of Management and several prominent healthcare organizations in Texas has equipped more than 300 physicians and staff members from prominent organizations such as UT Southwestern Medical Center, Parkland Health and Texas Health Resources to become better business leaders.

Over the past decade-and-a-half, the program has blossomed into an EMBA with an emphasis on Healthcare Organization Leadership, an innovative new 42-hour credit program recently approved by the UT System that teaches business leadership and organizational development to physicians and other C-suite aspirants in a complex industry that needs these skills now more than ever.

“The program has equipped me with invaluable skills in strategic leadership, healthcare management, and operational efficiency to think strategically and approach complex healthcare challenges with innovative solutions,” said Dr. Edtrina Moss, EMBA’24, a practicing registered nurse with a PhD in Nursing Science who works for Harris Health System as a senior performance improvement specialist registered nurse.

Marketing Conference Focuses on Research Topics Rather Than Method

A wide range of topics were discussed at the 19th annual Frank M. Bass – UT Dallas Frontiers of Research in Marketing Science Conference (UTD FORMS) including the use of AI, advertising, sustainable products and the role of beliefs in online search behavior.

The event honors the memory of the late Dr. Frank M. Bass (1926-2006), Eugene McDermott Chair in the Jindal School who led the way in establishing marketing as a quantitative science.

“One key change we experimented with this year was to organize the conference around research topics rather than method,” said Dr. Upender Subramanian, a professor in the Jindal School’s Marketing Area. “This was done to promote exchange and cross-fertilization of ideas between different areas within the field. The initial feedback has been highly encouraging.”

Fintech Conference Focuses on AI

The second Fintech & Digital Assets Workshop, also known as UTD COMTECH, focused on how new technologies are disrupting the financial services industry and forcing companies to make changes they may not be comfortable making.

Paul Brody, principal and global blockchain leader at EY, was the keynote speaker.

“We are headed into what I think of as the great long crypto summer,” Brody said. “My own personal forecast is that this summer will probably last somewhere in the range of 20 to 25 years.”

Academic Summit for Business Analytics Equips Educators to Lead Technological Advances

More than 50 academic institutions and professional organizations participated in the second annual Academic Summit for Business Analytics at the Naveen Jindal School of Management. The three-day event, held Jan. 30-Feb. 1, featured presentations, panels, and discussions designed to steer attendees into the future of business analytics.

Keynote speaker Sridhar Sharma, executive vice president and chief innovation and digital officer for mortgage firm Mr. Cooper, delivered a presentation on the company’s digital-first strategy, which he leads. It is focused on developing and implementing AI and machine-learning solutions.

“We are hyper-focused on efficiencies,” he said, adding that while the company has grown, it has not increased its headcount by much. “We are invested in the right set of technologies.”

PhD Student, Professor Win Best Paper for Conflict Research

A PhD student in the Naveen Jindal School of Management and his faculty adviser have won a Best Paper Award from the Eastern Academy of Management at the organization’s annual conference.

Amirsalar Jafari Gorizi, a student in the Jindal School’s International Management Studies PhD program; and Dr. Mike Peng, O.P. Jindal Distinguished Chair and a professor in the Organizations, Strategy and International Management Area, won the award for their paper “Property Rights, Power, And Socio-Environmental Conflicts.”

“It feels awesome to finally taste the fruits of a tree I have planted and taken care of,” Gorizi said. “It was the first time I was the recipient of a scholarly award in this field. This encourages me to keep going, especially since I started this project as my first independent summer paper.”

Jindal School Launches Endowed Fellowship Program for Graduate Students

A recent ceremony announced the launch of an endowed fellowship program for graduate students in the Naveen Jindal School of Management. The new award deepens a growing relationship between the Jindal School and Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, providing life-changing financial assistance to Jindal School students with a preference for those transferring to UT Dallas from Fu Jen or earning dual degrees from both institutions through a special fast-track program.

JSOM Seniors Lend Consulting Expertise to Businesses and UTD Organizations

Student teams from the Naveen Jindal School of Management partnered this spring with businesses and other organizations through the UTDsolv Capstone Project, a student consulting platform aimed at developing solutions for real-world challenges that businesses and organizations face, particularly when they lack the time and resources to seek answers. This semester, three of the participating organizations were from within The University of Texas at Dallas: the Center for BrainHealth, the Center for Asian Studies and the Department of Bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

“At the Center for BrainHealth, we face many complex issues,” said Dr. Andrew S. Nevin, a research professor and inaugural director of the Brainomics Venture in the center. “JSOM’s capstone program has given us eight incredible teams of students over the past two terms. Each one worked on critical issues for us, and we gained valuable knowledge from each one.”