The American Marketing Association is pleased to announce the 2023 winners of the Valuing Diversity PhD Scholarship: Erika Zuloaga Cosme, Davon Holmes, and Priscilla Peña.
In partnership with the PhD Project and the AMA Academic Council, the Valuing Diversity PhD Scholarship seeks to widen opportunities for underrepresented populations to attend marketing doctoral programs. Learn more about this scholarship and eligibility requirements here.
Erika Zuloaga Cosme
Erika Zuloaga Cosme is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at San Antonio who is dedicated to conducting impactful research on emerging marketing issues. Currently, her studies examine how the diverse professional backgrounds of marketing leaders, in conjunction with marketing digital technologies, can contribute to the growth of firms operating in digital markets. In addition, she is exploring the role of AI technologies in addressing social and ethical issues within the context of innovation processes, such as augmenting new product development by involving underrepresented and disadvantaged consumers.
Erika would like to thank mentors Deepa Chandrasekaran, Ashwin Malshe, and BJ Allen, who have always been open to novel ideas and collaboration.
According to Erika, “it is my sincere aspiration that my research encourages diverse marketing scholars, both present and future, to have the confidence to ask crucial questions and showcase their work with boldness.”
Davon Holmes
Davon Holmes is a dedicated and enthusiastic PhD student driven by a passion for making advancements in the consumer behavior and marketing fields. With a strong and tenacious academic background, Davon hopes to create various open dialogues and advanced research to make marketing more impactful to marginalized communities worldwide.
Davon’s pursuit of his doctorate at Georgia State University has given him an extraordinary opportunity to engage in a rigorous research program within a diverse cultural environment and has further motivated his commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
With a strong sense of community, intellectual curiosity, education, mentoring, and bridging the gap between race and education, Davon is dedicated to creating an academic environment that benefits everyone.
Priscilla Peña
Priscilla Peña is a rising fourth-year marketing PhD candidate at The University of Rhode Island and the President of The PhD Project’s Marketing Doctoral Student Association. Her research interests are centered around brand activism, particularly the phenomenon of woke-washing, stigmatized-identity threats, negative emotions, and consumer protection behaviors. Priscilla’s research has been published in the Journal of Business Research and presented at several prominent conferences including AMA, ACR, and SCP. She recently won the best student paper award at the AMA Marketing & Public Policy Conference.
Priscilla is deeply passionate about research and teaching, and her commitment to excellence has earned her several awards, scholarships, and grants. Her research employs mixed-method approaches to tackle complex and high-impact research questions. Teaching-wise, she incorporates applied practices and the flipped classroom approach to enrich the educational experience of the students in her marketing principles and social media courses.