Dr. Joanne Tran Receives Mentor of the Year Award from Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research
Tue, 05/20/2025 - 09:18am | By: Dr. David Tisdale
Dr. Joanne Tran鈥檚 upbringing in a culturally diverse and economically challenged environment deeply shaped her values and passion for supporting students from all walks of life.
Those personal perspectives help Dr. Tran, a University of Southern Mississippi faculty member, connect meaningfully with students who flourish academically and professionally under her guidance. Her efforts recently earned her the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research鈥檚 (DCUR) Mentor of the Year award.
鈥淚鈥檓 deeply honored to receive the DCUR Mentor of the Year award,鈥� said Tran, a popular marketing professor who has mentored two Eagle SPUR (Scholars Program for Undergraduate Research) grant recipients and one DCUR Summer Research Fellow in the last four years. 鈥淭his recognition is not just mine but also belongs to every student I鈥檝e had the privilege and joy of mentoring.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 very passionate about student research and have mentored many undergraduate and graduate students,鈥� she continued. 鈥淥ne of my proudest accomplishments has been mentoring students whose research aligns with societal issues like revitalization efforts, inclusive workplace practices and consumer well-being.鈥�
Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, co-director of the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research, said Southern Miss students mentored by Dr. Tran are in good hands with her as their advisor.
鈥淒r. Tran helps her mentees in innumerable ways, including sharpening their grasp on scholarly literature, advising them on their methodological approaches and analyses, and strengthening their writing styles,鈥� Tuuri added. 鈥淚n addition, she routinely brings students to conferences and helps them with scholarly publications to develop their professional skills. She is incredibly deserving of this recognition.鈥�
A Southern Miss alumna, Tran is a native of Biloxi, Miss., who is proud of her Vietnamese American heritage and achievement as a first-generation college student. After studying at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC), she transferred to Southern Miss to earn her bachelor鈥檚 degree in business administration in healthcare marketing and a master鈥檚 degree in business administration in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
As a student at Southern Miss, Tran was invited into the first cohort of the Business Honors College and completed an independent research study in graduate school, sparking her interest in academia. She was awarded the Mississippi Power Company Marketing Faculty Academic Award and the Outstanding Student in Sales Award during her senior year.
A transfer scholarship Tran earned from MGCCC helped her reach her dream of being the first in her family to obtain a college degree.
鈥淥nce I was at Southern Miss [as a student], it was the strong sense of community and support system here that provided the foundation for my career,鈥� Tran reflected. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so meaningful to now serve as a member of our faculty and give of myself as a student mentor, as it feels I鈥檝e come full circle.鈥�
Before entering academia, Tran worked for more than a decade in the services and healthcare industries, including as a marketing project manager for Mississippi's largest multi-specialty healthcare clinic. She joined the Southern Miss faculty in 2016 as an assistant professor of marketing in the College of Business and Economic Development鈥檚 School of Marketing and was promoted to associate professor in 2022.
Tran earned a Doctor of Business Administration in marketing at Louisiana Tech University, with minors in quantitative analysis and psychology. Her research areas include branding, value consumption and transformative service research. An award-winning researcher, she has received the 2023 Louis K. Brandt Research Award and the 2022 Business Advisory Council Award, among others. Her research has been published in the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Service Management, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, and the Journal of Marketing Education.
As an Honors College Faculty Fellow, Tran has served with the Honors College and Undergraduate Symposium on Research & Creative Activity (UGS) since 2018. She says her mentorship philosophy is rooted in 鈥渧alue co-creation,鈥� where she and her students engage in a collaborative learning process that extends beyond the classroom by empowering them to take ownership of their research, fostering critical thinking, professional development and confidence.
鈥淚 strive to empower students to see themselves as researchers, problem-solvers, and changemakers, and I find joy in helping students turn curiosity into contribution,鈥� Tran explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about guiding students from the front, but rather walking alongside them, learning together and celebrating every milestone, small or big. Their success is our success.鈥�
Gracie Lewis, a Southern Miss Honors student and marketing major from Sumrall, Miss., recently completed an Eagle SPUR-funded, community-engaged research project on the revitalization of downtown Hattiesburg. She presented her proposal at the 2024 Society for Marketing Advances conference and her final thesis at the 2025 UGS on April 26.
鈥淒r. Tran鈥檚 mentorship has been instrumental in completing my thesis and developing me as a researcher,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淗er patience and constant guidance allowed me to explore my interests while building skills that will benefit me long after graduation.鈥�
Southern Miss Honors College Dean Dr. Joyce Inman says Tran鈥檚 鈥渄edication to her students is remarkable and her enthusiasm for her work is unparalleled.鈥�
鈥淪he supports her mentees in all of their research efforts and challenges them to take their research to the next level,鈥� Inman continued. 鈥淚 know each student who has had the opportunity to be mentored by Dr. Tran appreciates her investment in them and in their research endeavors.鈥�
School of Marketing Director Dr. Brigitte Burgess echoed that praise saying Dr. Tran has 鈥渃onsistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the development of undergraduate researchers over many years.鈥�
鈥淗er dedication to nurturing intellectual curiosity and guiding students through the complexities of academic research makes her an exceptional recipient for this honor,鈥� Burgess further noted. 鈥淪he approaches mentorship with empathy and encouragement, creating a supportive environment that helps students build confidence and resilience.鈥�
Tran鈥檚 devotion to her mentees doesn鈥檛 end after they鈥檝e walked across the commencement stage. She鈥檚 also there for them as they transition into industry careers or graduate studies.
鈥淢any of my mentees have gone on to earn research grants, win prestigious awards, and gain recognition at national and international academic conferences,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e helped lead undergraduate students to successful careers in marketing and into master's and Ph.D. programs by fostering their research, professional development and academic excellence.鈥�
Undergraduate research is 鈥渢ransformational,鈥� Tran added. It gives students 鈥渃onfidence, deepens their learning, and opens doors they never imagined.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 especially proud of how Southern Miss, through the DCUR, supports undergraduate students across all disciplines, from grant opportunities like Eagle SPUR to platforms like UGS and the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). These programs elevate student voices and foster a culture of discovery and engagement.鈥�
The DCUR at Southern Miss supports all aspects of undergraduate research and creative activity, including community-engaged projects. Its initiatives are generously supported by its benefactor and Southern Miss alumnus Donald Drapeau, and the Southern Miss Office of the Vice President for Research. Click here for more information about the DCUR.