艾丽西亚·罗马诺 combined her passions for sports, research and teaching in the University 北科罗拉多的 体育与运动科学 Ph.D. 程序. 她选择了一个 体育运动管理 concentration and conducted novel research that could have major implications for 体育营销. One of the highlights of her UNC education was her research “Consumers’ Visual Attention and Explicit Memory of Sponsorships: An Eye-Tracking Investigation 在2021年的美国.S. 奥运会游泳选拔赛.”

Romano said, “This research is unique because it’s never been done before in a natural 环境. The eye-tracking glasses determine consumers’ pupil location in relation to their world view and are used to track consumers’ visual attention to sponsorship 现场体育赛事信息.”

The eye-tracking technique allowed Romano to determine the number of times and for how long spectators fixated on sponsorship signage during the U.S. 奥运会游泳选拔赛 于2021年在内布拉斯加州的奥马哈举行. When she surveyed spectators afterward to determine their recall and recognition of sponsors, she got a surprising result.

Romano said a key to this type of research is its ecological validity. 换句话说， “real-world results” are important to the sport industry because sponsors are looking for tangible evidence of their return on investment.

Her work earned the Outstanding Student Paper Award at the Sport Marketing Association 会议将于2021年在拉斯维加斯举行. 罗马诺的导师，教授 艾伦•莫尔斯, 程序 coordinator for Sport Administration and director of the Sport Marketing 研究 Institute, wasn’t surprised.

“I encourage my students to do research that can be implemented in the real world. Her research reflects this by giving sport and corporate marketers tangible evidence 赞助的有效性.”
出莫尔斯

“研究ers had yet to use the eye-tracking technique in a natural 环境, setting 她的研究. Her research also was accepted for presentation at an international conference in Taiwan, but unfortunately, the conference was canceled due to COVID-19,” 莫尔斯说.

莫尔斯说 COVID-19 impacted Romano’s work in other ways, too.

“COVID occurred right after Alicia purchased the eye-tracking glasses, so the research 被搁置了. However, Alicia’s patience paid off when the director of national events for the 奥运会游泳选拔赛, a former student from our doctoral 程序, caught 对研究项目感兴趣. Alicia did a great job of proposing and educating the Olympic Swim Marketing Committee on how she was going to perform this research,” 他说.

莫尔斯说 Romano’s work ethic stood out.

“Her ability to work hard, stay focused, and accomplish goals showed her passion and ownership for her research and education,” 他说.

He believes Romano’s research could change the industry’s approach.

“I encourage my students to do research that can be implemented in the real world. Her research reflects this by giving sport and corporate marketers tangible evidence 赞助的有效性,” 莫尔斯说.

Romano earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s in Post-Secondary Biology education from 北ern Michigan University, where she was an NCAA athlete who competed 在越野和田径比赛中. She will graduate from UNC in May 2023 after three years in the 程序, during which she worked as a graduate 助理 and teaching 助理.

和博士一起工作. Morse was vital to the success of my research. 他在鼓励 and supportive throughout my academic and research journey at UNC. 这是一个证词 对整个项目. Everyone wants to see you succeed and is willing to help you 实现你的目标. My colleagues and my cohort were all important to my success,” 她说.

This fall, Romano will begin a new job as an 助理 professor at Idaho State University, where she plans to continue her eye-tracking research.

“I would love to bring in graduate students and get them to experience doing research 就像这样，”罗马诺说.

——布伦达·吉伦著