Nina (Ni) Huang
University of Miami Herbert Business School
“Dr. Nina Huang is a passionate teacher and has received stellar evaluations for the courses she has taught. Notably, in undergraduate teaching, she combines her research with teaching and the materials are always cutting edge. She is a thought leader on digital experience design and has won several international awards in the field of information systems, such as the AIS Early Career Award and the INFORMS Sandy Slaughter Early Career Award.” – Yili (Kevin) Hong, Professor of Business Technology
Nina (Ni) Huang, 35, is Associate Professor at the Miami Herbert Business School at University of Miami.
Prior to joining the University of Miami, she was a faculty member in the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and the C. T. Bauer School of Business at University of Houston. Her research focuses on understanding the user experience of digital and information technology as well as the digital artifacts and their design implications in various contexts, such as digital learning, online dating, online healthcare, mobile applications, and digital commerce.
Her work has been published in premier journals such as Management Science, MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, and Production and Operations Management. She currently serves as an Associate Editor at MIS Quarterly.
Huang received the INFORMS Information Systems Society (ISS) Sandra A. Slaughter Early Career Award in 2021, the Association for Information Systems (AIS) Early Career Award in 2020, the Outstanding Reviewer of the Year Award at MIS Quarterly and the Best Reviewer of the Year Award at Information Systems Research in 2019.
She was in the Dean’s List for Teaching Impact when she worked at the W. P. Carey School of Business and was awarded the college-wide W. P. Carey Faculty Research Award at ASU.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2022
Education:
- Ph.D. Business Administration, Temple University
- MA Advertising and MS Business Research, Michigan State University
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Databases Management Systems, Business Technology and Innovation
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I was in the Ph.D. program. I witnessed how education can change lives, and I was inspired by my professors in their research and teaching in transforming students’ lives, improving business processes, and shaping public policies.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? My current research focuses on designing digital user experiences and improving matching market efficiency. The most recent discovery I and my co-authors made is about how we can design information disclosure to “level the playing field of online dating.”
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be… a technology consultant or a business intelligence scientist in a tech company. I am fascinated by the empowering role of digital technologies, and I enjoy working at the intersection of business and technology.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I conduct myself as more than just a teacher but also an approachable mentor who helps the students become prepared for real life. Meanwhile, I actively participate in teaching workshops to improve teaching techniques, listen to, and learn from student feedback, and constantly enhance my teaching pedagogy, which has helped me develop into an effective educator for the students.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Rewarding
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: Prepare for a lot of hard work and be ready to offer intellectual as well as emotional support for your students. You are not only teaching knowledge but also shaping minds.
Professor I most admire and why: Personally, I really admire Professor Pei-yu Chen from Arizona State University because she has been an inspirational role model to me in her professionalism and student-oriented compassion, and I also learned a lot from her about career-family balance.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? Business students are open-minded, intellectually curious, and warm-hearted. They value career development and are eager to learn the knowledge that helps them be competitive in the business world.
What is most challenging? I teach business technology, and the most challenging task in my teaching is continuously keeping up with the rapid development of technology and updating the teaching materials accordingly.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Curious
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Prejudiced
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… fair and balanced
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? Fishing and gardening. I love being immersed in nature.
How will you spend your summer? Spending time with family and doing research. Given I can self-schedule activities, summer is the perfect time to work on exciting research projects.
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Miami, Florida
Favorite book(s): My favorite book is the Book of Why by Judea Pearl, because I find his propositions on understanding causal relationships interesting.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? My current favorite movie is The Imitation Game, which tells the story of a brilliant computer scientist, Alan Turing, who pioneered the development of artificial intelligence and is an inspiring figure to me.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? My favorite type of music is ambient music, for example, I am a fan of the music artist Aljosha Konstanty (AK), because his ambient mix music sounds very relaxing and soothing.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this… alumni connections and business community engagement, servicing society with foundational education and knowledge dissemination.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at… innovating in their business processes to embrace digital technologies, and in doing so, creating opportunities for everyone.
I’m grateful for… my family’s strong support in pursuing this career as a business school professor.
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