UWG students take NSSA first place

Victoria Martin and Maria Dong of the University of West Georgia took scholarship to a higher level in early April, taking home the top prize for undergraduate research at this year’s National Social Sciences Association Conference in Las Vegas.

Their project was a comparative study on American Pie Pizzeria in Carrollton and Papa John’s Pizza. Their research provided detailed analysis of the data, and provided recommendations to both restaurants as to how better to cater to the student market.

Their study was based on a sample size of 400 respondents. In submitting their report to the NSSA, the two were charged with the task of condensing their 99-page study to 20 pages. After their abstract proposal was accepted, Martin and Dong decided to attend the conference, win or lose.

Their hours of arduous labor paid off as the two were rewarded with the top prize: a $100 award and their paper being invited to be published in the National Social Science Journal.  They were notified of their award during a luncheon on the second day of the conference.

“They were outstanding students in my class last fall, and I believed in their ultimate success when we were working on their research for the course,” said Dr. Beheruz N. Sethna, UWG president and professor of business.

Both Dong and Martin attribute their success to the guidance of Sethna and his challenging yet rewarding course.