Dean H. Rao Unnava: Spring 2026 Big 3 Video

Dean H. Rao Unnava's Spring 2026 edition of the Big 3 features:

Professor Prasad Naik Honored with Humboldt Research Award

Conferred by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Professor Naik's award is among Germany’s most distinguished academic honors. Established in 1972, it is granted to no more than 100 researchers worldwide each year across all fields, and Naik is the first GSM professor so honored. Read more.

School Hosts Top Scholars Shaping the Future of Finance and Organizational Research  

Professor Ayako Yasuda welcomed global scholars to the UC Davis–FMA Napa Finance Conference at Beringer Vineyards for rigorous discussion, collaboration and fresh insight across finance. Meanwhile, Professor Beth Bechky led the Davis Conference on Qualitative Research, which convened scholars who examined how work is structured and how organizations operate. Read more.

New Aggie Venture Accelerator, Food and Health Angels, and Gunrock Venture Studio to Fund Promising UC Davis Startups

UC Davis has partnered with The March Group to further support startups that tackle challenges in human, animal and planetary health. GSM Senior Scholar Harold Schmitz is founding partner of The March Group. Read more.

Video Transcript

Welcome to the Spring 2026 issue of the Big 3.

• Our first Humboldt Research Award plus AI innovations
• Faculty conferences shape the future of finance and qualitative research
• New funding for UC Davis startups in food, agriculture and health

Marketing Professor Prasad Naik Honored with Humboldt Research Award

This spring, Marketing Professor Prasad Naik has been honored with a Humboldt Research Award, a prestigious international recognition honoring a lifetime of influential research and supporting collaboration with leading scholars in Germany.

The award reflects the global impact of his work in marketing science and analytics. Previously, Professor Naik also won the Don Schultz Award given out for innovation in teaching, theory and practice and the Frank Bass Award for his dissertation work.

While excelling in research, Prasad is also redefining how AI supports learning at UC Davis. He has built two customized AI agents trained on his course materials.

Available 24/7, these tools act as personalized teaching assistants, answering questions in real time, generating practice exercises and reinforcing core concepts.

We are building on that momentum with the launch of AI@GSM, a new digital hub highlighting how AI is integrated across our curriculum, research, student experience and alumni lifelong learning.

Ideas in Conversation: Highlights from Finance and Qualitative Research Conferences

This month, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management convened leading scholars shaping the future of finance and organizational research.

We hosted the UC Davis FMA Napa Finance Conference, led by Professor Ayako Yasuda, and the Davis Conference on Qualitative Research, led by Professor Beth Bechky, bringing together top researchers from around the world.

The finance conference is organized in partnership with the Financial Management Association, a global leader in advancing knowledge about financial decision making.

These conferences are designed for rigorous, real-time peer critique and high-level intellectual exchange.

In finance, a group of scholars discussed private capital markets, asset pricing and corporate finance, including how private equity structures influence firm performance and capital allocation.

In qualitative and organizational research, scholars examined how work is structured and how organizations operate, including coordination and decision making in complex, high-stakes environments.

This is how ideas are tested, collaborations take shape and future research directions are influenced. We are delighted to play host to all the scholars who attended.

UC Davis Launches Aggie Venture Accelerator to Advance Early-Stage Life Science Innovations

We’re also seeing strong momentum across the UC Davis innovation ecosystem, with initiatives accelerating the path from research to real-world impact.

The Aggie Venture Accelerator launched in partnership with The March Group, co-founded by Senior Scholar Harold Schmitz. The accelerator will support early-stage startups in life science, food and health, connecting founders with capital, expertise and industry networks at Aggie Square and beyond.

Schmitz is also helping to lead a new Food and Health Angels network, bringing together experienced executives and investors to fund the next generation of innovation in these connected fields.

Meanwhile, UC Davis MBA alumnus Tim Keller has launched Gunrock Venture Studio as a “company to build companies.”  Tim says it will raise funds for promising science-based startups to move breakthrough ideas to market.

Together, these efforts position UC Davis as a leader in translating research into scalable, market-ready products and solutions.

Across AI, faculty research and innovation, UC Davis Graduate School of Management continues to advance business education with global impact.

Thank you for watching the Big 3.