SNUbiz News
Meeting Newly Appointed Professors
| [Introducing the Interviewee] Professor Taewoo Lee received a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the University of Toronto and was a faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh, Rice University, and the University of Houston, where he taught and researched management science and decision-making theory. He was appointed Associate Professor of Operations Management at SNU Business School in August 2024. His research focuses on creating stable service operation models against uncertainty, establishing equitable service operations and policies for vulnerable populations in society, and designing autonomous decision-making systems through behavioral data analysis. |
I earned my doctorate in management science and operations research at the University of Toronto. Then, I taught and researched at the University of Pittsburgh, Rice University, and the University of Houston for seven years before having the honor of joining Seoul National University as a professor of operations research in August 2024.
2. Out of your many research interests, I found your interest in preference elicitation fascinating. Please tell us about your research interests, including preference elicitation, and why you chose this field.
Preference elicitation begins from the premise that companies make decisions by considering the weighted values of certain preferences or specific values. However, that does not mean that every decision is made by objectifying the weighted values and making mathematically optimal choices. This would be the case if the decision-maker is always rational, but usually, decisions are shaped by inherent preferences. And the more weight and scale such decisions have, the greater their impacts become. It is, therefore, essential to have platforms that can objectify and visualize such decision-making processes and make them explainable and reproducible. So, I am designing models of corporate decision-making processes by using past decisions made by companies as data and quantifying the values the companies prioritized in reverse.
This is important because it makes the seemingly abstract system interpretable. It allows you to predict a company’s decisions in a new environment and establish a platform for efficient decision-making. I also became interested in this field because it can be combined with existing mathematical optimization theories and techniques such as machine learning.
3. What kind of lectures would you like to give at the SNU Business School?
What excites me the most is the Management Science course I will teach starting next semester. I am also looking forward to lecturing on decision-making.
I also told you that my research is at an intersection of existing management science research theories and machine learning. I would like to explore the synergy between management science and the emerging world of AI and machine learning with students, introduce them to the latest methodologies, and identify new areas of research through projects.
4. What are your core values in life?
I think one’s values change over time. I used to focus strictly on individualistic values and tended to focus on my research and hobbies. But after marriage, I began to concentrate more on family values, and now I feel that I have found a balance in my life and am enjoying it more. That being said, while values might change, some things do not depreciate: experiencing a lot, seeing a lot, reading a lot, and finding what you like—having a positive attitude when meeting people and identifying what you would like to learn from them. It is also important to internalize such lessons, which I have been trying to do so far.
5. Lastly, do you have any words of advice for the Business School students?
Experience many things. And participate in many fields, whether academic or extracurricular, and try to acquire diverse knowledge and experiences.
For example, if you become interested in and actively participate in the mechanisms of AI machines and their types, you will be more prepared as an executive when the opportunity arises. I think it is important to travel widely and actively participate in opportunities, such as international exchange student or visiting student programs, to gain broader perspectives in life. I moved to Canada at a young age. During my years in Canada, I encountered so many different people and cultures, which was a valuable experience that gave me a clearer sense of “what makes me who I am.” In retrospect, I may have focused more on extracurricular activities than academic ones, but in the end, I think those experiences helped me immerse myself in my research. Such experiences have become a huge asset for me as I found the joy of identifying new problems, talking to people, and incorporating what I found into my research questions.
| [Introducing the Interviewee] Professor Da Hee Han’s research interests include the effects of consumer emotions, stress, or psychological threats on consumers’ choice of products and the persuasive power of advertising messages. She also researches the impact of message framing by charity organizations or public organizations on consumer behavior (for instance, whether it leads to healthy consumer behaviors or prosocial behaviors). She received her Ph.D. in Business (majoring in marketing) at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. She was tenured at McGill University as the assistant professor and associate professor of Marketing. |
I returned to my alma mater 16 years after graduating from the undergraduate and master’s programs. It seems new because there have been small and large changes to the campus and new buildings at the Business School, but at the same time, I feel nostalgic because there are things that have not changed since my undergraduate years. After receiving my Ph.D., I have taught in foreign countries and am excited to meet Seoul National University students starting in the fall semester.
2. What inspired you to study marketing?
I have enjoyed watching TV commercials since I was young, so I was fascinated by marketing classes as an undergraduate. While many companies employ creative ideas to promote their products and services, not all advertisements and marketing strategies are successful. While some fail to attract consumers’ attention, others are indeed successful. I entered a doctoral program in marketing because I wanted to learn why.
3. Please share your research interests and plans at SNU Business School.
I am researching the effects of consumer emotions, stress, or psychological threats on their behavior and the persuasive power of advertising messages. For instance, we frequently feel negative emotions or are stressed in our daily lives. When this happens, we impulsively buy and eat chocolate or work out in gyms to change our moods. My research concerns how the multitude of emotions, stress, or psychological threats consumers experience every day affect their future consumption patterns and the effectiveness of advertising messages.
In addition, I am researching ways to make the advertising messages from charity organizations or public organizations more persuasive. At Seoul National University, I plan to address questions, such as what marketing strategies or messages from charity organizations would enhance consumer interest and donations or what messages would be more effective in campaigns against drinking or smoking.
4. What were your most memorable activities or courses as an undergraduate student?
In my fourth year, I took a course on advertisement management, where we had to create an advertisement for our group project. Establishing advertisement strategies for an existing brand and creating a storyboard and messages with the group was a fun experience. Because we did not have smartphones then, we rented a camcorder, shot footage around campus, and edited it. We filmed the ad on an extremely windy and cold winter day, which was a difficult but new experience that made the class memorable.
5. Lastly, do you have any words of advice for the Business School students?
I heard that while students revel in the autonomy and freedom brought by life as university students, they are also deeply stressed because of anxiety and impatience about their futures. I also remember being anxious about the future as an undergraduate student and focusing on studying without enjoying university life that much. But, in retrospect, I wish I could have engaged in more activities and experiences. For instance, I did not go abroad as an exchange student as an undergraduate, but I would recommend becoming an exchange student and gaining more global experiences. Studying and working in other countries for sixteen years helped me learn about other cultures, lifestyles, and mindsets and expand my perspective and insight. Meeting people from many different countries and learning about their culture and values as a student would be helpful. It is also pivotal to work consistently and diligently for your future career and goals. However, I do hope that you set aside some time to unwind. For example, I recommend spending an hour daily or once weekly for your hobby or workouts to manage academic stress. Just as companies seek sustainable development, it is important to develop your skills and take “breaks” to recharge your energy to continue pursuing your goals.
