Hi Jason,

What is your background?

I grew up in Philadelphia, PA, USA, and completed my undergraduate degree in Business Management, with a focus on Marketing, at East Stroudsburg University. Later, I pursued a master's degree in Finance & Economics at West Texas A&M University. For most of my career, I worked in the corporate industry.

What are your main areas of research, and what do you think makes them interesting and worth studying? Do you have any collaborators?

My main areas of research interest focus on the intersection of technology and retail, with a particular focus on the emerging field of the Metaverse and Virtual Reality (VR). I am interested in exploring how retailers can leverage these innovative technologies to enhance customer experiences, boost engagement, foster loyalty, and ultimately drive sales.

I find these research areas incredibly fascinating due to the immense potential they have to revolutionize the way we shop and interact with brands. The Metaverse and VR have the power to create immersive, personalized, and interactive retail experiences that go beyond limitations of the physical world.

I am fortunate to have a strong network of collaborators who share my passion for exploring the possibilities of technology in retail. Collaborating with Darius Frank, Sascha Steinmann, Anne Peschel, and other external partners has broadened my research perspective and encourages me to think about creative solutions to the complex challenges that the industry faces.

How did you hear about Cognition and Behavior Lab?

When I joined Aarhus University, COBE Lab was already well-known among my colleagues, so it was natural to utilize the lab for research.

How have you used the lab so far? What are the main benefits of being able to use the lab in your opinion?

I have used the COBE Lab for to conduct a VR Supermarket study that required participants to complete a task while wearing different head-mounted displays. The lab provided a wide range of equipment, rooms, and tools that maximized the value that comes from conducting lab-based research.

One of the main benefits of using the lab has been access to state-of-the-art equipment, which is essential for conducting high-quality research. Additionally, the lab's experienced staff, especially Marc, have been incredibly helpful in accommodating my requests, responding quickly when changes were necessary, and supported me in marketing efforts (e.g. printing flyers, posting to FB), to increase the number of participants available for the study.

Overall, I believe that COBE Lab's facilities and support have been invaluable, and I look forward to continuing to utilizing their resources in future studies.

Is there a particular recommendation you would like to pass on to other researchers? Something you wish you had known before you started, or just a useful trick.

Being relatively new to the research world, I found it important to embrace the value of collaboration and to seek out the expertise of colleagues and other experts.

Could you recommend one academic book to fellow colleagues that you think is of great interest?

I enjoyed The Sharing Economy: Its Pitfalls and Promises by Michael C. Munger. This book discusses how online platforms are changing traditional retail spaces by revolutionizing transactions, reducing costs, and creating new products and services. I appreciated reading this as the author suggests that regulators should embrace innovation and highlighted other provocative arguments in the econ world.

Finally, what do you enjoy doing away from your research? 

I enjoy playing baseball, reading about investment tools, listening to podcasts (with a special interest in Econtalk with Russ Roberts), watching American football, playing the drums, and exploring different cuisines from around the world. I also enjoy spending quality time with my family and trading securities with derivatives.