Under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Management Ye Li, UCR student Alyssa Fundal ’24 was named one of 13 Chancellor’s Research Fellows for undergraduate research at UC Riverside. This recognition highlights not only Fundal’s academic excellence but also the growing presence of the UCR School of Business in undergraduate research initiatives across the campus.
“Fellowship applications are highly competitive, including a review of the project proposal by an interdisciplinary faculty review committee and an in-person interview for select finalists,” says Li. “This is obviously a big accomplishment for Alyssa and exciting news for the business school, as the Chancellor’s Research Fellowship awardees represent the most promising researchers across campus.”
The Chancellor’s Research Fellowship is one of the university’s most prestigious undergraduate research awards. The program identifies and supports students who demonstrate outstanding potential for future contributions to academic scholarship and professional fields. Being selected from among hundreds of applicants signifies that Fundal’s project stands out not only for its originality but also for its relevance to pressing issues faced by the community.
Li is the first School of Business faculty member to successfully mentor a Chancellor’s Research Fellow, which makes this achievement especially noteworthy for the school. The fellowship provides recipients with a $5,750 summer stipend in addition to research funding. These resources are designed to allow fellows to dedicate their time and energy fully to research, reducing the need for outside employment and making it possible to pursue in-depth projects that otherwise might not be feasible.
Fundal is a member of Li’s Behavioral Economics and Decision-making Lab, where students investigate the ways human psychology intersects with economic and managerial decision-making. Within this lab, students are encouraged to explore research questions that have both theoretical significance and real-world applications. Fundal has embraced this approach, drawing on her background as a double major in environmental science and psychology to develop a project that bridges multiple disciplines and responds to a practical challenge on campus.
Her six-month research study is entitled “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Social Responsibility-based Poster Messaging at Demotivating Food Waste Behaviors in UCR Residential Dining Halls.” The study will focus on UCR’s two buffet-style residential dining halls, spaces where food waste is a daily concern. According to the proposal, Fundal will administer pre- and post-intervention surveys to 600 UCR residents in order to understand diners’ perceptions, motivations, and behaviors related to food waste. The intervention will use strategically designed posters that highlight social responsibility, with the goal of influencing behavior and encouraging students to waste less food.
The project is being conducted in partnership with UCR Dining Services. By working closely with the department responsible for managing campus dining operations, the study ensures that its recommendations will be directly relevant and potentially implementable. The findings may also help UCR advance toward the sustainability goals established in the University of California’s systemwide Sustainable Practices Policy, which includes targets for reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting environmentally responsible behavior across all UC campuses.
This project represents an important intersection of business, psychology, and environmental science. By addressing food waste through the lens of behavioral economics, Fundal’s research demonstrates how management and decision-making theories can be applied to sustainability challenges. The outcome of this study could inform not only future practices at UC Riverside but also provide insights for other universities and organizations seeking cost-effective, evidence-based approaches to reduce waste.
For the UCR School of Business, the success of both Fundal and Professor Li underscores the school’s growing role in interdisciplinary research and its commitment to preparing students to tackle the most pressing issues of our time. Their work demonstrates the value of mentorship, the power of student initiative, and the impact that thoughtful research can have on communities both inside and outside the university.