For 34 years, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Mittelstaedt & Gentry Doctoral Symposium has brought doctoral students from across the country to share research ideas and build a scholarly community. Organized by the Department of Marketing, the 2026 symposium runs April 2–4 at the Courtyard by Marriott Lincoln Downtown, and continues that tradition.
“The Mittelstaedt & Gentry Symposium provides doctoral students with a rare opportunity to present research at different stages of development in an environment that emphasizes discussion, critique and mentorship,” said Amit Saini, department chair, W. W. Marshall Jr. Professor and professor of marketing in the College of Business. “Rather than focusing only on finished results, the conference encourages open dialogue and detailed feedback that help students strengthen both their work and their confidence as scholars.”
James Gentry, now professor emeritus of marketing, launched the symposium in 1992 to bring scholars together in a collaborative learning environment. Oklahoma State University and the University of Missouri have participated for 30 years. Big Ten peers attend regularly, and Northwestern University joins for the first time this year.
“Doctoral students need a place to meet and connect with faculty and fellow Ph.D. students from other schools in person,” Gentry said. “Some people won’t answer your email if they don’t know you. The symposium was created so they could develop friendships and help each other in their careers.”
He shared how connections with colleagues from other institutions helped him become a better academic. From being invited to serve on journal review boards to collaborating on research, those relationships expanded his perspective and opportunities.
"We wanted to downplay the competitive nature of most conferences and encourage them to connect," Gentry said. "Matt Hall ('20), who graduated from Nebraska and is now an assistant professor of marketing at Oregon State University, has a manuscript at a journal right now with a professor at Ohio State, whom he met at the symposium," Gentry said.
As the symposium grew, it also reflected the influence of Robert Mittelstaedt, a longtime faculty member known for mentoring doctoral students and encouraging their intellectual growth.
"In the Department of Marketing, mentoring is not a matter of choice. It is a central part of the program. It's the heart of the faculty-student relationship when a faculty member becomes the student's committee chair at the end of the first year," Mittelstaedt said.
The marketing faculty renamed the symposium in his honor when he retired in 2002 after 29 years at Nebraska.
"An academic career involves continuous learning, and our symposium is an opportunity for everyone to learn from each other," Mittelstaedt said. "It offers a chance to meet someone who shares your professional interests."
The symposium continued under Gentry’s leadership for more than two decades. When he retired in 2019 after 32 years of service, the faculty added his name to the symposium.
Today, Natalie Chisam, assistant professor of marketing, and Thomas Dotzel, assistant professor of marketing, lead the symposium, continuing its emphasis on mentorship, collaboration and scholarly exchange.
Former Ph.D. student Amber Epp, '03 MBA & '08 Ph.D., now works as an associate professor of marketing and Wilbur Dickson-Bascom Professor in Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. She noted that the symposium provided an atmosphere unlike any other forum.
"Presenting at the Mittelstaedt & Gentry Symposium feels consequential because all of the participants are in one large room, compared with conference presentations where concurrent sessions divide the audience. At the same time, presenters feel supported and encouraged," Epp said.
She also shared how the symposium ensures students become part of a broader scholarly community as they start their careers, just as Mittelstaedt and Gentry intended.
"Hosting the symposium at Nebraska is a special experience for the program’s doctoral students. I remember realizing during the symposium that this career is social, and I am part of the village," Epp said. "I’m still connected to so many of the people I first met there."
