Laura Smarandescu

Professor Smarandescu’s research interests are in the area of decision-making with a focus on branding, advertising and public policy. She has published in leading business and public policy journals such as: the Journal of Advertising Research, Psychology & Marketing, Marketing Letters, Journal of Management Information Systems, and International Journal of Drug Policy. Her research has been featured in prominent media such as Time Magazine, Huffington Post, LA Times, CBS News, Fox News, USA Today, Daily Mail UK, Wine Spectator, and Times of India.

She reviewed articles for academic journals and conferences such as: the Journal of Advertising, Marketing Letters, Cognitive Science, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, Association for Consumer Research, and Decisions Sciences Institute.

Professor Smarandescu teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in Marketing Research, Global Marketing, Promotional Strategy, Consumer Behavior, Innovation and Product Development, Marketing Strategy, and Sales Management, and is currently teaching Lehigh’s Belgium Summer Program.

Her professional experience is centered around entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration. She participated in interdisciplinary projects with businesses affiliated with innovation centers at previous universities, and mentored students on service-learning projects. Outside work, she enjoys live music performances; she booked and promoted a listening music venue that brought over 100 national touring bands.

Education

• B.A., University of British Columbia
• Ph.D., University of South Carolina

Research Interests

• Judgment and decision making with applications to the areas of branding, advertising, public policy

• Qing, Hu, Robert West and Laura Smarandescu (2015). "The Role of Self-Control in Information Security Violations: Insights from Cognitive Neuroscience Perspectives,” Journal of Management Information Systems, 31(4), 6-48.
• Smarandescu, Laura, Douglas Walker and Brian Wansink (2014). “Mindless Drinking: How Gender and BMI Relate to the Consumption of Alcohol," International Journal of Drug Policy, 25(6), 1131- 1134.
• Smarandescu, Laura, Douglas Walker and Brian Wansink (2014), Big Drinkers: How BMI, Gender and Rules of Thumb Influence the Free Pouring of Wine," International Journal of Drug Policy, 25(6), 1050-1056.
• Smarandescu, Laura and Terrence Shimp (2014), “Drink Coca Cola, Eat Popcorn, Choose Powerade: The Limits of Subliminal Persuasion,” Marketing Letters, 1-12.
• Douglas Walker, Laura Smarandescu and Brian Wansink (2013). “Half Full or Empty: Cues that Lead Wine Drinkers to Unintentionally Overpour,” Substance Use and Misuse, 49 (3): 295-302.
• Smarandescu, Laura, Randall Rose and Douglas Wedell (2013). “Priming a Cross-Category Brand Alliance: The Moderating Role of Attribute Knowledge and Need for Cognition,” Psychology & Marketing, vol. 30 (2), 133-147.
• Shimp, Terence A., Stacy Wood and Laura Smarandescu (2007). “Self-generated Advertisements: Consumer Testimonials and the Perils of Consumer Exaggeration,” Journal of Advertising Research, vol. 47 (December), 453– 461.
• Wedell, Douglas H., Susanne K. Hicklin, and Laura Smarandescu (2007). “Contrasting Models of Assimilation and Contrast,” Assimilation and Contrast in Social Psychology, eds. D. Stapel and J. Suls, New York: Psychology Press, 45-74.
• Shimp, Terence A., Stacy Wood and Laura Smarandescu (2005). “Consumer Testimonials as Self- Generated Advertisements: Evaluative Reconstruction Following Product Usage,” Marketing Science Institute Reports, 2, 93-113.