Every year, the Academy of Management (AoM) Annual Meeting brings together well over 10,000 management scholars from around the world to share new research, exchange ideas, and recognize outstanding contributions to the field. At this year’s conference in Philadelphia, members of the Sanger Research Lab earned recognition for lifetime achievement, impactful research, emerging scholarship, and service to the academic community—all testaments to how Sanger and Michigan Ross continue to provide thought leadership in the fields of leadership and management.
Sue Ashford received the Network of Leadership Scholars’ Eminent Leadership Scholar Award, a lifetime achievement honor recognizing scholars whose work has made lasting contributions to leadership research. The award celebrates a distinguished body of scholarship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and service to the field.
Siyu Yu received the 2026 Responsible Research in Management Award for her article, “The company she seeks: How the prismatic effects of ties to high-status network contacts can reduce status for women in groups,” published in Organization Science. Presented by the Academy of Management Fellows, the award recognizes research that is both scientifically rigorous and beneficial to society. Yu’s research examines how professional networks can unintentionally disadvantage women, offering insights into the subtle dynamics that shape status and opportunity in organizations.
Julia Lee Cunningham received the 2026 Best Accepted Paper Award for her paper, “I See You as a Person First: Enacting person-centered rituals to transform anxiety at work,” co-authored with Alaina Segura, Hilary Hoyt, Jordan Nye, and Nate Meikle. The research explores how person-centered rituals can help reduce workplace anxiety and strengthen connections among colleagues.
Laurel Detert was also recognized with a Best Reviewer Award from the Academy of Management Review, honoring her outstanding contributions to the peer review process and the advancement of management scholarship.
Throughout the year, the Sanger Research Lab brings together faculty, doctoral students, and collaborators to share works in progress, exchange ideas, and strengthen leadership research through thoughtful feedback and interdisciplinary collaboration. The Academy of Management Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for that work to be shared with—and recognized by—the broader scholarly community.
“These awards recognize scholars who are willing to ask bold questions and challenge how we think about leadership and organizations,” said Justin Berg, Sanger Research Lab member and Michigan Ross associate professor. “That spirit is at the heart of the Lab, and it is wonderful to see the field celebrate it.”