OL Reign and Starbucks recognize Dr. Luna Zhang as a leading Legend

OL Reign, in partnership with Starbucks, recently launched the Legends Campaign, a program that recognizes women for their exceptional contributions to the community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. On May 6th, prior to OL Reign's match against the Houston Dash, Luna Zhang, a distinguished professor, founder, mentor, and researcher, was honored as a Legend.

Dr. Zhang, despite being in the early stages of her career, has made a significant impact as a mentor and leader among her students. Known for her expertise and compassionate guidance, she has inspired and supported numerous individuals on their academic and professional journeys.

As a researcher, Dr. Zhang has focused on a wide range of subjects, including Consumer Behavior, Mobile Commerce, Platform Economy, Revenue Sharing, Business Analytics, Large Scale Data Analysis, and Information Systems and Operations Management Interface. Her exceptional work was recognized with the Best Paper award at the Conference on Information Systems & Technology in 2021.

Dr. Zhang teaches various topics in analytics and operations management across undergraduate, Master of Sciences in Business Analytics (MSBA), and MBA programs. Under her guidance as a faculty advisor, the Analytics Innovation (A.I.) student club won the prestigious 2020 INFORMS Student Chapter Annual Award, Cum Laude. Additionally, she received the 2020 Student's Choice Voting: Outstanding Faculty Award.

Being honored as an OL Reign and Starbucks Legend is a profound moment for Dr. Zhang, further amplified by the involvement of her former student, Madilyn Pawlowski, OL Reign's Corporate Partnership Activation Coordinator. Madilyn shared the following, "Spring of 2020 was a difficult time for so many and she made us all feel as though we had the room to be students but also individuals trying to figure out how to learn through a pandemic."

Expressing her gratitude, Dr. Zhang said, "This recognition is incredibly rewarding, especially because my former student is involved. OL Reign is such an awesome organization and community, and I'm truly grateful that my small contributions are being acknowledged by such an amazing community."

Madilyn Pawlowski, who nominated Dr. Zhang, highlighted her mentor's dedication and flexibility in teaching. Pawlowski praised her for creating an environment that meets individual student needs and recognized her as an inspiration to the academic community.

In sharing her advice with young women pursuing their goals, Dr. Zhang emphasized finding a sense of achievement in small accomplishments and not giving up in the face of challenges. Drawing from her own experience, she acknowledged that progress takes time and patience but encourages individuals to stay positive, work hard, and believe in the possibilities.

The recognition bestowed upon Dr. Luna Zhang as an OL Reign and Starbucks Legend signifies her outstanding contributions to academia, research, and mentorship. Her dedication to her students, commitment to excellence, and positive impact on the community make her an exemplary figure worth celebrating.

Apart from her OL Reign Legends recognition, Dr. Zhang has been honored by the University of Washington Tacoma for her excellence in both teaching and research. As a recent Ph.D. graduate navigating the early years of her career during the pandemic, these accolades are profoundly encouraging. See some of her recent stories below.