Sofie Santucci, originally from Palm Springs in Southern California, recently relocated to Honolulu, HI. She opted for Cal State Monterey Bay's MBA program due to its asynchronous online platform, which allowed her to pursue her master's degree while juggling her professional commitments. The program's emphasis on responsible business and the "Quintuple Bottom Line" of Profit, People, Planet, Ethics, and Equity deeply resonated with her passion for ethical business practices and societal impact. Sofie graduated from CSUMB in December 2023. Her advice to fellow students centers on embracing uncertainty and staying true to their passions.

In addition to her academic achievements, Sofie was selected as one of the campus delegates for the CSU student research competition, taking place on April 26-27 at CSU Cal Poly SLO. Her research project, titled "Exploring factors influencing viewers' perception of AI-generated educational videos: Trust, attitude, mindset, and ethics," under the guidance of Dr. Jenny Lin, focuses on the intersection of technology and education. Competing in the Business, Economics, and Hospitality Management category, Sofie demonstrates her dedication to advancing knowledge and fostering innovation beyond the classroom. Sofie encourages students to get involved in research studies, stating, "Working on a research study gives an in-depth application and supplements traditional lecture settings. Research experience has enhanced my learning and professional endeavors. A classroom and simulations can only take us so far in our learning, but participating in applicable research science provides a great payoff both academically and professionally."

Dr. Jenny Lin, Sofie's mentor, reflects on their collaborative work: "The work Sofie and I have conducted, focusing on viewer responses to AI-produced content, is inspired by two separate research projects I have been involved in. One project, recently highlighted in the campus newsletter, is the educational video project co-created by CSUMB professors Jenny Kuan and Tim Orme. I have been part of the creation of StockProf and have research interests in studying financial literacy from a consumer standpoint. In another research paper, Po-Han Wu, a doctoral candidate at National ChengChi University in Taiwan, and I have explored the users of generative AI used in design and creation, discovering the empowering role of AI on creative performance is largely dependent on the mindset of the user. These projects highly influenced the next phase of my research in understanding the impact of AI on users and viewers, which is the current study Sofie has conducted and selected for the 2024 CSU student research competition."

Beyond academia, Sofie is deeply involved in market research and user experience research. Her research explores the influence of mindset on perceptions, particularly in educational videos, and integrates AI technology in video development. Additionally, she co-founded a software start-up aimed at democratizing indie video game development. Her long-term aspiration is to establish a successful business model supporting aspiring creatives and developers in the indie game industry.

Sofie Santucci was recommended as a panelist for the Ethics Forum focusing on AI and Education due to the alignment of her research with the topic. Upon recommendation, the committee approved her participation. Sofie has accepted the invitation and will be a panelist at the upcoming Ethics and Responsible Business Forum on April 18. 

For further details about the Ethics and Responsible Business Forum, read more here.