A seal of quality for an academic’s record, Fulbright Scholar Awards are highly prestigious and competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. Each year, only about 400 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards are given across all academic disciplines combined. Fulbright alumni are among the best and brightest in their fields; they include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders and world-renowned experts across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Fulbright is the most prestigious and widely recognized international exchange program in the world.
Aidin Namin, associate professor of marketing analytics, can now add Fulbrighter to his growing list of accomplishments. Namin has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for summer 2025 to conduct research in Brazil. His research project is focused on using analytics to analyze healthcare disparity in Brazil, especially among marginalized populations. Namin will have the opportunity to work with some of the brightest faculty at the #1 business school in Brazil: Escola Brasileira de Administração Pública e de Empresas in Rio de Janeiro.
“We have been fortunate to have a number of business faculty receive a Fulbright award over the years,” said Dayle Smith, dean of LMU College of Business Administration. “It is a wonderful opportunity and a truly transformative experience. We congratulate Aidin on this significant career milestone.”
Namin shares what earning a Fulbright award means to him personally and professionally and how his research aligns with LMU’s mission.
What does being a Fulbright Scholar mean to you?
I truly feel honored and humbled to have established a record that meets the high standards for this prestigious award. There is also a personal side to this award. I am an immigrant. Being selected for the Fulbright makes me feel included. I appreciate the merit-based evaluation and equal opportunity that I was given for it. I am grateful for the support I have received from various parties at LMU. I would also like to thank my family for always encouraging me to put my best foot forward.
How did you decide on your research topic and host country?
Despite having the world’s largest government-provided healthcare system, studies show that Brazil suffers from high levels of disparity, especially among marginalized populations. Brazil’s public healthcare system has been subject to active criticism by both outside commentators and its users, raising concerns over public healthcare programs and the effects of national and regional inequalities.
Aligned with the LMU mission and its emphasis on social justice, I plan to utilize analytics to explore customer satisfaction with Brazil’s healthcare system, especially for marginalized groups. More specifically, I will guide a non-profit hospital to design an instrument to assess customer satisfaction.
My study has important DEI implications, given the challenges associated with healthcare disparity globally. Since the U.S. and Brazil have very diverse populations, the findings of my study would shed light on improving healthcare services for marginalized groups in both countries and others around the world.
What are you hoping this experience will do for you as a scholar and LMU as an institution?
I look forward to serving as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. by teaching Brazilian students about the American educational system, culture, and values within my area of expertise. Moreover, I would make myself available to the host university to contribute to their analytics programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
LMU and CBA’s current strategic plans place a major emphasis on globalization and internationalization of the curriculum. By building a network with LMU and the host university, the two institutions could engage in developing and running joint educational programs, such as faculty and student exchange activities. Moreover, this Fulbright Scholar Award will allow me to collaborate with brilliant researchers in Brazil, opening the door for additional joint projects, research collaborations, and/or faculty exchange programs.
An internationally recognized teacher and scholar, Namin joined LMU in 2017. He is the recipient of numerous research, teaching, and best paper awards from various foundations, as well as multiple internal and external grants.