Mary Steffel, Joseph G. Riesman Research Professor and Associate Professor of Marketing at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, has been recognized with one of the most prestigious honors in the field of marketing at the American Marketing Association's (AMA) annual conference. Steffel and her co-authors Ximena Garcia-Rada, Elanor F. Williams, and Michael I. Norton received the 2025 AMA-EBSCO-RRBM Award for Responsible Research in Marketing for their paper “Consumers Value Effort over Ease when Caring for Close Others,” published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
The award, presented by the AMA in partnership with the Sheth Foundation, EBSCO, and the Responsible Research in Business & Management network, honors outstanding research that produces both credible and useful knowledge that can be applied to benefit society.
Felicia Lassk, Chair of D'Amore-McKim's Marketing Academic Group, says Steffel is widely respected for her impactful research on societal challenges. “She offers valuable insights into consumer behavior, decision-making, and how marketing can drive positive change to enhance quality of life,” she says. “Since joining Northeastern, she has championed experiential learning, built strong interdisciplinary partnerships, and her research has inspired business leaders, policymakers, and the public to pursue solutions that meaningfully address important societal issues. I am delighted that her Journal of Consumer Research article has been recognized with the 2025 AMA-EBSCO-RRBM Annual Award for Responsible Research in Marketing Award.”
Steffel's research examines consumer judgment and decision-making, with a particular focus on when consumers seek assistance from others to make decisions, how consumers navigate making decisions for others, and how businesses and governments can support consumers in making more informed decisions.
She has published extensively in leading journals in marketing, management, and psychology, including the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Her work consistently bridges academic rigor with practical applications.
This recognition further establishes D'Amore-McKim's reputation for producing faculty research that combines academic excellence with meaningful societal impact. It underscores the school's commitment to supporting scholarship that addresses real-world challenges while maintaining the highest research standards.