The University of North Texas has announced that its upcoming University Research Day will be held on October 2, 2025. Each year, this campus-wide event highlights the research and creativity of students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty across various fields.
Leading up to the third annual campus event, the University of North Texas shared the story of a project that originated during the second annual University Research Day hosted by UNT Research and Innovation in 2024.
UNT highlighted a newly published study in the Journal of Business Venturing Insights that illustrates how collaborations on campus generate insights extending far beyond UNT.
The story began at the 2024 University Research Day, where sociology post-graduate student Marisa C. Gonzales, now an adjunct professor at both UNT and Texas Christian University, connected with Jeremy C. Short, a faculty member in entrepreneurship.
Their discussion centered on Gonzales’s research, which examined the emerging landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for college athletes.
This research particularly addressed the unique challenges and opportunities faced by female student-athletes, who must balance two often competing demands: athletic performance and social media presentation.
According to UNT, this valuable connection led to research that emphasizes the university’s commitment to empowering students and producing impactful scholarship.
The recently published study by Short and Gonzales highlights how NIL opportunities present distinct challenges for female student-athletes, who often lack the institutional support and resources available to professional athletes.
This situation frequently forces them to make tough choices between presenting themselves as competitors or influencers, where the latter may yield more lucrative NIL opportunities due to aesthetic appeal.
The study also provides practical strategies for student-athletes, universities, and their supporters.
For student-athletes, the focus is on building a strategic social media presence, establishing personal boundaries, and seeking mentorship.
Universities are encouraged to foster interdisciplinary partnerships between athletics, business, communications, and media to help athletes develop entrepreneurial skills.
Additionally, the public and peers can support female athletes by attending women’s sporting events, engaging with crowdfunding platforms, and backing university NIL collectives focused on promoting female athletes.
Dr. Short recognized the potential for collaboration during University Research Day 2024, while Gonzales noted that the research topic lent itself naturally to cross-disciplinary collaboration.
This partnership allowed her to broaden her knowledge of entrepreneurship with insights from an expert in the field.
As this was her first publication, Dr. Short served as both her co-author and mentor throughout the process. Gonzales expressed her gratitude to the University for facilitating this invaluable connection.
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