Michael Lever Honored with Prestigious Bright Idea Award

Michael Lever, Assistant Professor of Hospitality

November 24, 2025 — Fairleigh Dickinson University is proud to announce that Michael Lever, assistant professor of hospitality in the International School of Hospitality, Sports & Tourism Management on the Vancouver Campus, has been recognized with the prestigious Bright Idea Award for his recent publication, “Partner or Servant? The influence of robot role positioning on consumers’ brand evaluations.”

Sponsored by the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University, the Bright Idea Award honors exceptional scholarly research produced by business school faculty across New Jersey. This year, Dr. Lever’s article was selected as one of the top 10 manuscripts from a highly competitive pool of 154 submissions.

“I’m incredibly honored to receive this award from the Stillman School of Business and to represent our Silberman College of Business at the ceremony,” said Michael Lever. “I look forward to continuing to develop my research program in service marketing and digital technologies, supported by the enthusiasm and encouragement I’ve experienced at Fairleigh Dickinson University.”

This recognition places Dr. Lever among a distinguished group of Silberman College faculty who have earned the award in previous years, reinforcing the college’s strong tradition of research excellence and thought leadership.