As one of SFU's most outstanding graduate students from the Beedie School of Business, Dr. Joey Lam is recognized with the Dean of Graduate Studies Convocation Medal. On behalf of SFU, we congratulate Dr. Lam on her outstanding achievements.

Dr. In Nga (Joey) Lam’s research of more than 50,000 online job reviews in B2B (business-to-business) marketing, resulted in her thesis, The stories that B2B salespeople tell in online job reviews: Three essays, where two of her three dissertation papers have already been published in leading business-to-business marketing journals.

Lam was the recipient of SFU’s 2023 TD Canada Trust Distinguished Teaching Award, Academy of Marketing Science's 2023 Annual Conference Best Student Research Paper, Marketing Management Association’s 2022 Annual Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Doctoral Student Competition, and was a finalist for American Marketing Association’s 2024 Marketplace Simulations Innovation in Marketing Education Award.

As a first-generation college student Lam is determined to teach her students how to be ethical marketers and researchers. With a love of teaching, Lam is only the second PhD student in over 30 years to be the recipient of SFU’s 2023 TD Canada Trust Distinguished Teaching Award which recognizes excellent teaching by two members at SFU Beedie School of Business (from a pool of tenure-track faculty, lecturers, sessional and other instructors). Lam often employs innovative teaching strategies and tools, including Lego Serious Play, card games, role-play negotiation exercises and debates.

Lam’s supervisor, Dr. Leyland Pitt, speaks highly of her teaching prowess. Says Pitt, “Joey acted as my teaching assistant in my teaching of full-time and executive MBA courses in 2020 and 2021. This was during the pandemic when we were forced to move to online teaching in a very short time. I was dreading it. However, with Joey as a teaching assistant, I quickly learned to love online teaching, and realized that there is nothing that can be done in-class that cannot be done online. I got great ratings for these courses, due in no small part to Joey’s help and assistance.”

Says Lam, “I come from a humble family that never dreams to be the top, but values integrity, hard work, and gratitude. Growing up my mother taught me not to aim high at number 1, but aim at number 2, as that means there is always room for improvement. My time at SFU ignited my love for learning. I took a lot of different courses, and I want to thank all the instructors that allow me to take or sit in their classes. I cannot do it without the support of my supervisor Dr. Leyland Pitt and committee and the generosity of the Beedie Family. I have never dreamt that I will win any awards, and I want to dedicate this award to my parents. I hope this award can inspire other students that they can do the same like me.”

Lam has been working at Trinity Western University as an Assistant Professor in Business where her upcoming research project on inclusive working environments for salespeople with disabilities was awarded a research grant.