About me
My name is Jingning Ao (敖敬宁 | 오경영). I’m an Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. I hold two Ph.D. degrees—my second from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, where I studied how entrepreneurial firms like SpaceX leverage discursive resources strategically on digital platforms. My first Ph.D., from Middle Tennessee State University, focused on leisure behaviors of astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Before moving to the U.S., I earned dual master’s degrees from Aalborg University (Denmark) and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. I also worked at Grundfos and the United Nations Development Programme.
My research sits at the intersection of strategic entrepreneurship, and language use on social media, with a unique emphasis on the commercial space sector 🚀. I’ve published in journals such as Academy of Management Perspectives and presented at major conferences including the Academy of Management (AOM), Strategic Management Society, ISS R&D Conference, and the Business of Space Conference. I co-organized multiple space-focused sessions at AOM—including a PDW and two symposia—designed to spark interdisciplinary dialogue and push the boundaries of management research in new space economy. I'm also co-editing Economy and Business of Space, a forthcoming reference book under contract with World Scientific Publishing. and we're currently inviting chapter contributions.
Beyond research, I’m passionate about student engagement and academic community building. In 2024, I led a student team to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where we were selected as finalists in the NASA Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition. I’ve also contributed to academic outreach by managing social media for Academy of Management Perspectives, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, and AOM's Strategic Management Division. I'm always interested in connecting around space innovation & entrepreneurship, and discursive strategy. Feel free to reach out at Jingning.Ao@morgan.edu