Dr Shang, who will begin her role as the Institute’s new Chief Examiner from January 2013, will be responsible for maintaining and developing the academic integrity of the IoF’s professional qualifications.
Paul Marvell, Director of Professional Development and Membership at the IoF, said: “I’m delighted that Dr Jen Shang had agreed to become the Institute’s new Chief Examiner and also very excited that Dr Shang will be supporting us in the development of the Advanced Diploma that we’ll be launching in 2013."
Her research in the emerging field of ‘philanthropic psychology’ shows that a better understanding of the psychological science behind giving can increase donations by ten per cent.
Commenting on her appointment, Dr Shang, a Reader in the University’s School of Economics, Finance and Management and an Assistant Professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University in the US, said: “I am honoured to be offered this opportunity to serve as the next Chief Examiner for the Institute of Fundraising. I am looking forward to developing and maintaining the high quality of the IoF qualifications, and ensuring that the new Advanced Diploma in Fundraising Management contains some of the latest thinking in philanthropic psychology and organisational behaviour.
“I will also be building relationships with higher education providers so that IoF graduates have the opportunity to develop their education into one of the country's excellent Masters Degrees in fundraising, marketing and non-profit management. I also want to encourage new and emerging talent to become educators and examiners for the IoF.
“There is still a long way to go for the fundraising profession to recognise the value of professional education, the big charities should be taking more advantage of what we have to offer. As the Chief Examiner, I will use my research and experimental background in fundraising to help design cost-effective performance measures in order to demonstrate the value of education.
“These measures should demonstrate how professional education can transform the performance of our sector, and help individual fundraisers fulfil their potential by enabling them to raise much needed resources for the charities they're passionate about.”