Scholar Profiles
Brian Lorenzetti
2003 - 2004 University Scholar
Mentor: Zuo-Jun “Max” Shen
College of Engineering
"I applied to the USP to gain a glimpse into the field of academia. There are many steps involved in a research project. From thinking of a topic to formulating a template for the data collection, research involves many skills that are not utilized as much in everyday studies. I hope to learn about all these skills needed and discover new research techniques that will help me in the future."
Brian is a junior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, with a minor in business. He is a National Merit Scholar and a recipient of the Patricia B. Rambo UF International Center Scholarship, which allowed him to study abroad in Rome. He is a member of the Institute of Industrial Engineering and the industrial and systems engineering honor society, Alpha Pi Mu. Brian also enjoys volunteering for Friends for Life of America, a national student organization devoted to helping pediatric patients and their families, serving as its treasurer in 2002-2003.
Research Description:
Going, Going, Still Going? - The Current Status of Online Auctions
Online auctions have made a very large impact on the world’s economy in the limited years that they have been around. From clothing to vehicles, trading cards to real estate, just about anything and everything can be bought or sold online through an auction. The current state of the online auction market and the longevity of online auction sites is of great interest to both businesses and individuals. Retailers can sell large amounts of inventory to consumers all around the world. Businesses can trade directly with other organizations in many of the B2B auctions and individuals can use online auctions to purchase items at a competitive price or sell items that they no longer need. This two-part project analyzes the longevity and current state of online auctions.
The first part of this project analyzes 143 websites, which all had running online auctions less than 5 years ago, to evaluate their current status. Websites that no longer contain online auctions are evaluated for their current content, while information about the setup and items offered is collected from sites still containing auctions. The second part examines the current state of online auctions as a whole and surveys individual websites that currently run online auctions. Some key items of interest include the dollar amount of transactions per month, fees being charged, categories available, and auction formats used. These results will give an insight into what and how much is being auctioned online, as well as give information regarding new trends and techniques being used by online auctioneers.
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