Utpal Dholakia

Utpal Dholakia is an Indian American academic and researcher who currently serves as the George R. Brown Professor of Marketing at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University, in Houston, Texas. He has an extensive educational background, including a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Engineering from the University of Bombay, a Master of Science in Operations Research from Ohio State University, and both a Master of Science in Cognitive Psychology and a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Michigan.23

Research and Publications

Dholakia's research primarily focuses on consumer motivation, financial decision-making, digital marketing, and social media. He has authored over 150 articles in various academic journals and has written four notable books:

• How to Price Effectively: A Guide for Managers and Entrepreneurs (2017)
• Priced to Influence, Sell & Satisfy: Lessons from Behavioral Economics for Pricing Success (2019)
• Advanced Introduction to Digital Marketing (2022)
• Transparency in Business: An Integrative View (2023)

Additionally, he contributes to a blog on Psychology Today titled "The Science Behind Behavior" and has consulted for numerous companies across industries such as financial services, healthcare, and technology.123

Career Path

Dholakia began his academic career at the University at Buffalo as an assistant professor of marketing before joining Rice University in 2001. He has held various positions at Rice, including associate professor and full professor, and has been recognized with multiple distinguished professorships. His teaching interests include pricing strategies and customer experience, and he actively engages in consulting and executive training.234

Professional Affiliations

He is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the American Marketing Association and the Association for Consumer Research, and has served on the editorial boards of multiple marketing journals.23