Dr. Andrea Tangari is an Associate Professor in the Mike Ilitch School of Business, Department of Marketing & Global Supply Chain.

Main Discipline(s):

Main Professional Societies:

Affiliation(s):

  • Marketing
  • Sustainable Business
  • American Marketing Association
  • Wayne State University, Mike Ilitch School of Business, Department of Marketing & Global Supply Chain
What are your undergraduate and graduate degrees in and from where?
B.S. Indiana University, Bloomington
MBA University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Ph.D. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Give a brief summary (250 words or less) of your current area of research.

My research interests revolve around consumer health, consumer protection, public policy issues, sustainable business practices, and corporate social responsibility. Early in my career my research largely focused on how to get consumers to make healthier food/nutrition related choices and how to communicate health and nutrition information to consumers. Much of this research focused on the impact of nutrition labels on consumer decision making.

More recently my research has also developed a focus on how to nudge consumers to make more sustainable choices and also how corporations should communicate their sustainable/socially responsible practices to influence their stakeholders. In addition, I have also recently focused on understanding how digital communication mediums may influence consumers to make choices that are better or worse for their welfare.

How did you arrive at your current area of research?

I always had an interest in nutrition. In my first job after college I worked for a company where part of what I did was to work on marketing research of the display of food packaging and I also worked with companies regarding food safety issues. From this experience I realized I really enjoyed research. I met a faculty member at the University of Arkansas that did research on consumer welfare issues, particularly with a focus on studying nutrition labeling. That spurred me to want to work further in this area and I went to get my MBA and PhD from the University of Arkansas working with this faculty member. In my PhD program I was introduced to others who had an interest in various consumer welfare and policy issues, so my interests grew from there. I have always been interested in sustainability issues also and saw a need for more of a focus from the business community on sustainability and social responsibility issues. From there my research and my teaching developed to broaden my focus on sustainability and social responsibility issues.

What do you see as a current emerging area of research that you would like to participate in and why?

I think there is a lot of research needed on how to get consumers and corporations to make more sustainable choices. As we deal with the climate crisis we need to get people and corporations on board with taking action.

Tell us your (one) favorite STEM research paper or book.   Why it is your favorite?
There are a lot of great books and articles, so I will mention one that I recently read that influenced me. That book is Saving Us by Katherine Hayhoe. A large focus of it is how to communicate with people about science to make positive change and how to make those human connections. It is a good reminder to try to make those simple connections and to talk about some of the cool things you or someone else you know is doing that can make a positive change. The more we talk about making positive changes the more we can get others on board.
Do you have a favorite scientist, engineer or other role model? Who is it and why?

It is hard to pick just one, so I will say my PhD advisor, Dr. Scot Burton, had the most direct impact on me.

What do you do for fun outside of your role as a woman in STEM?
I love spending time with my husband and eight-year-old son. We do a lot of bike riding, going to parks, and walking on trails.

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