Altaf Merchant, PhD | Milgard School of Business, UW Tacoma
Presentation from the Luncheon
Altaf Merchant Ph.D. is the Gary E. and James A. Milgard Endowed Dean of the Milgard School of Business. As the Dean he is the Chief Administrative Officer, serving about 900 students and over 4,500 alumni. He provides strategic leadership to achieve the school’s mission, which is to deliver cutting-edge education; create a culture of scholarly exploration and intellectual curiosity; and engagement with the community. Through collaborative programs, such as the Sports Enterprise Management Program – which is conducted in partnership with the Tacoma Rainiers, the Milgard School connects the classroom with the real world ~ creating a bridge between theory and practice.
Merchant is a familiar presence in the corridors of Milgard School. He has been serving on the faculty since his arrival at UW Tacoma in 2008, having been promoted twice to his current rank of Professor. He has also served as the Undergraduate Program Director, Associate Dean and Interim Dean of the school.
He has a notable academic record as a pioneer in research in advertising, branding, and cross-cultural issues with emphasis on nostalgia, brand heritage, and prosocial behaviors. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and made more than 70 scholarly presentations around the world. He is associate editor of the Journal of Advertising Research, and has held visiting positions in Aix-Marseille University and University of Lorraine in France, King’s College in London, U.K., and MICA in India. He also serves on the boards of Tacoma’s Sound Credit Union and the Museum of Glass.
He received his Ph.D. in Marketing from Old Dominion University in Virginia. Before entering academia, he was a brand marketing manager for more than a decade with Glaxo SmithKline, Reckitt, and Sara Lee. He launched products and campaigns internationally in Asia, Europe, and Africa for brands such as Lysol, Aquafresh and Sara Lee.
Media mentions:
- https://jayray.com/do-your-targeted-ads-discriminate
- https://southsoundmag.com/the-list-dr-altaf-merchant/
- https://southsoundbiz.com/24-hours-altaf-merchant/
- Strategy + Business (9th March 2018) , “When Cookie Monster Goes On a Diet”, https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/When-Cookie-Monster-Goes-on-a-Die…
Registration & Event Information:
- $10 registration is for the TCT’s Scholarship Program and a single entry into a randomized drawing
- Hosted through Zoom, link provided from TCT Executive Director email
- Event starts at noon
- $10 for each additional entry into a randomized drawing to support the TCT’s Scholarship Program
- Register online, by email, or fill out the registration form
The TCT meets September through June on the second Monday of every month for networking, lunch and dynamic speakers on important issues to the transportation industry. Members, their guests and others are invited.