1973/M.Tech/HS Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University USA
Shri Rajan Varadarajan received his Master of Technology in Industrial Management from IIT Madras in 1973, after securing a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Engineering from Bangalore University in 1968 and the Indian Institute of Science in 1971, respectively. He received a doctorate in Business Administration with a major in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1979. Currently, he is a University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor, and holder of the Ford Chair in Marketing and E-Commerce in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. Over the course of his career, marketing strategy, innovation, international marketing, and environmental sustainability have been the major focus of his research and teaching, and the areas to which he has made significant contributions.
Teaching, Research and Service have been the primary aspects of his professional career and are evident from the journal articles he has authored, positions held, and the honours and awards bestowed upon him over his 44-year academic career, including 41 years at Texas A&M University. Besides teaching and research, he has proved his prowess by serving as editor of two leading journals in marketing – Journal of Marketing and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. He has authored/co-authored over 125 journal articles and book chapters, a textbook on Strategic Market Planning, and made over 250 presentations at major national and international conferences, doctoral and faculty consortia, universities, and other forums. In recognition of his commitment and dedication to teaching and research, he has been honoured with prestigious appointments such as University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor, and Ford Chair in Marketing and E-Commerce at Texas A&M University. He also held certain administrative positions at Texas A&M University, ranging from Associate Dean to Department Head. His Keynote Addresses, Distinguished Lectures, Public Lectures, and Invited Presentations at Conference Plenary Sessions reflect his immense contribution to the field of marketing.
Shri Rajan Varadarajan is a Fellow of the American Marketing Association and a Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Marketing Science. He currently serves as a member of the Editorial Review Boards of several prominent marketing journals such as the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and the Journal of International Marketing. He is a recipient of several prestigious awards and honours, including the Mays Business School Lifetime Achievement Award for Research and Scholarship (2016), American Marketing Association Distinguished Marketing Educator Award (2015), University of Massachusetts Graduate School Centennial Award (2008), and Academy of Marketing Science Distinguished Marketing Educator Award (2003).
In recognition of his remarkable accomplishments and commitment to the field of marketing and academia, IIT Madras and its alumni are proud to bestow the Distinguished Alumni Award for the year 2022 upon Shri Rajan Varadarajan.
