Dr. Cindy Chan

Biography

Cindy Chan is an Associate Professor of Marketing, cross-appointed in the Marketing Area at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto Scarborough. Her research examines the social lives of consumers, with a particular focus on how consumers allocate time and money to foster stronger social relationships. She studies the influence of social groups on consumer choice, emotions, and cognitions, as well as how violations of social moral norms impact consumer behavior. Her work explores the experiences, emotions, and gift-giving practices that shape relational behavior. Cindy's research has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Her papers have received recognition, including the Robert Ferber Award from the Journal of Consumer Research and the C.W. Park Paper Award from the Journal of Consumer Psychology. Cindy’s findings have attracted global media attention from outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Globe and Mail. Additionally, she serves on the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Consumer Psychology. Cindy teaches Principles of Marketing at UTSC and has been recognized by students as Professor of the Year, receiving the Dean's Merit Award for teaching excellence. She earned her Ph.D. in Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and has prior experience working at JWT, where she developed advertising campaigns for global clients including Johnson & Johnson, Reckitt Benckiser, and Nestlé.

Research Interests