Utpal Dholakia is a William S. Mackey, Jr. and Verne F. Simons Distinguished Associate Professor of Management at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University in Houston, Texas. He holds a master's degree in psychology and a PhD in marketing from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in operations research from the Ohio State University and a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Bombay.

His research interests lie in studying motivational psychology of consumers and online marketing issues such as virtual communities and online auctions. He also studies relational aspects of consumer behaviour. He has published in a number of marketing and management journals, and consults with firms in financial services, energy, health- care and other industries.

Utpal visited us in February 2006 holding a seminar in which he addressed pricing.