Best 40-Under-40 Professor Vladas Griskevicius

Vladas Griskevicius of the Carlson School of Management is among the 40 best business school profs under 40

Vladas Griskevicius

McKnight Associate Professor of Marketing and Psychology 

Age: 35

Institution: University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management

Before current institution: Arizona State University

Hometown: Vilnius, Lithuania

Marital status: Married

Children: 3

Education:

PhD in Psychology, Arizona State University

Courses currently teaching: Marketing Communications, Persuasion and Influence

Fun fact: After my family and I immigrated to the US, my first purchase was a pack of watermelon Bubblicious bubble gum.

Professor you most admire: Bob Cialdini

Most memorable moment as a professor: One minute into an MBA class, a student raised his hand and asked, “Can I get a refund for this class?”

“If I weren’t a b-school professor…” I would be a psychology professor.

Vladas Griskevicius mainly studies two subjects: green marketing and the evolutionary roots of modern consumer behavior. He’s received numerous awards for his research, including the Early Career Award from the Society for Consumer Psychology and the Best Article Award from the Journal of Consumer Research.

Between all the scholarly work, though, he’s found the time to co-author a book. “The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think” debunks the black-and-white idea that people are either rational or irrational decision-makers. It argues that humans are driven by a set of evolutionary goals, and beneath the surface, even our nuttiest decisions make evolutionary sense. The book’s premise has intrigued people all over the globe: “The Rational Animal”  has been translated into seven different languages.

Vladas Griskevicius is among “The World’s 40 Best B-School Profs Under the Age of 40“