Dr. Ash Zareian
Assistant Professor of Marketing
- PhD in Business Administration in Marketing
University of Rio Grande Valley - Master's in Business Administration
University of Rio Grande Valley - Bachelor's of Arts in English
University of Texas at Pan American
Teaching Interests:
My teaching interests are consumer behavior-centric, with a specialty in transformative consumer research, compulsive consumption, consumer well-being, and sustainable marketing. I am particularly interested in guiding students to critically examine how modern consumption can both contribute to issues individual and societal challenges, and to propose solutions that grant alleviation. By integrating insights from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and marketing, I aim to help students cultivate an understanding of how consumer research can address issues such as overconsumption, materialism, and environmental sustainability, while also advancing practices that promote healthier lifestyles, meaningful choices, and long-term well-being.
Research Interests:
Likewise, my research interests are rooted in consumer behavior, with a focus on participatory action research, compulsive consumption, consumer well-being, and sustainable marketing. I examine how adverse individual experiences and broader cultural forces shape maladaptive consumption patterns such as materialism, overindulgence, and compulsive consumption, and how these patterns impact both psychological health and societal outcomes. At the same time, my work seeks to identify pathways or treatment modalities through which consumer research can help implement marketing strategies that help consumers establish levels of individual and societal resilience, well-being, and sustainability. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from psychology, sociology, and anthropology, my goal is to advance scholarship that not only deepens theoretical understanding of consumption but also offers practical insights for alleviating harm, promoting sustainable practices, and supporting consumers in making more meaningful, life-enhancing choices.
Selected Publications:
Bridging the Psychedelic Divide: Exploring Ayahuasca and Iboga as Transformative Agents in Mitigating Consumer Pathologies and Narcissistic Consumption (Submitted to Advances in Consumer Research on 9/14/2025, ABDC: B)