About
Dr. Charles 'Scott' Rader is an Associate Professor at Western Carolina University's College of Business, specializing in the School of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Sport Management, and Hospitality & Tourism. With over 25 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience, he bridges academic research with industry practice in information technology, marketing strategy, and consumer behavior. His global career spans roles in the US, Asia, and Europe with organizations like IBM, Google, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Dr. Rader holds a Ph.D. and MBA in Marketing from the University of Tennessee, and a BA in Media Studies from SUNY Purchase College.
His research focuses on ethnographic studies of experiential consumption, postmodern consumer culture, and social media marketing. Collaborating with Dr. Clinton Lanier, he has published in top journals such as Journal of Marketing Management and Journal of Communication Management, exploring topics like fan culture, brand anthropology, and digital divide challenges faced by rural businesses. He leads an annual Japan travel course examining global consumer culture and the Toyota Production System.
Teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses on marketing principles, integrated marketing communications, and entrepreneurial marketing. He has held visiting appointments at Southwest University (China) and Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration. His professional certifications include IT platforms, web development (HTML5/CSS3), and Adobe Creative Suite expertise.
