Nelson Amaral

Dr. Nelson B. Amaral is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Ontario Tech University (currently on Research Leave). He holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, and a BSc in Biology from York University. His research focuses on consumer psychology, exploring how consumers process information and the interplay between social identities and brand perception. Key areas include counterfeits’ impact on luxury brands, cultural differences in consumption, and ethical behavior.

Education:

• PhD in Business Administration, University of Minnesota
• MBA, University of Toronto Rotman School of Management
• BSc (Pure and Applied Science in Biology), York University

Research Interests:

Dr. Amaral’s work bridges consumer judgment and decision-making with social identity theory. He examines factors like distractions, cultural contexts, and social hierarchies influencing consumer behavior. Notably, he investigates how counterfeit luxury goods dilute or enhance brand equity and explores cognitive processes behind unethical consumer actions. His research has been presented globally and published in journals like Journal of Consumer Psychology and Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

Awards & Grants:

• Recipient of multiple teaching awards, including the Kogod Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching (2015, 2017)
• Marketing Science Institute Research Grant ($4,000, 2016)
• Institute on Asian Consumer Insights Grant ($10,000, 2014)

Teaching & Experience:

With 12 years in marketing roles, Dr. Amaral teaches courses on luxury brand management, marketing ethics, and personal selling. He has taught at Ontario Tech, the University of Minnesota, and American University, emphasizing both online and in-person instruction at graduate and undergraduate levels.