Vivek Natarajan

Dr. Vivek Natarajan serves as Professor of Marketing in the Department of Business at Lamar University's College of Business, where he has progressed from Assistant Professor (2006) to full Professor (2020). His institutional leadership includes Faculty Senate President (2017-2018) and Chair of the Engagement & Innovation Committee (2015-2018), with significant service to accreditation and strategic planning initiatives.

His educational qualifications include:

• Ph.D. in Business from University of Texas at Arlington
• MBA from Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
• B.E. in Engineering from University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore University

Professor Natarajan's research centers on healthcare marketing systems, with empirical studies examining direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising, medical tourism economics, and socio-economic determinants of metabolic syndrome. His cross-cultural work compares US healthcare marketing with India, Sweden, and Ireland, analyzing regulatory environments and consumer behavior patterns. Recent publications investigate vocal risk communication in drug commercials, alcohol advertising regulations, and port infrastructure resilience after natural disasters.

Analysis of his 2016-2020 publications reveals dominant healthcare themes (65% of output), particularly DTC advertising ethics and healthcare access disparities, alongside consistent international business research focused on emerging economies. His methodological approach combines quantitative analysis of large datasets (BRFSS, port operations) with comparative content studies of international marketing practices.

He actively secures research funding, including a 2018 $200,000 grant for port resilience modeling post-Hurricane Harvey and a pending $250,000 EDA grant for petrochemical industry development. Students engage through service learning projects with community partners like the Children's Museum of Southeast Texas and through co-authorship opportunities on studies such as 'Drivers of Childhood Obesity' (2017). His professional leadership as President of the Federation of Business Disciplines (2018-2019) provides extensive networking avenues for collaborators.