PHILADELPHIA, July 1, 2025—Wharton School Dean Erika James has announced the appointment of Cait Lamberton, the Alberto I. Duran President’s Distinguished Professor of Marketing, as Vice Dean and Director of the Wharton Undergraduate Division, effective July 1, 2025.
Professor Lamberton succeeds Vice Dean Diana C. Robertson who, having served two successful terms, will return to the Wharton Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department as the Samuel A. Blank Professor.
Professor Lamberton joined Wharton in 2019 and has taught across the School’s Undergraduate, MBA, Ph.D. and Executive Education programs. Her scholarship focuses on consumption-related phenomena and spans topics related to retail environments, taxation, emotions, technology and blockchain-based valuation. Recently, Lamberton’s research has explored the role of dignity and respect in marketplace experiences, with a particular focus on how brands and organizations can build customer loyalty by appealing to their sense of agency and justice.
“Wharton thrives because of scholars and educators like Cait, whose exceptional contributions to both teaching and research resonate across our entire community,” said Dean James. “Her commitment to academic excellence and talent for motivating students to reach their full potential make her an ideal leader for this vital role. I look forward to seeing the Undergraduate Division reach even greater heights with Cait’s guidance and am deeply grateful to Vice Dean Diana Robertson for her significant contributions and stellar leadership.”
Professor Lamberton has been widely celebrated for her teaching, research and service to Wharton and Penn and to the profession. She has earned multiple Wharton Teaching Excellence awards and has been named both a Penn and a Wharton Fellow. Among other accolades, Professor Lamberton has repeatedly been named to the American Marketing Association’s list of the top 25 most productive marketing researchers in the world and was recognized as a Marketing Science Institute Scholar. Additionally, she received the Erin Anderson Award, which celebrates excellence in mentoring and scholarship, and the Hunt-Maynard Award for Conceptual Contributions to the field of marketing. She also received the Lazaridis Prize for work focused on technology and marketing and was co-winner of the Kinnear Prize for achievements related to public policy and marketing.
In addition to her teaching and research accomplishments, Professor Lamberton served as Editor of the Journal of Marketing and is the co-author of Marketplace Dignity: Transforming How We Engage with Customers Across Their Journey. Reflecting her interest in real-world marketing challenges, Professor Lamberton has offered expert guidance to leading companies in the pharmaceutical and finance industries. She received her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College and her MBA and Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.
During her tenure, Vice Dean Robertson spearheaded numerous initiatives focused on the care and holistic health of students, including championing Dolphin Tank, an annual pitch competition that invites students to propose new ideas to improve student wellness at Wharton. She also served as chair of the Connections@Wharton task force which focused on systematically broadening and deepening connections across the entire Wharton ecosystem.
About the Wharton School
Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 100,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs, and thousands of pre-collegiate students explore business concepts through Wharton’s Global Youth Program. More than 105,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. For more information, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.
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