Ryan Gaffney

Biography

Donald R. Gaffney, Ph.D., is a Senior Researcher at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Gaffney is an award-winning scholar whose research explores how consumers make sense of uncertainty, especially in contexts where decisions are influenced by artificial intelligence, bias, branding, and social media.

Dr. Gaffney is the founder of the Faculty Research Assistance Program (FRAP), co-director of Owen's Behavioral Research Lab (BRAVO), and Manager of the Owen Behavioral Insights Laboratory, which supports one of the most active consumer research pipelines in the country. His scholarship has been published in leading outlets such as Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, Judgment and Decision Making, and Journal of International Consumer Marketing. He is also a contributor to major academic handbooks in consumer research, including the APA Handbook of Consumer Psychology, Advancing Consumer Psychology and the Handbook of Social Psychology and Consumer Behaviour.

Dr. Gaffney’s work has been presented at leading academic conferences and institutions, including the Association for Consumer Research, TEDx, and Stanford University. In addition to his academic contributions, he has consulted for nonprofits, startups, and mission-driven organizations, applying his expertise in consumer insight, marketing strategy, and digital communication to support socially impactful work.

Education

Ph.D., Marketing, University of Cincinnati

M.Sc., Marketing, University of Cincinnati

B.B.A., Marketing and International Business, University of Cincinnati