Katherine L.
Christensen
Assistant Professor of Marketing, Kelley School of Business
Indiana University · Ostrom Workshop Affiliate
I study how connection across time and space shapes consumer behavior and public life. My research examines heritage, how we think about our future selves, and policing—and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Forbes.
Connection Across Time and Space
I examine connections across time—looking at our individual futures and the collective past. I am a Kimberly Clark Pre-Tenure Scholar, Research Accelerator Fellow, Institute for Environmental and Social Sustainability Affiliate, and Ostrom Workshop Affiliate. My work appears in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, and the Review of Economics and Statistics.
Industry & Teaching
Before entering academia, I led digital teams as a Managing Producer at the Walt Disney Company and as a Director of Digital Media at Sony Pictures Television. I was a member of the Television Academy and a Webby Awards judge. At Kelley, I teach Creativity and Communication, and have received the IU Trustees Teaching Award and been named an Innovative Teaching Award finalist.
Christensen, Katherine L. and Suzanne B. Shu (2024). “The Role of Heritage Connection in Consumer Valuation.”
Journal of Marketing Research, 61(3), 571–586.
Ostrom Workshop Grant · Xavier Dreze Prize
Sellers of sentimental goods accept lower prices from buyers who share a connection to the item’s past. Sellers accept less when they believe the buyer will “keep the story alive.”
Christensen, Katherine L., Hal E. Hershfield, and Sam B. Maglio (2024). “Back to the Present: How Mentally Traveling from the Future to the Present Affects Thoughts and Behavior.”
Journal of Consumer Research, 51(4), 761–774.
Morrison Center Grant · Xavier Dreze Prize
*M. Keith Chen, *Katherine L. Christensen, *Elicia John, *Emily Owens, and *Yilin Zhuo (2025). “Smartphone Data Reveals Neighborhood Level Racial Disparities in Police Presence.”
Review of Economics and Statistics, 107(6), 1734–1742. (*equal authorship)
Arnold Ventures Open Access Grant · Kelley School of Business Research Award