Brian Wansink

Brian Wansink completed his academic training with a Ph.D. in marketing (consumer behavior) from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1990. His academic career began at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College from 1990 to 1994, followed by positions at the Wharton Graduate School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 1997, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1997 to 2005. In 2005, Wansink joined Cornell University, where he held the John S.

He further disseminated his research through the popular science book, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, published in 2006. From 2007 to 2009, Wansink also served as the executive director of the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, where he oversaw the development of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and various food-related programs. Building on his influential work, Wansink released his second book, Slim by Design, in 2014, which further explored his insights into behavioral economics and eating patterns. Following its release, he initiated a Kickstarter campaign for a coaching program based on the book, though the program was not ultimately produced.

Wansink’s academic career at Cornell University subsequently faced public scrutiny beginning in 2017, when allegations of questionable research practices, including data manipulation and inappropriate statistical analyses, emerged. An internal review by Cornell University found him responsible for academic misconduct, leading to his removal from teaching and research duties in September 2018. He then resigned from the university, effective June 30, 2019. Over two dozen of his papers were ultimately retracted from scientific journals due to these issues.