John Alan Dawson is Professor of Marketing at the University of Edinburgh; he is a Geographer, and specialist in retail innovation, Dawson graduated in Geography from University College London in 1965 with an interest in urban geography. He then studied for an MPhil on central place theory and the work of the early economists, completing his formal education in 1970 with a PhD from the University of Nottingham with a thesis on the post-war changes in retailing in selected European regions. Academic Posts 1971-1974 Lecturer in Geography, University of Wales, Lampeter. 1974-1981 Senior Lecturer in Geography, University of Wales, Lampeter 1981-1983 Reader in Geography, University of Wales, Lampeter 1983-1990 Fraser of Allander Chair of Distributive Studies and Director of Institute for Retail Studies, University of Stirling. 1993-1998 Head of Department of Business Studies, University of Edinburgh 1993-2009 Professor of Marketing, University of Edinburgh External links * John Dawson's Homepage Alumni of University College London Academics of the University of Wales, Lampeter Academics of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Nottingham Living people Year of birth missing (living people)