Share
Hospitality and tourism management professors in the Pamplin College of Business are ranked as some of the best in the world, according to a study.
The August edition of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism ranked the professors in the top 100 scholars worldwide in the discipline.
Virginia Tech also fared well, placing eighth in the top 100 universities for hospitality and tourism research.
The publication decided its rankings based on the number of research articles published in prominent hospitality and tourism research journals between 2000 and 2009.
The list of scholars includes HTM professors Vince Magnini and Ken McCleary, along with professor emeritus Michael Olson.
The list also includes Zvi Schwartz, a former professor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who began working with the Tech HTM department this fall.
Magnini placed 19th in hospitality and 55th overall. He focuses on job management and customer communication, management impact on employee performance, and employee-customer relations.
Schwartz rank00ed 21st in hospitality and 47th overall. Schwartz studies tourism and hospitality forecasting, as well as revenue management.
Olsen received 21st in hospitality and tied with Magnini as 55th overall. Olsen studies strategic and financial management. He also played a large role in founding Tech’s HTM department.
McCleary, who placed 100th in the combined rankings, studies marketing strategy and consumer behavior in the tourism industry.
Pamplin recognized that these achievements mark a milestone for the school.
“The fact that four of (HTM) fellow faculty received this top researcher recognition was celebrated throughout the faculty as a wonderful achievement for the individuals who were recognized,” said Richard Sorensen, the dean of Pamplin, “and also outstanding recognition for the entire department, as well as Pamplin College.”
A version of this article appeared in the Aug 31 issue of the Collegiate Times.
Leave a comment 9 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
Ok, I'll say it first. Hospitality and tourism is not a university curriculum. Great for the profs honored here, but it's really just an excuse to pollute research with a staff of capitulating capitalists.
Reply to this Top
If you actually have taken any of the upper level HTM courses you would learn they are actually very hard! HTM Policy makes the other Business Policy classes look like nothing...know your facts! VT HTM Class of 2010
Reply to this Top
not everybody is going to be (nor wants to be) a scientist or an engineer. research in other disciplines is good because it means students who go through that curriculum will (hopefully) learn from it, have a competitive advantage when they get out of school, and be able to bring that to the a particular company within the tourism industry. ultimately this would allow them to get paid more and have better opportunities down the road without having to capitulate to capitalists and without having to unionize which wouldn't give you an advantage over other people.
look up the definition of capitulate before you use it.
Reply to this Top
I'm always a little embarassed that Pamplin actually has a hospitality and tourism major.
I mean - exactly what kind of 'scholarly research articles' get published in "hospitaility and tourism management?" The cost-effectiveness of placing a chocolate on the pillow? The best way to fold a towel to ensure maximum moisture absorpition? What a joke.
If you really want to be an effective hotel manager, and you feel that you have to go to college, perhaps you should major in spanish - so that you can communicate with the cleaning staff.
Reply to this Top
dayum... sh*t just got real.
Reply to this Top
I graduated from Tech's HTM program a few years ago. It was actually one of my majors. Yes, some of the classes are SUPER easy. Some of them, not so much.
As far as "scholary research articles", they usually aren't based on the ideas that you call a joke. Most of the "schloarly research articles" that I have read pertain to eco-tourism, effects of tourism in small communities, effects of tourism in different countries, sustainable tourism, etc. There is a ton of research out there on how the hotel industry, food and beverage industry, cruise ship industry, airline industry, and/or casino industry impact different areas (whether it be ruining natural beauties/resources, creating jobs, causing pollution, or what have you). I guess you would consider these a "joke" as well.
The tourism industry itself is one of the top 3 employers in the US and it brings in hundreds of billions of doallars a year in revenue. I would think that would have some weaight as to the importance of the program but obviously not to you...
Reply to this Top
Prior HTM Student,
Are you enjoying your career at Starbucks?
Top
"not everybody is going to be (nor wants to be) a scientist or an engineer." - True but there is an overwhelming shortage of American college students who want to be a scientist or engineer. It's hard and demanding but at least you will have a job right out of college if not at least in a few months.
Business majors will be more in demand when/if the economy rebounds which is still several years away at this rate.
Reply to this Top
These professors should be applauded for their success. Having had Dr. Magnini and Dr. Olsen for professors, I can say that their coursework occupied the majority of my graduate studies.
And as recent alumnus (2010) of their HTM Master's Program, I can say that I am enjoying my career as a Resort Manager for the Walt Disney Company.
Reply to this Top