Faculty & Research
Thompson Named Executive Director of Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell School of Hotel Administration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Linda Myers, 607-277-5035, lbm3@cornell.edu
Ithaca, NY, July 17, 2003 -- Professor Gary M. Thompson has been appointed Executive Director of the Center for Hospitality Research at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, effective July 1, 2003.
The Center for Hospitality Research was founded in 1992 to conduct research aimed at improving industry practices. Under the direction of outgoing Executive Director Cathy Enz, the center has earned a reputation in industry and academe as a leading source of practical knowledge that can be applied across the full range of operating disciplines.
"The Center for Hospitality Research plays a vital role in creating and sharing research that helps shape the global knowledge base of our industry," said David Butler, Dean of the Cornell Hotel School. "Gary Thompson has an outstanding research record and he appreciates the crucial role research plays at the Cornell Hotel School. I am confident that under his stewardship our center will continue to be a leading voice for rigorous, relevant research that helps define the future of our industry."
Thompson teaches courses in Operations Management in the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. A prolific researcher, his recent work has ranged across many subjects including optimizing restaurant table mixes; optimizing conference schedules to improve attendee satisfaction; effective course scheduling in post-secondary and corporate training environments; and the effects of labor staffing and scheduling decisions on customer service. His research has appeared in the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Decision Sciences, the Journal of Operations Management, Management Science, Naval Research Logistics, Operations Research and other journals. He is a consultant to several prominent hospitality companies and is the founder and president of SchedulExpert Inc., a software development firm focusing on scheduling products.
"I look forward to building on the tremendous progress achieved by Dr. Enz and her team," Thompson said. "There is enormous opportunity to engage in research that can have a significant impact on how business is done in the hospitality industry. We will continue to emphasize our fundraising efforts so we can broaden our leadership in discovering and sharing best practices for our industry."
Dr. Enz, the Lewis G. Schaeneman Jr Professor of Innovation and Dynamic Management at Cornell, oversaw the center for three years. The Center's research reports can be accessed at http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr.
The Cornell School of Hotel Administration is shaping the global knowledge base for hospitality management through leadership in education, research and industry advancement. Founded in 1922 as the nation's first collegiate course of study in hospitality management, the Cornell Hotel School is recognized as the world leader in its field. The Cornell Hotel School Center for Hospitality Research conducts studies that aim to improve industry operating practices. For more information, visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu.