Faculty & Research
H.G. Parsa
H. G. Parsa is currently a professor of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. He holds a PhD in hospitality management, two MS degrees, and a Food Management Professional (FMP) diploma. He was the editor-in-chief of Journal of Foodservice Business Research. In 2005-2006, he received a Fulbright Visiting Scholar Fellowship to evaluate hospitality education in India and to recommend to the Indian government ways to enhance graduate education in hospitality management.
He published numerous research papers in business and hospitality journals. He serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals and serves as a frequent reviewer for national conferences, including the Association for Consumer Research and the American Marketing Association. His research has appeared in refereed journals such as Journal of Business Research; Journal of Product and Brand Management; Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research; Tourism Management; Journal of Restaurant and Foodservice Marketing; Cornell Hospitality Quarterly; Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism; Journal of College and University Foodservice; Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education and proceedings of a national conference of the International Society of Franchising. He has presented papers nationally and internationally, in Canada, Australia, India, Puerto Rico, Turkey, India; Taiwan; Caribbean Islands and China. His research was quoted in the popular press, including the New York Times, NPR, WOSU, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Fortune, and over 35 regional newspapers.
His research interests include pricing strategies in foodservice; analysis of factors that contribute to small-business failure/success; strategic marketing in hospitality; sustainability and Green Practices in hospitality; franchising and multi-unit restaurant chain management; and changing American food habits. He is a member of Association for Consumer Research; Council of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education; and Society for Consumer Psychology. At the University of Central Florida, he teaches courses in case studies in marketing, hospitality marketing, restaurant management, entrepreneurship, and foodservice management.
In 2011, he received John Wiley & Sons Lifetime Research Achievement award from the International CHRIE. He also received Best Published Paper awards at the International CHRIE and also at the Euro-CHRIE. He received John Wiley & Sons Teaching Innovation Award and Bradford Wiley Excellence in Research Award in 2006 and 2000. Earlier he received the President's Award for Excellence in Research and Creativity presented by the State University of New York College - Buffalo. He successfully mentored several graduate students who are highly placed at major universities.
Prior to joining academia, Dr. Parsa has spent more than a decade in the hospitality industry, working with several restaurant chains, private clubs, and institutional foodservice operators. He served on the executive board of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association and the Ohio Restaurant Association. He also served on the consumer advisory board of the Columbus [Ohio] health department. He has been a volunteer with the Meals on Wheels program in Columbus, OH and a similar program in Buffalo, New York. He coordinates annual food drive for the Central Florida Book Bank in Roando, FL.