Purdue HTM Welcomes Distinguished Scholar Dr. Kevin So as New Faculty Member
Author: Abby Lillpop
Purdue University’s White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is proud to introduce Dr. Kevin Kam Fung So as the newest addition to its esteemed faculty. Dr. So joins the school as a full professor, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a distinguished career in hospitality and tourism marketing and service management.
Dr. So is an accomplished scholar with more than 100 scientific publications, including 65 in the discipline’s top-tier journals. He has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate™ for three consecutive years (2021-2023), a testament to the significant impact of his work. His research focuses on the intersection of hospitality and tourism marketing, with an emphasis on human factors, technological innovations, branding, customer engagement, social media marketing, the sharing economy, and human-AI interactions.
In addition to his research, Dr. So is committed to fostering the next generation of scholars, having chaired or served on the dissertation committees of over 20 Ph.D. students. His contributions to academia have been acknowledged through numerous awards, including the Richard W. Poole Research Excellence Award and the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research Article of the Year Award.
This semester, Dr. So will begin teaching the course “HTM23100 Hospitality and Tourism Marketing,” where he looks forward to engaging with Purdue students and sharing his insights. He is particularly excited to collaborate with Purdue’s world-class faculty and dedicated students, aiming to further elevate the program’s research and academic excellence.
Dr. So’s arrival marks a significant milestone for Purdue HTM, and his expertise is expected to make a lasting impact on the school’s future.