Dr. Amy Gregory focuses on the intersection of hospitality management, human factors, and emerging space economies. She studies how individuals conceptualize living and working in extreme environments, with a particular emphasis on motivations, habitability expectations, and the sociocultural dynamics of not just living, but thriving in off‑Earth communities. She is an Associate Professor and an accomplished researcher. She has been with UCF Rosen College since 2010. As Endowed Chair – Space Tourism Programming & Initiatives, Dr. Gregory represents Rosen College on the UCF Space Council and serves as the academic lead for our expanding efforts in space tourism research, partnerships, student engagement, and contributing to the university’s broader innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Gregory earned a PhD in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida, a Masters in International Business Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management (a private institution acquired by Arizona State University in 2014) and a Bachelors of Science degree in Business with a minor in Broadcasting from John Brown University.

Dr. Gregory has more than 25 years of industry experience in the foodservice and lodging sectors, primarily within the leisure lodging, shared ownership, club and residential segments. Her experience includes sales, marketing, business and product development, asset management, as well as revenue and inventory management; including years-long international assignments in Europe and Asia.

Dr. Gregory’s publications and areas of research include: consumer and employee behavior in the context of long-stay leisure lodging products and related services, and hospitality education. She teaches various lodging-related courses at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels.