Dr. Hua holds a Bachelor of Economics from Shandong University in China, a Master’s degree in Asset Management/Hospitality Investment from New York University, and a Ph.D. in Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management from the School of Hospitality Management at Pennsylvania State University, where he also earned a Ph.D. Minor in Business Administration from the Smeal College of Business.

As an educator, Dr. Hua specializes in hospitality accounting, finance, revenue management, and methodology. His research focuses on performance analysis, with particular emphasis on information technology, human capital, methodology and applied econometrics, educational program evaluation, and innovative educational methods.

Dr. Hua is a full professor in hospitality management who served as the chair for the Department of Hospitality Services at Rosen College from 2020 to 2025. His professional leadership extends to serving as a board director and former president of the International Association of Hospitality Financial Management Education (iAHFME).

In the academic community, Dr. Hua holds multiple editorial roles, including Associate Editor and Chair of the Finance & Accounting Track for the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Conferences (I-CHRIE). He is also a Contributing Editor for the Journal of Hospitality Financial Management and serves on the editorial boards of several prestigious publications including the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Tourism Economics, Journal of Smart Tourism, and Journal of Hospitality Financial Management.

Dr. Hua actively contributes to academic advancement as a reviewer for numerous scholarly journals and conferences, including International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Tourism Management, and many others. His extensive involvement in annual conferences includes I-CHRIE, EUROCHRIE, Hospitality and Tourism Graduate Conferences, and the iHITA Conference.

Dr. Hua has published extensively in premier journals such as International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Journal of Travel Research, and Tourism Management. With a portfolio of 84 refereed journal articles and over 140 academic publications (including book chapters and conference proceedings), he has also secured and collaborated on grant projects totaling around $1.4 million from respected agencies, including the National Science Foundation.

His accolades include recognition among Stanford/Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientists, designation as a Top 10 most productive author in International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, ranking among the top 5% of scholars worldwide, and listing as the #62 Worldwide Top Scholar in E-commerce. 

Dr. Hua has extensive industry experience in international trading, marketing, investment, and hospitality in China and the U.S. He has taught at The Pennsylvania State University, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston, and the University of Central Florida. Dr. Hua has also delivered courses and seminars across the U.S. and internationally.