Dr. Tingting (Christina) Zhang is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF) Rosen College of Hospitality Management. She focuses on technology adoptions and innovations in hospitality and tourism, with research interests that explore how technologies such as virtual reality, metaverse, service robots, artificial intelligence, social media, mobile apps, and online communities contribute to the sustainability and wellbeing of individuals, organizations, and societies.

Dr. Zhang holds an Associate Editor role at the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, a Scopus Q1 SSCI journal, underscoring her deep involvement in leading-edge technology research within the hospitality and tourism sectors. Her work is published in an array of respected service management and mainstream hospitality administration journals, further demonstrating her profound influence on the field.

Joining the Rosen College of Hospitality Management in 2016, Dr. Zhang was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2022. With over ten years of teaching experience in subjects such as social media marketing and hospitality technologies, her pedagogical versatility is commendable. One of her courses has received the High Impact Practice Research Intensive Designation, reflecting the enriched, research-focused learning environment she fosters.

Dr. Zhang is not only a renowned researcher and educator but also a dedicated mentor. She regularly supervises Ph.D. dissertations, undergraduate honors theses, and collaborates with students at all academic levels. Her mentorship has led many young researchers to receive recognition through conference paper awards and fellowships. This commitment to fostering new generations of scholars has been recognized with her nomination for the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award and receipt of the Excellence in Student Academic Advising award.

Dr. Zhang’s research impact is substantial, evidenced by her i10-index of 45, h-index of 30, and more than 4,500 citations. She has received significant funding, with grants and awards totaling US $70,825, and she has served as Principal Investigator for federal grant applications amounting to US $6,572,032.

Dr. Zhang earned her Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in Consumer Sciences, with specialization in hospitality technologies from the Ohio State University. She also received a Master’s degree in Translation and Interpretation from Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing with an emphasis on Hospitality and Tourism Management from Beijing International Studies University, China.

Before joining UCF, Dr. Zhang held various teaching roles, imparting her knowledge in hospitality and tourism management and marketing to both undergraduate and graduate students. She also served as a mentor and advisor, guiding an undergraduate student to secure a $10,000 grant from the Pelotonia Fellowship Program for an honors thesis. Dr. Zhang’s experience extends to an instructor role at Beijing International Studies University, where she participated in a faculty trainee program offered by the Marriott Group. This opportunity allowed her to gain hands-on experience across multiple hotel departments, deepening her understanding of hotel management and enriching her teaching capabilities.

Google Scholar link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=p0-3nXkAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&authuser=1&sortby=pubdate