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Gary M. Thompson has been appointed executive director of The Center for
Hospitality Research at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration,
effective July 1, 2003. Thompson is an associate professor at the Hotel School. The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) was founded in 1992 to conduct
research aimed at improving industry practices. Under the leadership of
outgoing executive director Cathy Enz, who served for three years, the center
has earned a reputation in industry and academe as a leading source of practical knowledge that can be applied across the full range of operating
disciplines. Enz continues as the Lewis G. Schaeneman Professor of Innovation and Dynamic Management, at the Hotel School.
“The Center for Hospitality Research plays a vital role in creating and sharing
research that helps shape the global knowledge base of our industry,” said
Hotel School Dean David Butler. “Gary Thompson has an outstanding research record, and he appreciates the crucial role research plays at the Hotel
School. I am confident that under his stewardship our center will continue to
be a leading voice for rigorous, relevant research that helps define the future
of our industry.”
Thompson teaches courses in operations management at the Hotel School.
His recent research has looked at optimizing restaurant table mixes for greater
profitability; effective course scheduling in post-secondary and corporate
training environments; and the effects of labor staffing and scheduling decisions on customer service. A prolific researcher, he has published in
Decision Sciences, the Journal of Operations Management, Management Science, Naval Research Logistics, Operations Research, the Cornell Hotel
and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, and elsewhere. He is a consultant to
several prominent hospitality companies and is the founder and president of
SchedulExpert Inc., a software development firm focusing on scheduling products.
“I look forward to building on the tremendous progress achieved by Dr. Enz
and her team,” Thompson said. “There is enormous opportunity to engage in
research that can have a significant impact on how business is done in the
hospitality industry. We will continue to emphasize our fund-raising efforts so
we can broaden our leadership in discovering and sharing best practices for
our industry.” |
