Texas Tech University

New Faculty Spotlight: Jing Li, Hospitality and Retail Management

Hannah Fields

September 23, 2020

Jing Li

Assistant professor Jing Li looks forward to assisting in HRM student success

The Hospitality and Retail Management department in the College of Human Sciences (COHS) recently welcomed Jing Li, Ph.D., to their faculty as an assistant professor.

Jing, who holds a B.S. in Accounting, M.S. in Tourism Management from China's Shandong University, and Ph.D. in Hospitality from the University of South Carolina, said she was drawn to Texas Tech by its abundant research resources and opportunities along with dedication to student success.

"The university and College of Human Sciences are dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce, and by providing high-quality education, service, and research to students," Jing said. "These match my philosophy that the collaboration between students, professors, and industry people will help students to be successful. I am proud to be a Red Raider!"

Because Jing views being a researcher as being a lifelong learner, she was inspired to pursue her interest in the hospitality field through a doctoral degree, thus influencing her own research.

"I have the passion to explore the unanswered questions or phenomenon in my daily life, leading me to the research field of tourism and hospitality," Jing said. "I am enthusiastic about the application of my research in the real world to make the tourism and hospitality industry more sustainable."

Currently, Jing's research interests focus on tourism, hospitality marketing and branding, customer experience, sharing economy, and influencer marketing. Her teaching focus will center around tourism, destination marketing and management, and tourism and hospitality marketing.

What Jing is looking forward to most as a College of Human Sciences faculty member is contributing to academic publications, serving the community, and, most importantly, assisting in the success of COHS students.

"I believe that teaching is student-centered," Jing said. "The main goal of my teaching is ensuring that students are enabled to learn both practical and theoretical knowledge of the field of tourism and hospitality. From my own experiences, I know how valuable logical thinking and critical thinking are as application tools in better understanding of how our discipline functions in the real world."