For the second year in a row, professor Seyhmus Baloglu has been recognized as one of the top 2% of Sports, Leisure, and Tourism Scholars in the world based on Scopus data provided by Elsevier. Now in its sixth iteration, this prestigious list identifies the world's leading researchers, representing approximately 2% of all scientists…

Co-authors Jungsun (Sunny) Kim, Mehmet Erdem, and Boran Kim, Ph.D. '24, (both Hospitality) recently had their article, "What factors motivate customers to embrace a metaverse hotel?," published in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Their paper aims to investigate the influence of four motivational…

Brett Abarbanel (International Gaming Institute, Hospitality) was an invited speaker at Columbia University's College of Engineering for their inaugural Symposium on AI and Sports, on the future of technology and fan engagement. She spoke alongside the MD of the MIT Sports Lab and the AI Team Lead for the New York Yankees.

Robert Rippee (Black Fire Innovation), Amanda Belarmino (Hospitality), and Ph.D. alumna Nasim Binesh recently had an article published in Current Issues in Tourism. Their paper, "User segmentation in human–robot interactions: insights from sports betting patrons using diffusion of innovation theory," groups together different types …

Kasra Ghaharian (International Gaming Institute) has been awarded funding by the Massachusetts Gambling Commission to conduct research on artificial intelligence (AI) in the gambling sector. The study, awarded to the UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, will focus on current and possible uses of AI in the gambling industry, with a particular…

Marta Soligo (Hospitality) recently published the chapter, "Mirrors of Society: Cemetery Tourism Futures” in the book, The Future of Dark Tourism: Enlightening New Horizons. Her analysis proposes a shift in cemetery tourism discourse, viewing graveyards less as mere dark places but rather as attractions connected with heritage, art, and celebrity…

Brian Jones (Hospitality), associate director of the PGA Golf Management University program at UNLV has successfully earned his PGA Master Professional Designation — the highest education designation a PGA of America Golf Professional can obtain.

Pearl Kim, Chris Cochran, Neeraj Bhanderi (all Healthcare Administration and Policy), Billy Bai  (Hospitality), and Jay Shen (Healthcare Administration and Policy, Center for Health Disparities Research) recently published "Increasing Emotional Distress and Use of Health Services among Hospitality Industry Workers During and After the COVID-…

Associate Professor Amanda Belarmino (Hospitality) has been appointed to the Harvard Business Review (HBR) Advisory Council. As an esteemed member of the research community, Belarmino will provide insight to shape the HBR content and enrich the organization's understanding of external perspectives on ideas from HBR and the wider world of…

An article by associate professor Amanda Belarmino's (Hospitality) is featured in the summer 2024 edition of Gaming & Leisure Magazine. The article, "Impact of Live Sports on Vegas Gaming Spend," (pg. 45) discusses the changing landscape of sports betting in Las Vegas amidst the rise of professional teams.

Faculty members Hyelin (Lina) Kim and Zihui Ma (both Hospitality), along with graduate students Minji Kim and Sooyeon Lee, completed a study exploring the impact of influencer marketing on consumer behavior when it comes to purchasing organic food. Their article, "What Makes Consumers Purchase Social Media Influencers…

Kasra Ghaharian (International Gaming Institute), Marta Soligo (Hospitality), and Brett Abarbanel (International Gaming Institute, Hospitality) published a study, "AI ethics in a controversial industry: the case of gambling and its ethical paradox," in AI and Ethics with co-authors Fatemeh Binesh (University of Florida) and Lukasz Golab…