Kevin Kam Fung So, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Research Associate in the Richardson Family SmartState Center for Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development

Dr. Kevin So’s research interests focus on services marketing and service management, with a special emphasis on customer engagement, service brand management, electronic word of mouth, and internal branding in the tourism and hospitality industry. He also has a strong interest in advanced quantitative methods and techniques, such as structural equation modeling (SEM), partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM), and finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS), latent class analysis (LCA), and latent profile analysis (LPA).

His work has appeared in many top-tier academic journals including the Journal of Service Management (SSCI), Journal of Travel Research (SSCI), Tourism Management (SSCI), Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (SSCI), International Journal of Hospitality Management (SSCI), International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (SSCI), and Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing (SSCI). Dr. So serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Travel Research, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, and Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, as well as a reviewer for 13 academic journals, including Tourism Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Journal of Marketing Management, and Journal of Service Management.

Recognition of Dr. So’s academic achievements includes the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence: Highly Commended Paper Award from the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management; the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing Martin Oppermann Best Article of the Year 2013 Award; the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research Article of the Year Award 2014; and three postgraduate scholarships for his doctoral studies. Dr. So’s doctoral research was the winner of the 2014 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in the Hospitality Management category.

Dr. So has participated in a number of funded research projects with a total award of more than $350,000. Many of these projects were funded by national and state government agencies including the United States Department of Commerce, the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, and the City of Columbia South Carolina, as well as peer institutions from Australia, Hong Kong, and the U.S.

He earned his Ph.D. in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Australia, where he also obtained a Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management with First Class Honors. While completing his doctoral studies, Dr. So also pursued graduate studies in Mathematical Science and Statistical Modeling at Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Dr. So served as a lecturer and instructor for a number of undergraduate and graduate courses in the tourism and hospitality program at Griffith University. Before entering academia, he gained extensive industry experience in various hotel areas including food and beverage, concierge, and housekeeping at the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa Gold Coast, Sheraton Perth Hotel, Perth Ambassador Hotel, and Perth Comfort Inn Wentworth Plaza Hotel.