Edwin Torres Areizaga Headshot

Edwin Torres Areizaga

Department Chair

Department of International Hospitality and Service Innovation
Saunders College of Business

Office Location

Edwin Torres Areizaga

Department Chair

Department of International Hospitality and Service Innovation
Saunders College of Business

Education

Ph.D. in Hospitality Management from Purdue University;M.S. in Hospitality Management from Purdue University;BS in Business (Human Resource Management and Marketing) from the University of Puerto-Rico Mayaguez

Bio

Dr. Torres is the Chair and Professor for the department of International Hospitality and Service Innovation for the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Hospitality Management from Purdue University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business with majors in Human Resource Management and Marketing from the University of Puerto-Rico Mayaguez. Dr. Torres is also a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) by the Human Resource Certification Institute. Prior to his role at RIT, Dr. Torres worked at the University of Central Florida, Rosen College of Hospitality Management. His industry experience includes hotel management, restaurant management, wealth management, and consulting. Dr. Torres has research interests in consumer behavior, services marketing and human resource management. He is published in numerous top-tier journals in the fields of marketing, hospitality, management, and tourism. He has published 45 scholarly articles, 27 conference proceedings, 8 magazine articles, and one textbook titled “Customer services marketing: Managing the customer experience”. 

Currently Teaching

HSPT-101
1 Credits
An introduction to the various sectors which comprise the hospitality industry including lodging, restaurants, events, beverages, theme parks and attractions, cruises, gaming, sports and entertainment, the travel trade, and private clubs. Students will be exposed to the operations, business models, career paths, and current trends in this experience-based class. This course will feature several demonstrations, site visits, and industry guest speakers in addition to lectures and discussions.
HSPT-735
3 Credits
This course introduces theories and methods for creating memorable customer experiences in the hospitality, tourism, and service industries. It integrates qualitative and quantitative, data-driven, and scientific techniques to deeply understand customer needs, design personalized services, and enhance service quality. Emphasizing technology, students gain analytical skills to customize customer experiences using loyalty program and other forms of data. The course also covers the co-creation of value with customer engagement, focusing on data-driven customer journey design in both physical and online platforms. Finally, students will be exposed to various service quality tools and metrics as well as principles of capacity management.

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