Susan Gordon

Associate Professor, White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management

Areas of Expertise

Employee Well-being
Supervisor Support
Human Resources
Lodging Management

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

Sustainable Organizations and Thriving Communities

Biography

Dr. Susan Gordon is an Associate Professor in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Purdue University, from where she received her PhD. Dr. Gordon also holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Prior to her faculty appointment at Purdue University, Dr. Gordon was an Assistant Professor in the College of Hospitality & Tourism Leadership at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. Dr. Gordon is the recipient of the 2021 ICHRIE Innovation in Teaching Award and the 2017 Bruce Lazarus Teaching Award, which is her school’s only award for undergraduate teaching.

Dr. Gordon has over ten years of hospitality industry experience. Most recently, she was the Human Resources Manager for an 800-room hotel with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Boston, MA. Dr. Gordon has also worked for Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL where she was a Labor Manager responsible for the scheduling, payroll, and personnel management processes for a 1900-room resort, a call center, and the catering line of business. Prior to that position, she held the positions of Housekeeping Manager, Bell Services Manager, and Front Desk Manager for four different Disney resorts.

Dr. Gordon’s research area is primarily human resources and she is particularly interested in employee wellbeing and perceived supervisor support. Dr. Gordon also conducts research in lodging operations. Her work has been published in several hospitality journals including the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, International Journal of Hospitality Administration, Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, Tourism Analysis, and the Journal of Foodservice Business Research.

Education

Ph.D. Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University, 2014
MBA, Boston University, 2006
B.S. Hospitality Administration, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 1996

Current Courses

HTM 181 - Introduction to Lodging Management
HTM 212 - Management and Leadership in Hospitality and Tourism
HTM 312 - Human Resource Management for the Service Industries
HTM 399 - Leadership Development
HTM 581 - Advanced Hotel Management
HTM 602 - Research Topics and Methods Seminar

Selected Honors/Awards

Innovation in Teaching Award, ICHRIE (International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, & Institutional Education) - 2021
Highly Commended Paper Award, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights - 2020
Best Article of the Year Award, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education - 2019
Bruce I. Lazarus Teaching Award, Purdue University School of Hospitality & Tourism Management - 2017