Seyhmus Baloglu is professor and Barrick Distinguished Scholar at the Harrah College of Hospitality, University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), where he has also assumed leadership roles as associate dean of research and director of Harrah Research Center for 10 years. He earned a BS in hotel administration from Cukurova University, an MBA from Hawaii Pacific University and a PhD in hospitality marketing from Virginia Tech. He has presented marketing courses and seminars in Asia, Australia, Europe and the Caribbean. Before joining academia, he held management positions and had a diverse background in the industry, including restaurants, hotels, resort clubs and travel agencies.
He has published extensively in leading journals, including Journal of Business Research, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Annals of Tourism Research, Journal of Travel Research, Tourism Management, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, and Tourism Analysis. He received grants, contracts and consulting projects from tourism destinations, gaming resorts, hotels, airports, nightclubs and supply-chain organizations. He has been named as one of the significant contributors to hospitality and tourism literature. His work has been cited extensively across multiple disciplines and fields. His research credentials have earned him both an international reputation and placement on the editorial boards of numerous leading journals. He has presented his work at many national and international conferences, seminars and symposia and served as the keynote speaker and a panel participant for numerous international conferences. Other books he has coauthored are Managing and Marketing Tourist Destinations: Strategies to Gain a Competitive Edge and Handbook of Scales in Tourism and Hospitality Research. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious teaching, research and service awards. He has been the recipient of UNLV Alumni Association's Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year and the John Wiley & Sons Lifetime Research Achievement Award from the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE). His other major honors include annual research awards from ICHRIE, the Sam and Mary Boyd Distinguished Professor Awards, the Ace Denken Research Award, the Claudine Williams Distinguished Chair, and Harrah Distinguished Chair.