October 6, 2009
Be my guest: Schrier studies guest-empowerment technology
Tom Schrier, a new assistant professor in apparel, educational studies, and hospitality management, said he enjoys the variety of topics, practices, and potential research studies within the hospitality industry. |
By
Laura Dillavou
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Tom Schrier over the past few years. What started as a summer job at a local theme park has led him through a master’s and doctoral degree to Iowa State University as a new assistant professor of hotel, restaurant, and institution management.
The connection between theme park attractions and the world of lodging services may seem distant, but Schrier maintains that it all depends on one thing: the guest experience.
“The field of hospitality encompasses a wide range of topics, ideas, and practices within the industry,” Schrier said. “But whether you are looking at a theme park, a luxury hotel, or a restaurant, it all comes down to the guest’s experience and how they feel about their visit.”
While gaining management experience at various theme parks and hotels, Schrier focused his academic research efforts on guest-empowerment technology – the use and appeal of services such as hotel check-in kiosks and in-room entertainment.
“It’s been very interesting to see what guests want and how they want to use it,” Schrier said. “This area of technology within the hotel industry is becoming very popular among today’s scholars and travelers.”
In the future, Schrier aims to return to his roots in the hospitality field and conduct research exploring theme parks. He said he finds motivation to investigate the whirling rides, cotton candy, and energetic atmosphere by studying an American icon, Walt Disney.
“Here is a man who created an empire out of nothing,” Schrier said. “It goes beyond the theme park – Walt Disney, the man himself, is a legend and it reminds me that a person can accomplish anything with hard work and vision.
With that work ethic in mind, Schrier currently has two papers under review for publication and plans to have additional articles, based on hotel technology, airline travel technology, and internet marketing, published or accepted to conferences in the near future.
“Working within the apparel, educational studies, and hospitality management department will give me numerous opportunities to expand my research scope,” Schrier said. “Everything about Iowa State and the people feel like home to me. It’s a good fit.”
