Texas A&M hospitality leader earns international research award
Brian King, Ph.D., professor and department head of the Arch H. Aplin III ’80 Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has received the University of Delaware’s Michael D. Olsen Research Achievement Award, one of the field’s respected honors in graduate hospitality education.
The international award from the Hospitality and Tourism Educators Association was presented at the 31st Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism, hosted in 2026 by the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management at Auburn University.
The award honors scholars whose research and academic leadership have made sustained contributions to hospitality and tourism education.
“I am thrilled to receive the Michael D. Olsen Research Achievement Award,” King said. “I have been privileged to have the opportunity to come to the United States and to Texas A&M University in particular after extended periods in Europe, Australia and Asia to continue preparing the next generation of hospitality and tourism industry leaders and scholars.”
Named after Michael D. Olsen, Ph.D., an early U.S. pioneer of hospitality research and graduate education, the honor recognizes long-term scholarly influence. The award also has personal significance to King. His own mentor, Kaye Chon, Ph.D., dean of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was the award’s inaugural recipient.
“Dr. Kaye Chon was himself a mentee of Dr. Olsen,” King said. “It is a joy to be part of this collective endeavor, proud legacy and noble profession.”
Research, scholarship and industry engagement
King’s scholarly work spans industry engagement as well as research and teaching. His international consulting experience includes assignments with UN Tourism, the European Union, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the Hong Kong Hotel Owners Association, where he contributed to strategic tourism planning initiatives.
King is the founding and current editor-in-chief of the journal Tourism, Culture & Communication and has authored and edited several books examining hospitality and tourism issues such as marketing, leadership and innovation, development, planning and sustainability.
He is an elected Fellow of several leading tourism and hospitality organizations and has received numerous awards recognizing research excellence, teaching achievement, industry impact and academic service.
International academic leadership
King joined Texas A&M in 2022 following an academic career that spanned Europe, Australia, the Pacific and Asia.
Prior to coming to Aggieland, he served as associate dean at Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management, one of the world’s leading hospitality programs. He also held senior leadership positions at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, including head of the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Marketing and pro vice-chancellor for industry and community. In these roles, King helped strengthen ties between scholarship and industry partners both globally and locally.
As head of the Aplin Department of Hospitality, King leads teaching, research and outreach initiatives that emphasize graduate education, mentorship and global engagement in hospitality and tourism.
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