Meet new faculty member Kevin So
Posted on: September 10, 2014; Updated on: September 10, 2014
By Liz McCarthy, lwhite@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-2848
Name: Kevin So
Current job: Assistant professor, School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management (HRSM) and a research associate in the Center of Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development
Hometown: China and I lived and studied in Australia for 10 years before joining UofSC this fall.
What’s your area of study or research?
My areas of research lie in services marketing and service brand management, with a special emphasis on service experience, customer engagement, brand loyalty and internal branding in the tourism and hospitality industries.
Why did you choose Carolina?
I chose Carolina because of the strong reputation of the school that I am joining and the opportunity to collaborate with world-class scholars in our field.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
Working and collaborating with my colleagues in the School of HRTM and exploring South Carolina and the U.S with my family!
How did you become interested in your work?
I am extremely fascinated by the power and magic of a strong brand, and how consumers select and evaluate a tourism and hospitality product or service.
What’s a talent you have or something that you’ve done that people might find surprising?
Outside of research, I am a photography enthusiast. In particular, I love photographing extraordinary landscapes in places that I visit. The best time of the day to take some amazing shots is either during sunrise or sunset!
Where do you consider “home?” What sorts of similarities and differences do you think Columbia might hold?
I was born in China and our family immigrated to Hong Kong when I was 13 years old. I lived there for seven years and then went to study in Australia in the last 10 years. So, I would probably say China is my home and Australia is my second home (I am also an Australian by citizenship). There are a lot of similarities between Australia and Columbia. The hot weather, beautiful natural environment, and most importantly, the friendliness of the people!
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