Michael Caligiuri, assistant professor of organizational behavior, shares new research co-authored with colleagues at Florida International University and Penn State revealing that white and male professors remain overrepresented in U.S. hospitality and tourism programs — even as the industry itself becomes more diverse. A review of 862 faculty across top-ranked universities found nearly 75 percent were white and over half were male, while Black faculty accounted for just 3.7 percent. Caligiuiri and his fellow researchers voice their concerns about how gaps in representation may affect student success and the scope of hospitality research.

This article was originally published by Seattle Post-Intelligencer on January 26, 2026.