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Muzzo Uysal

Carney Family Endowed Professor | Provost Professor

Hospitality & Tourism Management
Dr. Muzzo Uysal is the Carney Family Endowed Professor and Provost Professor in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts A

Dr. Muzzo Uysal is the Carney Family Endowed Professor and Provost Professor in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Globally recognized for his research in tourism development and quality-of-life studies, he has been ranked by Clarivate Analytics among the top 1% of highly cited social science researchers worldwide for five consecutive years (2021–2026). Research.com also ranks him among the World's Top 100 Scholars in Business and Management. Dr. Uysal is an elected Fellow and second-term President of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. Throughout a distinguished career spanning academic and administrative leadership roles at four universities, he has authored sixteen books and published numerous journal articles and monographs. His contributions have earned more than thirty awards, including lifetime achievement honors from ICHRIE, TTRA, and the Graduate Education Founders Award. He also serves on editorial boards of more than ten scholarly journals.

Education

PhD (Philosophy of Doctorate), Texas A&M University
MBA, University of New Haven, CT
BS (Business Administration and Accounting), Ankara - Gazi University, Turkey

Professional Experience

Research Associate with Institute for Service Research, 2013-2016
Partner in commercial restaurant venture in Blacksburg, VA, 2001-2003

Academic Appointments

Professor, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts, 2023-present
Professor and Chair, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts, 9/2016-2023
Professor, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, 8/2008-8/2016
Research & Graduate Programs, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management The University of South Carolina, 7/2007-2/2008
Professor, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 1994-2007
Associate Professor, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 1992-1993

Recent Honors / Awards

Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher (Top 1% Worldwide), 2021-2026
Isenberg School of Management Research Award, 2025
Journal of Travel Research (JTR / TTRA) Lifetime Achievement Reviewer Award, 2025
Carney Family Endowed Professor, 2023
Research.com World Top 100 Leader Award, 2022-2026
John Wiley & Sons Lifetime Research Achievement Award, 2016
Leslie Reid Alumni Award, Texas A&M University’s Department of RP&TS, 2016
Founders Award, Graduate Education Conference, 2015
University of Delaware Michael D. Olsen Research Achievement Award in Hospitality and Tourism, 2009
Lifetime Achievement Award in Tourism Research, Chinese Tourism Management Association – Taiwan, 2008
Member of the editorial and policy boards of over 10 journals

Research Interests

Destination Management
Quality of Life and Well-being
Satisfaction and Experience Science

Teaching Interests

Undergraduate
  • Tourism policy and planning
  • Applied research methods in services management
Masters
  • Survey Development and Analysis
Doctoral
  • Tourism & Hospitality Theory and Research
Selected Working Papers/Current ResearchBuffering the costs of social density: Role of Coping/Adaptation in Community QoL: Cape Cod, Massachusetts Redefining Tourism: The Human-Centered Approach

Selected Working Papers/Current Research

Buffering the costs of social density: Role of Coping/Adaptation in Community QoL: Cape Cod, Massachusetts 

Redefining Tourism: The Human-Centered Approach and Design (HCAD)

Media, Industry, and Public ImpactUS Could Lose Millions of Tourists (Newsweek excerpt) https://www.newsweek.com/us-could-lose-millions-of-tourists-2-11462474What three tips should visitors keep in mi

Media, Industry, and Public Impact

US Could Lose Millions of Tourists (Newsweek excerpt) https://www.newsweek.com/us-could-lose-millions-of-tourists-2-11462474

What three tips should visitors keep in mind when traveling to a national park? https://lawnlove.com/blog/presidents-who-preserved-national-parks/#expert=muzaffer-muzzo-uysal

What’s the most important thing to look for in a credit card for international travel? https://wallethub.com/credit-cards/international/#expert=Muzzo_Uysal

Do you agree with the majority of Americans who think tipping culture is out of control? https://wallethub.com/blog/tipping-survey/135092#expert=Muzzo_Uysal

The Best Senior Travel Insurance Companies of 2024 (marketwatch.com) https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/insurance-services/senior-travel-insurance/#toc-expert-tips-and-insights

Professional LinksGoogle Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ViWVE8cAAAAJ&hl=enLinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzzo-uysal-b3506116/ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-19

Selected Publications

Berbekova, A., Assaf, A. G., Uysal, M., Tsionas, M., & Parmeter, C. F. (2025). Quality of life performance index for tourism destinations. Tourism Management, 108, 105091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2024.105091

Uysal, M., Icoz, O., Cetin, I., Icoz, O., & Bozkurt, Y.(editors) (2026). Theories and Models in Tourism and Hospitality Research.  CABI, UK.  https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/book/10.1079/9781800625822.0000

Uysal, M., Berbekova, A., & Wang, J. (2025). Quality-of-life: A critical examination of research progress. Tourism Management, 107, 105070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2024.105070

Uysal, M., & Sirgy. (eds). (2023). The Handbook of Tourism and Quality-of-Life Research II: Enhancing the Lives of Tourists and Residents of Host Communities, Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-31513-8

Uysal, M., Berbekova, A., & Kim, H. (2020). Designing for Quality of Life. Annals of Tourism Research, Volume 83: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102944

Uysal, M., & Sirgy, J. (2019). Quality-of-Life Indicators as Performance Measures in Tourism and Hospitality. Annals of Tourism Research, 76, 291-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2018.12.016

Uysal, M. (2019). Measuring tourism success–alternative outcome variables: a perspective article. Tourism Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-07-2019-0304

Uysal, M., Sirgy, J., Woo, E., and Kim, L. (2015). Quality of Life (QOL) and Well- Being Research in Tourism. Tourism Management, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.07.013

Wang, Y. C., & Uysal, M. (2023). Artificial intelligence-assisted mindfulness in tourism, hospitality, and events. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36 (4), 1262-1278. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-11-2022-1444