Meet our New Faculty: Soojin Lee

Meet Soojin Lee, a new faculty member from across the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. Lee earned her PhD in Hospitality Managment at University of Missouri-Columbia. She joins the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration as a lecturer of hospitality management.

Learn more about Lee’s areas of expertise, research focus, courses she will be teaching, and other interests in this Q&A.

Soojin Lee I Lecturer in Operations, Management and Information Management I Nolan Hotel School

What are your research and teaching areas of focus?

Both my research and teaching areas include food safety, restaurant management, casino management, and consumer behaviors in restaurants.

What classes will you be teaching this year?

I am teaching two restaurant courses and look forward to teaching elective courses in the future.

What attracted you to the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and to your school Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration?

I am thrilled to join the Nolan Hotel School. Cornell is focused on providing high quality education to students who are passionate about the industry. The way restaurant courses are being offered was also of interest. As an educator, I love witnessing students learn and have fun at the same time.    

Have you adapted your research or teaching focus in any way because of COVID-19?

When the pandemic started, I was working as a graduate instructor in the PhD program. I had to move the classroom lecture to online, which was quite challenging. I spent a lot of time trying to make the online environment more engaging and interactive.

How did you know you wanted to teach? What do you like best about teaching?

I love teaching because I enjoy teaching something that I’m passionate about. Hotel management has always been an area I am truly interested in. It is rewarding when I’m able to transfer my knowledge and skills to the next generation as they are the future of the industry.

What are you most looking forward to during your first year at Nolan Hotel School?

I look forward to learning more about our students and faculty. I also would like to know more about what students enjoy learning and what elective courses they prefer.

What do you do to recharge?

As a professor in food and beverage management, I love trying out new restaurants. I also love wines. My favorite wines are cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, and sauvignon blanc.