I am an assistant professor in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My research broadly focuses on the power of marketing to improve financial sustainability for the tourism and leisure industry and organizations. Specifically, my research explores and leverages the understanding of visitors’/users’ attitudes and behaviors in the context of tourism and leisure, with the ultimate goal of devising effective marketing strategies and techniques to achieve economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable communities. See the research project page for more updates.

I was born and grew up in Guangzhou, China. I received my BS in Events and Tourism Management from Sun Yat-Sen University in China. I then moved to the U.S. for graduate school where I earned my MS and Ph.D. in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University (Gig ’em!).  Before joining UIUC, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the U.S.-Asia Center for Tourism & Hospitality Research at Temple University and a visiting professor in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism at San Francisco State University.

Let’s Connect!   Google Scholar    LinkedIn    Research Gate