ICHRIE FutureFund™ Recognizes Best Paper Winners
The ICHRIE FutureFund™ recognizes the Best Paper Winners from the 31st Annual Graduate Education & Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality & Tourism, held at Auburn University on 8-10 January 2026. With over 350 attendees' competition for the Best Paper was challenging and all the graduate students attending and presenting should be proud of their accomplishment.
There were four Best Paper Winners, and each will receive a complimentary 2026 ICHRIE Global Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada USA registration, a one-year complimentary ICHRIE membership, and a $500 gift card. We hope to see each winner in Las Vegas, possibly presenting another paper or a poster.
The Best Paper Winners were:
Jiwoo Jung of University of Florida (faculty advisor Jinwon Kim)
Collapse or thrive? Measuring the impact of climate disasters on short-term rentals markets using spatial panel data models.
Yingying Dong of Purdue University (faculty advisors Alei Fan & Kevin Kam Fung So)
Color lightness as a sensory marketing cue: Implications for guest decision-making.
Mina Hosseini of Washington State University (faculty advisor Soobin Seo)
When AI is talking like a friend: The role of AI language style and language-product fit on consumer responses.
Jeffrey Hanauer of Purdue University (faculty advisor Wookjae Heo)
The economics of overservice: Compensation structures and the agency behind serving intoxicated patrons.
