Richard Perdue, the R.B. Pamplin Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of R.B. Pamplin Professor Emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.

A member of the Virginia Tech faculty since 2005, Perdue made significant contributions to the hospitality and tourism field through his work in the area of consumer behavior and tourism development. His teaching activities in Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, and Australia brought international attention to the Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. He served as department head from 2005 to 2014.

In addition, Perdue was an editor of the Journal of Travel Research from 2003 to 2014, president and chairman of the Travel and Tourism Research Association from 2012 to 2013, and as president of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism from 2004 to 2007. He also served as a member of the board of directors of the Virginia Hospitality and Tourism Association (now the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel Association) from 2014 to 2016.

In 2015, Perdue, was honored with the Travel and Tourism Research Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

In the classroom, Perdue taught both undergraduate and graduate courses across the hospitality and tourism management curriculum, including courses on market data analysis, revenue management, and research methods. He advised numerous students on master’s degree theses and doctoral dissertations and helped them develop successful careers in both industry and academe.

Perdue received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wyoming and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.

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