Lu Zhang Named Interim Director of The School of Hospitality Business

Lu Zhang Interim Director of The School of Hospitality Business.

The Broad College of Business at Michigan State University has appointed Lu Zhang as interim director of The School of Hospitality Business.

Founded in 1927, the School of Hospitality Business serves as the oldest and top-ranked hospitality business school in the world. Zhang takes the helm as the school marks its 100th anniversary with a year-long celebration. Zhang’s appointment reflects Broad College of Business’ commitment to experiential learning and to preparing students for careers that extend well beyond hotels and restaurants.

Zhang’s connection to hospitality began long before her academic career. As a teenager, she worked in her aunt and uncle’s small restaurant in her hometown in China. She studied hospitality and tourism management at Xiamen University before earning her master’s degree and Ph.D. at Penn State. She joined MSU Broad College of Business in 2013.

As the new Interim Director, Zhang aims to strengthen the MSU brand through coordinated events and gatherings. “The first priority is the 100th anniversary,” Zhang said. She plans to use the celebration to reconnect with alumni, and to elevate the school’s brand. Part of that effort means going to alumni rather than waiting for them to return to campus. Many young alumni lack the time or resources to travel for events like homecoming, so the school hosted a reception for local alumni in Las Vegas this summer, with more planned throughout the year. On campus, the school is lining up lecture series, guest speakers, and corporate-sponsored capstone projects to bring in industry partners.

As a professor, Zhang teaches information technology and business strategy courses, and her research examines consumer experiences with emerging technologies, including AI, service robots, and social media influencers. Her work often addresses problems practitioners face. During COVID, for example, she studied how different restaurant table configurations affected consumers when dining rooms reopened under social distancing rules.

For Zhang, working with students is the most immediate reward of the job. She often teaches them as juniors and again in the senior capstone. “I’m always surprised how much they grow in just one year,” she said.

That research shapes her classroom, teaching and scholarship, which have garnered numerous accolades. In 2019, one of her papers received the Robert Johnston Award for highly commended paper of the year from the Journal of Service Management. She received an instructor excellence award for the undergraduate program in 2020, and in 2023, she received the John D. and Dortha J. Withrow Endowed Emerging Scholar Award.
Zhang has also taken on extensive service roles at Michigan State and in the field. She has served as the school’s graduate program director since 2020 and chairs its research committee. She is also a member of the School Advisory Council and has served on the undergraduate curriculum committee. She advises student groups including the Broad China Business Society and holds a leadership role on the board of CentralCHRIE, a regional hospitality education association.
Looking ahead, she hopes the school can eventually add a facility that supports more hands-on learning. Students already host fine dining events and take beverage classes that include wine tastings, but many peer programs operate their own hotels or restaurants, and providing students with these opportunities will further prepare them for a career in hospitality.

She also wants prospective students to see how broad the field is. The school’s real estate minor serves students across the university, including finance and supply chain majors and students outside the business college, and hospitality graduates go on to work in event planning, real estate, and hospitality technology startups. The field is vast, and there are endless opportunities for students to explore, from traditional restaurants and hotels, to event planning, real estate management, and experience curation.