Jinyang Deng

Jinyang Deng is an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University's Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism, within the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. Previously, he served as a Professor and program coordinator (2018–2019) at West Virginia University. He holds a Ph.D. in Physical Education and Recreation (Recreation and Leisure Studies) from the University of Alberta, Canada, alongside multiple graduate certifications in GIS and related fields.

• Education:
• B.S. Agriculture (Forestry), Central South University of Forestry & Technology, China
• GIS Technology Certificate, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada
• MS GIS (one-year graduate coursework), University of Calgary, Canada
• M.S. Agriculture (Forest Recreation), Central South University of Forestry & Technology, China
• Ph.D. Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Canada

Research Interests: Focuses on rural tourism, ecotourism, GIS applications in recreation, visitor market analysis, tourism economics, and urban forest utilization. His work spans China, Australia, Canada, and the USA, emphasizing community development through tourism.

Grants & Projects:

• Rural Community Well-being: Using Tourism Indicators to Address Pandemic Impacts (USDA NIFA, $648,285, 2022–2026)
• Leveraging Land-Grant Universities for Appalachian Rural Tourism (Appalachian Regional Commission, $611,365, 2024–2025)
• Menu to Meal: AR/AI for Nutritional Labeling (USDA AgriLife, $200,000, 2025–2026)
• Tourism Intelligence and Economic Sustainability (Texas A&M Targeted Proposal, $42,000, 2025–2026)

Awards:

• 2021 Outstanding Faculty in Research
• 2008 Chen Chuankang Outstanding Paper Award

Editorial Roles: Associate Editor for Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism and Journal of Park and Recreation Administration; former editorial board member of Journal of Tourism Analysis (2017–2024).