Amit Sharma

Amit Sharma serves as the Edward Friedman and Stuart Mann Professor of Hospitality Management at Pennsylvania State University's School of Hospitality Management. He holds multiple leadership roles including Associate Director & Professor-in-Charge of Undergraduate Programs, Director of the Food Decisions Research Laboratory, and Affiliate Faculty with both Teaching and Learning with Technology and the Rock Ethics Institute. He also serves as President of iAHFME and as a Faculty Senate Senator.

Education:

• B.A. in Economics from University of Delhi (India)
• Higher National Diploma in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management from University College of Salford, Manchester (U.K.)
• Masters from Institut De Management Hotelier International (France)
• Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Professor Sharma's research centers on the finance and economics of food decisions, examining cost-benefit analyses of food choices within foodservice environments. His work investigates local food systems economics, food safety implications, healthy eating behaviors among children, family food spending patterns, and food supply chain dynamics. He maintains a parallel research focus on hospitality and tourism economics, analyzing how these industries impact local and national economies through policy interventions and development strategies. His Food Decisions Research Laboratory serves as the primary hub for empirical investigations in these domains.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent thematic patterns across hospitality finance, food decision economics, and behavioral aspects of foodservice management. Key research trajectories include restaurant financial decision-making (particularly debt structures and executive compensation), school nutrition economics, local food system viability, and consumer responses to food safety initiatives. His work demonstrates strong methodological diversity spanning econometric modeling, survey research, and case study approaches.

As Director of the Food Decisions Research Laboratory, Sharma leads interdisciplinary investigations into food choice economics and policy implications. His leadership extends to professional service as President of iAHFME and through multiple university governance roles including Faculty Senate representation and HHD Faculty Council secretary position. His research directly informs policy discussions around school nutrition programs, local food procurement, and hospitality industry economic development.