Michael Cheng

Dr. Michael Cheng serves as Dean and tenured Full Professor at Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, where he pioneers competency-based learning frameworks and transformative hospitality education initiatives. With over 25 years of academic leadership, he established Culinology® as the world's first formal academic discipline merging culinary arts and food science.

His educational foundation includes:

• B.S. in Restaurant/Foodservice Management (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
• M.S. in Restaurant/Foodservice Management (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
• Ph.D. in Hospitality Management (Iowa State University)

Research focuses on Culinology® innovation, hospitality management systems, and food product development, with recent work expanding into fourth industrial revolution technologies for hotels and economic policy analysis. His scholarly trajectory evolved from foundational Culinology® competency frameworks (2011-2016) to contemporary hospitality technology adoption studies (2023-2024), maintaining consistent industry relevance through interdisciplinary approaches.

Dr. Cheng's publications reveal strategic research progression from culinary-science integration to hospitality technology adaptation, with significant contributions to economic analysis of Hong Kong markets during 2016-2020 reflecting methodological versatility. Current work emphasizes practical implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in hotel operations.

Notable recognitions include:

• Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise finalist (2010)
• Three-time Research Chefs Association President’s Award recipient
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln Alumni Masters Award (2022)
• International Hospitality Institute's Top 100 Most Powerful People (2023)
• South Florida Business Journal Power Leader (2023 & 2024)

As Dean, he engineered unprecedented fundraising success establishing the Bacardi Center of Excellence and Vidal-Duart Wine Studies program, positioning Chaplin School as FIU's top fundraising unit. His leadership cultivates industry partnerships that provide students with experiential learning in beverage innovation and global hospitality management.

The Chaplin School's specialized facilities under his direction—including the world's only Bacardi Center of Excellence—deliver hands-on training in mixology, wine studies, and restaurant management through industry-integrated curricula.