About Us
Todd Montgomery
EXECUTIVE-IN-RESIDENCE, DIRECTOR OF THE OSU SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LAB
Todd Montgomery has over 20 years of travel and tourism industry experience working with many Fortune 500 travel companies during this time. In 2012, Montgomery joined Oregon State University in Bend as an Executive in Residence. In 2016, Montgomery was appointed as the Robin and Curt Baney Endowed Professor.
Lori Lerwill
Research Assistant (2024 - PRESENT)
Lerwill’s research has highlighted the broader costs and benefits of tourism, emphasizing the need for a healthy balance between its economic, environmental, and community implications. Through engaging with communities and conducting resident surveys, valuable insights have been gained into fostering harmony between tourism and community life.
“This experience has opened my eyes to the larger impacts of tourism, both positive and negative. It has also given me opportunities to travel and think in ways I never imagined, building my confidence as a mature student returning to academia. My goal now is to restore a piece of history in my own community by creating a hospitality-based business that generates economic growth through jobs and cultivates meaningful social connections.”
Lucia Pigni
LAB RESEARCH ASSISTANT (2022/2023), HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT DEGREE GRADUATE 2023
Lucia Pigni, originally from Argentina, joined Oregon State University in Bend in 2020. During her tenure, she served as a research assistant at the OSU Sustainable Tourism Lab, where she contributed to multiple projects. Notably, Lucia was the project lead on a significant research initiative in Costa Rica, aimed at understanding the impacts of foreign tourism on local communities. Her leadership in this project involved extensive fieldwork, as she traveled to Costa Rica to engage directly with local stakeholders and gather firsthand insights, thereby enhancing the depth and applicability of the research findings.
Cristina Bennett
RESEARCH ASSISTANT (2019), HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT DEGREE GRADUATE 2019
Bennett’s research utilized the previous year’s data to identify hospitality businesses that demonstrate unique employee retention practices. Businesses throughout the state were interviewed and highlighted.
“Personally and professionally, my time as a Research Assistant was memorable. I was honored to have had the opportunity to identify and interview hospitality companies throughout the state of Oregon, including two of my past employers. Between my OSU education and unique work experiences, I now have the tools to help my own employees’ retention.”
Current Position: Executive Chef at Morrison Healthcare
Heather Mullaly
RESEARCH ASSISTANT (2018), HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT DEGREE GRADUATE 2019
Mullaly’s research topics included the impact of service automation technology on customer service, employee satisfaction, and how the modern workforce is impacting the current labor shortage.
“This research experience has meant so much to me professionally and personally. My time as a Research Assistant taught me the importance of research and the value that it can have within our community. I truly feel that not only did my research help the hospitality industry, but it helped me know what I want and deserve out of the industry.”
Current Position: Marketing Associate Coordinator | Oxford Corporate, Oxford Collection Hotels
Tyler Spragg
RESEARCH ASSISTANT (2017), HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT DEGREE GRADUATE 2018
Spragg’s role in the research was to help understand why the industry was experiencing a Labor Drain. He created, administered and analyzed primary research to better understand views of the hospitality industry as a career destination from a labor perspective.
“It was a pleasure and an honor to be involved with this Research Project. Aside from it being an interesting and relevant topic to study, it helped me grow professional, reinforced a solid scientific approach to research and taught me how to tell a story with data. It was also a great opportunity to provide value back to an industry that has given me so much.”
Current Position: Professional Services at Odysys