Olena Ciftci, Ph.D., CHIA, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Travel Technology at the Tisch Center of Hospitality in the School of Professional Studies at New York University.

She holds a Ph.D. in Nutrition and Hospitality Management from the University of Mississippi, an M.S. in Hospitality Management from the University of South Florida, and an M.S. in Mathematics with a minor in Informatics from Dragomanov National Pedagogical University (Kyiv, Ukraine).

Prior to joining NYU, Dr. Ciftci worked as a hotel data analyst at the M3 Center for Hospitality Technology and Innovation and an instructor of hospitality and tourism, information technology, and business courses at the University of Mississippi and a college in Ukraine. She also has worked on the projects of integration of real-world software in university hospitality courses.

Dr. Ciftci is the author of peer-reviewed articles published in highly ranked academic journals, including Computers in Human Behavior, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, three book chapters, case studies, and publications in professional journals. She presented her research at numerous international academic and professional conferences and received two best paper awards from conferences. Dr. Ciftci serves as a reviewer for seven leading academic journals in hospitality and tourism.

Dr. Ciftci’s research interests lie at the intersection of information technology, consumer behavior, revenue management, and data analytics in hospitality and tourism. She also has experience in interdisciplinary research. Her recent research and publications concern the adoption of AI-powered technology, robots, facial recognition, virtual reality (VR), customer experience with technology, and service automation in hospitality and tourism.