Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

Cal Poly Pomona students placed second at the STR Student Market Study Competition I was in New York City (NYC) over the Veterans Day weekend for the HX: The Hotel Experience 2019 , one of the most important trade shows in the lodging industry . Similar to last year’s trade show , the HX 2019 also entailed four components, including HX: The Marketplace, HX: The Conference, Boutique Design New York, and the STR (Smith Travel Research) Student Market Study Competition.   STR is the leading data analytics provider for the lodging industry. Since its debut in 2015, the STR Student Market Study Competition (the STR Competition hereafter) has received significant attention from the hospitality programs around the world. This year, over 20 students from the Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona traveled to NYC for HX 2019. Moreover, six of them also participated in the STR Competition for the first time. In the end, the Cal Poly Pom...

Facial recognition technology is convenient. Many of us use it numerous times a day to unlock our smartphones. Although people often access their phones with Face ID or fingerprints, many still worry about their privacy when their biometric data are used in the public space. There is a fine line between consensual identity verification and non-consensual surveillance . Here are some examples. More airports are now using facial recognition Delta Airlines opened the nation’s first biometric terminal at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (ATL) in November 2018. Travelers can now use their biometric ID (facial image in this case) for check-in, dropping off luggage, and going through TSA (Transportation Security Administration) at ATL. Travelers using biometric ID can enjoy a faster service at ATL as the following: ·       Store their passport information in their frequent flier profile. ·     ...