Kate Walsh is Dean of the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration and E. M. Statler Professor. A professor of management, Dr. Walsh has been a member of the School’s faculty since 2000. She received her Ph.D. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and her M.P.S. degree from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Fairfield University.

Dr. Walsh’s primary research is in identity, leadership and career development. She also conducts research examining the impact of strategic human capital investments. In addition to contributing to numerous books, her articles have appeared in such outlets as Journal of Management, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Human Resource Management Review, Organization Science, Career Development International, The Service Industries Journal, Trends in Organizational Behavior, Research in Management Consulting, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, The Learning Organization, International Journal of Hospitality Management and The Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

Dean Walsh has extensive industry experience. She is the former director of training and development for Nikko Hotels International, corporate training manager for the former Bristol Hotels, and senior auditor for Loews Corporation. Dr. Walsh is also a former New York State Certified Public Accountant.

Dr. Walsh began her second term as dean on July 2, 2021. Since the beginning of her administration, Dean Walsh has focused on positioning the School for the future of hospitality business education, as well as contributing to the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. This includes undertaking a comprehensive renewal of the graduate and undergraduate curricula, developing the School’s online global presence, launching two new graduate degree programs, and providing thought-leadership for the hospitality industry, most notably through the creation of industry-based webinars to guide the industry during the pandemic, as well as supporting extensive outreach and engagement through the school’s six centers and institutes.

Dr. Walsh serves on the boards of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, including serving on its
Educational Foundation’s DE&I committee, and Yonsei University’s School of Business.