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What Our New PhD Graduates Say!

By

Youngdeok Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor (Summer 2025)
Department of Retailing, University of South Carolina

My Ph.D. experience at UT was truly the most rewarding journey of my life. The dedicated scholars in our program supported me relentlessly, and their guidance led to an incredible outcome. I am deeply grateful to all the professors I had in RHTM for their mentorship and encouragement. With humility and excitement, I now begin my new chapter as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Retailing at the University of South Carolina. Thank you to everyone at RHTM, UT—Go Vols!

Shawn Bucher, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor (Summer 2025)School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University

I had a unique journey transitioning from being an industry practitioner to an academic. Faced with the challenges of supporting a family while finishing a PhD, I felt the need to quit multiple times. The RHTM department not only helped me through those difficult times but simultaneously pushed me and supported me to become the aspiring scholar I envisioned. My advisors went from being professional colleagues to lifelong friends and mentors. Now, I am in a position that I had always hoped for, prepared to succeed on levels I had only dreamed about just a few short years ago.

Inhwa Kim, PhD, Assistant Professor of Teaching (Summer 2025)
School of Marketing, Analytics, and Design, Oregon State University

UT is where dreams truly become reality. Throughout my four years of PhD journey, the RHTM department has given me countless opportunities and lifelong connections. I had the privilege of working with supportive and knowledgeable faculty, gaining valuable teaching experience, getting to know amazing students, and growing alongside inspiring colleagues. Most of all, I’m grateful for the many chances for cross-campus collaboration, which made it possible to conduct my dissertation with the Engineering Department and the VolShop. I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have been part of this community. I would choose RHTM again and again!