Dr. Alex Susskind

Biography

Alex Susskind joined the faculty of the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, in 1998. He is the Banfi Vintners Professor of Wine Education and currently serves as the senior director of programs. Susskind earned his PhD in communication from Michigan State University with a specialization in organizational communication, an MBA with a concentration in personnel and human relations, and an undergraduate degree from Purdue University in restaurant, hotel, and institutional management. He also trained as a chef with a degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Prior to starting his career in academia, Susskind was a chef and restaurant operator for independent multi-unit restaurant companies in the Northeastern and Southeastern U.S. At Cornell, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses that address operational and strategic elements of the food and beverage business. Susskind also teaches in the Nolan School’s Executive Education program for managers and executives on- and off-campus and has developed and launched an eight-course online certificate program in Food and Beverage Management through eCornell. His active research program currently examines customer-service provider interactions between guests and managers that influence organizational performance; how organizational communication networks are influenced by teamwork elements and organizational change; the influence of organizational technology on the relationship between guests and service-based employees; and how nutrition information provided by restaurants influences guests’ food choices when dining in full-service establishments. He has released a book entitled, "Frontier Restaurant Management: Harnessing Data to Improve Guest Service and Enhance Employee Experience," published by Cornell University Press.

Research Interests

Experience