Betsy Stringam has taught undergraduate and graduate students in NMSU’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management since 2008. She is a professor, researcher and writer who has published papers in academic journals and international hospitality industry publications. She is the author of “A Profile of the Hospitality Industry” and has also coauthored several book chapters on technology and robotics, revenue management and management strategies in the hospitality industry. She is also part of a group of researchers from across the nation studying the impact of technology on the hospitality industry workforce in a National Science Foundation-funded project headed by Carnegie Mellon University.
Earlier this month, Stringam received NMSU’s Westhafer Award for Excellence in Teaching during the fall 2023 convocation. The award, named after Robert L. Westhafer, a professor of mathematical sciences, recognizes work that enhances student success and social mobility.
Stringam strongly believes in the ability of online education to reach diverse audiences. She said online education provides opportunities for those unable to relocate or otherwise participate in on campus courses. As an example, she shared a recent comment from one of her online students: “I have accomplished a lot, but the one failure I want to undo is obtaining a college degree. Living far from Las Cruces, it brings me joy knowing I can finally obtain my degree at NMSU.”
Stringam has been instrumental in launching an online version of the HRTM concentration at the master’s level, spearheading the development and teaching of new courses. She also served as the Digital Faculty Fellow for the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which she played a critical role in supporting faculty in the transition to online learning. She has served on the NMSU Online taskforce as well as the Online Course Improvement Board, which she chaired for three years. Stringam is also a certified peer reviewer and master reviewer for Quality Matters.
“Effective teaching is a journey – not a destination. And that journey brings great vistas, but also requires many recalculations along the way,” she said.
Stringam attributes her successes along her journey to the Teaching Academy and support from the Academic Technology and NMSU Global teams. She said the continuous evolution of teaching and learning requires faculty to embrace new teaching methods and practices. This past summer, she gave a presentation at an international conference on how to teach students to use artificial intelligence honestly and ethically.
Before joining NMSU, Stringam was a faculty member at the University of South Carolina, Penn State University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Previously, she spent several years working in the hotel, resort and restaurant industries at the corporate and property levels.