Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis

Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis, PhD, serves as the Chairperson of the Department of Applied Business Studies and Professor of Hospitality Innovation and Leadership at Ball State University, where additional leadership roles have included Chairperson of the Department of Management and Chairperson of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. Since March 2021, Sotiris has been involved with the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative as a Business and Entrepreneurship Facilitator. In Greece, Sotiris has served as an Elector for the Hellenic Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and as an Accreditation Specialist for the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education since the establishment of the authority in 2020. Prior roles include Professorship and Chairpersonship at Indiana University Indianapolis in Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management, as well as managerial positions within the restaurant industry. Educational credentials encompass a PhD in Higher Education Administration from Indiana State University, alongside two degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University.