Assist. Prof. Dr .Anna Mazurek-Kusiak | food | Best Paper Award

professor, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland

🔬 Short Biography 🌿💊📚

🎓 Education Background

Dr. hab. Anna Mazurek-Kusiak has a rich academic background in economics and tourism. In 2020, she obtained her Doctor Habilitatus in Economics and Finance from the University of Białystok, with a postdoctoral dissertation titled “A Model of Consumer Behavior in the Tourism Market.” She earned her Ph.D. in Economics in 2006 from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, focusing on agribusiness, with a dissertation on “Direct Taxes in Agribusiness.” Her academic journey began in 1999 with a Master of Science in Economics from the same university, where she wrote her thesis on “Tax Management in the Enterprise.” She also completed several postgraduate studies in areas such as security management, renewable energy use, project management, IT in education, and pedagogical qualification.

💼 Professional Experience

With over two decades of academic and applied experience, Dr. Mazurek-Kusiak currently serves as a Professor at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, where she has been a faculty member since 2008 in the Department of Tourism and Recreation. She was promoted from Assistant to Adjunct and ultimately to Professor in 2020. Since 2000, she has also worked at the University of Social and Medical Sciences in Lublin. In addition, she has been affiliated with Wincenty Field University of Social and Natural Sciences in Lublin since 2014. Her practical engagement extends to the tourism sector as a licensed city guide for Lublin and its museums since 2013. She has contributed significantly to the development strategies of Lublin city and region, including reports for the Lublin Conference Center.

🛠️ Skills and Expertise

Dr. Mazurek-Kusiak possesses diverse skills combining academic depth and practical know-how in economics, territorial marketing, tourism branding, and consumer behavior analysis. She has strong expertise in developing and managing research projects, producing strategic tourism reports, and delivering academic instruction in both Polish and English. Her instructional subjects include macroeconomics, finance in tourism, management, customer service, and regional tourism products. She also brings competencies in software like Excel for business analytics, communication, negotiation, and the creation of innovative tourism products.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Mazurek-Kusiak has received numerous accolades for her contributions to science and education. She has been awarded the Rector’s Award for scientific activity eight times between 2014 and 2022 and received an additional Rector’s Award for organizational activity in 2015. Her educational project “Educational Exploring the World with a Teddy Bear Traveler” earned two honorable mentions at the Science Festival in 2013 and 2015. She was also recognized with a third-place award for the best article of the year in the journal Folica Turistica for her research on tourist service purchasing behavior.

🔬 Research Focus

Dr. Mazurek-Kusiak’s research centers on tourism economics, consumer behavior, regional branding, and development of thematic villages. She is the author of approximately 160 scientific publications and books. She has led multiple research grants, including a Ministry of Science and Education project on Polish traditions in thematic villages and a National Science Center project on tourist behavior in the travel agency market. She has also been actively involved in international academic exchange programs and training sessions across Europe and China, delivering lectures on topics such as agritourism, regional food, innovation in tourism, and customer service.