Benjamin Lawrence Appointed Director of Georgia State’s Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration
Thursday, July 17th, 2025
Benjamin Lawrence has been appointed director of the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, effective July 1, 2025.
Joining the School of Hospitality in 2018, Lawrence is the Aziz Hashim Professor of Franchise Entrepreneurship. He holds a joint appointment with the university’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Institute (ENI). His academic expertise contributes to the domains of service operations and marketing, and he is a recognized global authority on franchising. His research has been published in the Journal of Operations Management, Production and Operations Management, Journal of Business Ethics, and Journal of Retailing, among other outlets.
Currently, Lawrence serves as president of the Production and Operations Management Society’s College of Service Operations and as president of the International Society of Franchising.
Lawrence succeeds Debby Cannon, who stepped down as director of the Hospitality School after 23 years. Cannon will remain on the faculty, returning to full-time teaching.
“Ben Lawrence is a dynamic leader with the knowledge, passion, and vision to advance our internationally renowned School of Hospitality by creating new opportunities for faculty collaboration and student engagement,” said Richard Phillips, dean of the Robinson College of Business. “There is no finer candidate to follow Debby Cannon.”
“I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead the Day School into its next chapter,” said Lawrence. “For over 50 years the school has built a legacy of academic excellence, industry engagement, and a strong commitment to student success. I’m excited to build on that momentum by fostering interdisciplinary research, enhancing the career readiness of our students, and expanding our role as a vital partner to the hospitality industry in Georgia and beyond.”
Before joining Georgia State, Lawrence was a faculty member at Cornell University. He holds a Ph.D. in marketing from Boston University, an MBA from Texas A&M University, and a B.S. in hotel administration from Cornell University.
Georgia State’s School of Hospitality Administration is the oldest, largest, and only dual-accredited (AACSB and ACPHA) hospitality program in the state of Georgia.
