Kathy LaTour has been appointed Banfi Vintners Professor of Wine Education and Management at Cornell | Nolan School of Hotel Administration
Kathy LaTour, an associate professor of services marketing, is the School of Hotel Administration's (SHA) new Banfi Vintners Professor of Wine Education and Management. Her appointment took effect on July LaTour came to Cornell as a visiting associate professor from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2012 and joined the SHA faculty the following year. Her research examines the ways in which marketing messages influence consumers’ perceptions and memory of hedonic experiences, with a particular focus on wine and gambling. She teaches several marketing courses, including a case-based class she developed at Cornell, Wine Marketing. Additionally, she is developing a course called Luxury Marketing for students pursuing jobs in the wine industry. LaTour has achieved a variety of wine certifications, including rank as a Certified Sommelier in the Court of Master Sommeliers. She is currently studying for Master of Wine certification from the Institute of Masters of Wine and pursuing certification in Italian wine from the Wine Scholar Guild. LaTour is the third faculty member to hold the Banfi Vintners Professorship, which was established in 1982 with an endowment from the Banfi Vintners Foundation. The chair was first held by Vance Christian '61, MS '65 and then by Stephen Mutkoski '67, PhD '76.
