Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu is currently the Provost at Virscend University in Irvine, California. Before this role, he served as the Dean and the McKibbon Endowed Chair Professor of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) at the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida (USF). During his tenure at USF from 2010 to 2025, he held several key positions, including Director of the M3 Center for Hospitality Technology and Innovation, Coordinator of International Programs for the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Director of Global Partnerships for the Muma College of Business.

Dr. Cobanoglu is a recognized expert in hospitality and tourism technology. He was a Fulbright Specialist, appointed by the Fulbright Commission, from 2018 to 2021. Additionally, he is a Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP), certified by Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP) and the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). He serves as the Editor of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology (JHTT), which is indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and has an Impact Factor of 6.4. Dr. Cobanoglu has co-authored over 10 books and contributed to more than 20 conference proceedings. He is also currently serving as the President of the Association of Global Educators (AGE).

His extensive experience, welcoming personality, and vast professional network will provide valuable insights for the Board of Directors and for Project Light as a whole.