Sean Barth, PhD

In addition to teaching in the Hospitality department at USCB, l am the Internship Coordinator for the university's Hospitality, Resort and Tourism Management Program. As such, my responsibilities encompass building the Hospitality, Resort and Tourism Management Program at USCB and recruiting and placing students in positions of responsibility in the hospitality industry, primarily in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and in nearby Savannah, Ga.  

I earned a BS in 2001 and an MS in 2005, both in Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management, at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. I earned a Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration at Texas Tech in 2007. My dissertation was entitled, “Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment & Justice: An Exploratory Look at Golf Club Employees.”  

I have extensive experience in the hospitality industry. As Assistant General Manager of a Hawthorne Suites property in Lubbock, Texas, I created the menu, designed the layout, and trained employees to work the breakfast shift and social hour in a new, 82-room, all-suite hotel. In 2003, as Catering Manager at Skyview of Texas Tech, I managed weekly catering operations and occasional dinner service at this fine-dining establishment. Skyviews is operated by the Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management Program at Texas Tech. It is set above the treetops on the sixth floor of Texas Tech Plaza. 

As Suite Manager at Sodexho Sports and Leisure Services from 2003 to 2007, I managed food service operations for the football and basketball stadiums at Texas Tech University. This involved providing food service to 54 skyboxes during football games and 24 skyboxes during basketball games. Foodservice operations produced a revenue stream of $500,000 a day during football and basketball seasons. I was able to manage the operation with the aid of many students enrolled in Texas Tech’s hospitality program.   

I began my academic career as a Teaching Assistant at Texas Tech in 2003, the same year I assumed management responsibility with Sodexho. In 2006, I was appointed a graduate part-time Instructor. I joined the University of South Carolina Beaufort as an Assistant Professor in 2007. Since then, I have organized and coordinated field trips for USCB students to annual trade shows sponsored by the National Restaurant Association and the National Hotel Motel Association.  

I am very active in the community. As the Hospitality, Resort and Tourism Management Program Internship Coordinator, I established working relationships with many of the area’s local businesses. From resorts like the Westin and Sonesta, to restaurant groups like SERG and CARB, to outfitters such as Outside Hilton Head and Island Head Rentals, I coordinate more than 40 internships a year with local area businesses large and small. I strive to match the career aspirations of my Hospitality, Resort and Tourism Management majors with the distinct character and size of the business.    

My students and I are in charge of catering and sponsor-support for the annual RBC Heritage golf tournament on Hilton Head Island. Hosted for more than 50 years at the Harbour Town Golf Links, the RBC Heritage takes place each year in June.  

In addition to a book, I am the author of several journal articles and gave presented at many academic conferences.  

I teach Club Management, Professional Development in Hospitality, Resort and Tourism Management, Management by Menu, Wine/Spirits and Food Estimates, Quantity Food Production and Food Service Sanitation.