Qualifications
1990-1994 Bachelors and Masters Degree in Business Administration at the Wirtschaftsuniversitaet Wien
1994-1996 Ph.D. in Commerce at the Wirtschaftsuniversitaet Wien
1990-1998 Bachelors and Masters Degree in Psychology at the Universitaet Wien
Research Interests
Sara’s research interests are market segmentation methodology and measurement in the social sciences. She has primarily applied her work to tourism and social issues (environmental volunteering, foster care and public acceptance of water alternatives).
Background
Sara was appointed Assistant Professor at the Institute for Tourism and Leisure Studies (Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration) in 1994, where she completed her PhD two years later. Sara served as Secretary General of the Austrian Society for Applied Research in Tourism, participated in the interdisciplinary research project 'Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science' and conducted a number of applied research projects for the Austrian tourism industry. Since July 2002 Sara has been working in the School of Management & Marketing at the University of Wollongong where she currently serves as the Director of the Institute for Innovation in Business and Social Research (IIBSoR), a University of Wollongong Research Strength. Sara is currently on an ARC Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship.
Sara has (co-)authored more than 200 refereed papers, including 96 journal articles, half of which were published in A* or A journals.
Publications
She has (co-)authored 200 refereed papers, including 96 journal articles, half of which were published in A* or A journals.
Sara’s work is widely cited. Her H-index of 21 (Publish or Perish, Harzing, 2010) places her among the more highly cited Australian marketing professors (median of 6, Razzaque & Wilkinson, 2007) and the most cited tourism researchers internationally (average of 13.7, McKercher, 2008). She won a number of best paper awards, the most prestigious being the Charles R. Goeldner Article of Excellence Award (Journal of Travel Research, 2004).
Sara serves on a number of editorial boards, including those of the Journal of Travel Research (A*) and Annals of Tourism Research (A*). She serves as expert assessor for a number of grant schemes offered by the ARC and national research councils overseas.
Key Research Areas
Market Segmentation Methodology
Measurement in the Social Sciences
Sustainable Tourism
Public Attitudes Towards Water
Research Grants
Since moving to Australia in 2002 Sara won, from the ARC and ALTC alone, five Discovery Grant including a QEII Fellowship ($2,739,000), three Linkage ($653,880), two Linkage International ($62,864) and one ALTC Leadership Grant ($220,000.00).
