Dr. Mayola Fernandes is a Lecturer at the Canterbury Institute of Management and a HDR Supervisor at the Melbourne Institute of Technology. With over 17 years of teaching and research experience in hospitality and management, she has contributed significantly to curriculum design, academic leadership, and student mentorship across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She holds a Ph.D. in Management (Hospitality), an M.Sc. in Hotel and Tourism Management, and a Bachelor’s in Hotel Management and Catering Technology. She is a former Ph.D Research guide for University of Pune (SPPU)
Her research interests include sustainable and responsible tourism, cultural and culinary tourism, destination management, and the integration of artificial intelligence in hospitality. She has published and presented in national and international forums, contributing to both theoretical discourse and applied practice. Alongside her academic expertise, Dr. Fernandes has taken on significant administrative and leadership roles.
She has coordinated accreditation processes, and acted as a delegated Head of Department (Accommodations Operations) at AISSMS CHMCT. Notably, she was the prime coordinator for the Government of India’s Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) project, spearheaded by IIT Delhi, which focused on rural development and community transformation.
A passionate educator and mentor, Dr. Fernandes is dedicated to fostering inclusive learning environments, supporting students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and driving academic excellence. With her combination of scholarly depth, teaching innovation, and leadership skills, she continues to make a meaningful impact on both student success and the evolving field of management education, with a deep passion for hospitality and tourism education.