A native Floridian, Amanda Templeton graduated from Broward Community College with an A.A. in Business Administration before transferring to Florida Atlantic University and graduating with a B.B.A. in International Business. After working in the hospitality and tourism industry, she returned to school and furthered her education at the University of Central Florida, completing a M.S. in Hospitality Management within the Rosen College of Hospiality and Tourism Management. 

Non-hospitality industry experience includes working in various sales positions and two years as a legal assistant. Hospitality and tourism experience spans 10 years with a ski tour operator, three years as front office manager for a luxury dude ranch in Wyoming, and additonal industry experience including hotel mystery shopping and a variety of event experience, including working with a local DMO. 

In 2011, Ms. Templeton was offered the opportunity as a department head for a two-year Travel & Hotel Mangement program, at a small private university in Ohio. During her time there she was in charge of instructing all coursework and revising the curriculum to accredidation standards. Ms. Templeton left Ohio after 3 years and to pursue a doctorate degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management, which she completed in 2018. Dr. Templeton now resides in Utah where she teaches full-time at Southern Utah University, in addition to adjunct teaching for SPC and serving on the SPC Hospitality advisory board.

She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience (both in the industry and as a student) with her students and learning from students at the same time. When she is not teaching or working on research, Dr. Templeton enjoys traveling, sport photography, visiting national parks, olympic lifting, and crossfit.