Dr. Carissa Baker
Steering Committee Member
Associate Professor of Theme Park and Attraction Management at the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Dr. Carissa Baker is an Associate Professor of Theme Park and Attraction Management at the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Rosen College of Hospitality Management. After working at Disney and Universal on both coasts, Dr. Baker pursued theme parks as an academic subject. She earned degrees in Literature and then attained a PhD in Texts and Technology from UCF. Her dissertation project was on the theme park as a distinct narrative medium.
Theme parks have been a subject of Carissa’s research for more than two decades. Her interdisciplinary scholarship includes the areas of narrative, culture, guest experience, and international markets. She has 50+ peer-reviewed publications on the attractions industry and 100+ presentations including international conferences and invited presentations. She is an organizer of the Theme Park Music and Sound conference and is editing a related scholarly book. She was chosen as a Visiting Scholar at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands three times and has researched and taught in China.
Carissa has held both faculty and administrative positions at higher education institutions in California and Florida. She has won four teaching awards between her last two institutions. At UCF, she was the lead developer for the Bachelor of Science in Theme Park and Attraction Management and is the curricular program lead. She is the faculty advisor for the Future Theme Park Leaders Association (FTPLA), one of the largest and most active registered student organizations at Rosen College.
Over the years, Carissa has been involved in attractions industry organizations including the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), and Slice Creative Network. She has presented at industry gatherings, published in trade magazines, consulted on projects, and facilitated educational seminars for attraction designers and operations leaders. Carissa has been selected as a Visiting Professor at Busch Gardens Williamsburg three times and is an IAAPA-Certified Attractions Executive (ICAE).