Tony currently holds an endowed professorship at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the world-renowned Harrah College of Hospitality. 

But he is not just an academic tucked away in some classroom. Tony is a boots-on-the-ground expert who has immersed himself in the Caribbean, its business and its culture, for decades. With more than 90 trips to Jamaica under his belt and as one of the first American academics invited to speak at the University of Havana post-revolution, he brings unmatched firsthand knowledge to the table. Tony’s connection to the region is wide-ranging and deep. For example, in Cuba, he acted as a long-time consultant to the Cuban Hotel Association.

As a traveler, researcher and consultant, Tony has designed and led study abroad programs in Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico, and other far-flung and exotic destinations. But it is not all carefully planned itineraries – Tony has often let life’s unexpected twists guide him. Whether it’s a chance encounter or conversation in a bar, an impromptu invitation, or a serendipitous encounter, he has embraced it all. His love for the Caribbean is authentic and all-encompassing, spanning its economic and political complexities, its natural beauty, its cuisine, culture, art and legendary music.

Doctor Caribbean, as he’s come to be known, is both a master storyteller and an attentive listener. And that photo you’re looking at? That’s Tony, in the Tiki Bar at his Las Vegas home, surrounded by his truly legendary rum collection – a fitting tribute to his love for the islands and the stories they hold.