Sandra Sun-Ah Ponting, PhD. is an associate professor in the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University.

Her area of expertise is in organizational behavior with a focus on identity formation and well-being of hospitality and tourism organizations and workforces. She is an established scholar with multiple publications in top-tier hospitality and tourism journals and book chapters. She has also presented at various industry conferences as a panelist and invited speaker. Her international experience includes tourism planning and policy for government agencies and non-profit organizations within the United States, Australia, the Fijian Islands, and Mexico. She also consults international hospitality corporations on their organizational culture and identities. In practice, she is particularly interested in raising the professional status of workforces so that professionals can find pride and well-being through meaningful work.