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Randell Smith

Randell Smith named 2011 PSHRS Hospitality Executive of the Year

Randell A. Smith, chairman and co-founder of STR, has been named 2011 Hospitality Executive of the Year by the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society. Smith will receive the award during the 50th Hospitality Executive of the Year Award Dinner, which will take place Nov. 13, 2011 in conjunction with the annual International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show in New York. As part of the honor, Smith also will be inducted into the Penn State Hospitality Hall of Fame, located at The Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State’s University Park.

Read more about Randell Smith and his recognition as the 2011 PSHRS Hospitality Executive of the Year.

John O’Neill Named Director of the School of Hospitality Management

John O’Neill has been named the director of the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State. He succeeds Bert Van Hoof on July 1, 2011. A member of the Penn State faculty since 2001, his research focuses on strategic management, lodging management and development, real estate valuation, work-life balance in the lodging industry, and hotel branding. “John brings to the job strong ties to industry, an impressive record of research and scholarship, the ability to work well with others, and firsthand understanding of the school,” says Ann C. Crouter, the Raymond E. and Erin Stuart Schultz Dean of the College of Health and Human Development. Read more about John O'Neill and his appointment.

Students take charge of hotels, build team decision-making skills

Students in one Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management course get a sneak peak at some of the complex decisions they’ll have to make as future hotel managers. In the course, HRIM 480: Advanced Hotel Management, students assume the role of manager through a computer simulation known as Hotel Operational Training Simulation (HOTS).…More

Restaurant customers willing to pay more for local food

Not only are restaurant patrons willing to pay more for meals prepared with produce and meat from local providers, the proportion of customers preferring local meals actually increases when the price increases, according to a team of international researchers.…More

Envious employees can turn hospitality industry hostile

Guest relationships can become collateral damage when hotel employees envy the relationships co-workers have with their bosses, according to an international team of researchers, including Dr. John O'Neill, associate professor of hospitality management at Penn State.…More

School of Hospitality Management names PA Secretary of Health Everette James Conti Professor

The Penn State School of Hospitality Management (SHM) has named Everette James, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as the Walter J. Conti Professor of Hospitality Management in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development, starting spring semester 2011. James is the seventy-third Conti Professor.…More

Symposium aims to improve sustainability in the hospitality industry

The School of Hospitality Management (SHM) is holding an event designed to reduce waste and increase sustainability practices in the hotel, waste, and food service industries. The SHM Sustainability Symposium will be held Tuesday, October 5, 2010, at The Nittany Lion Inn, 1:00-5:00 p.m., followed by a light reception.…More

Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society Names U.S. Travel’s Roger Dow 2010 Hospitality Executive of the Year

Roger Dow, president and chief executive officer of U.S. Travel Association, has been named the 2010 Hospitality Executive of the Year by the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society (PSHRS). Dow will receive the award during the forty-ninth Hospitality Executive of the Year Award Reception on Sunday, November 14, 2010, at the Rosenthal Pavilion of the Kimmel Center, New York University. As part of the honor, Dow will also be inducted into the Penn State Hospitality Hall of Fame, located at The Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State’s University Park campus.…More

Penn State, government, industry helping children pick healthier foods

Penn State is leading a new initiative to improve children’s nutrition education and increase the amount of healthy foods available in schools. The project is a collaboration among Penn State researchers; Pennsylvania’s Departments of Health, Education, and Agriculture; Pennsylvania food manufacturers and food distributors; and school districts across the state.…More

Alumni in the Classroom

View photos from the Alumni in the Classroom - 2009 event.

2009 Hospitality Executive of the Year

View a recap of Hospitality Executive of the Year 2009