School of Hospitality Management Monthly Update: January 2007

This Monthly Update from the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State serves to keep you informed and interested in the news as it happens - for alumni, industry, faculty & students.

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New goings-on…

Graduation numbers now and then….
Everyone is excited and looking forward to another great year in the School of Hospitality Management.

Fifty-nine (59) undergraduate students received their diplomas in December '06; there are 146 undergraduates on the Spring graduation list and 25 on the Summer list.

For historical reference, 146 students walked in Spring '06; in Fall 2005 there were 57 graduates.

Onwards, and upwards!

New Spring event….

One major new event will take place in the Spring; that is, the Spring Recognition Ceremony. The reception and awards ceremony is dedicated to graduating students in the School of Hospitality Management. We believe this event will show our graduates and their families how very proud we all are of their accomplishments.

We look forward to hosting an extraordinary event to bridge student years with a lifelong  journey… and, of course, involvement with future Penn State Hotel Restaurant Society alumni events.

Tech happenings

The “place to be” just got better…
We noticed that by Fall ’06 Semester’s end it was tough to get a seat in Café Laura. Well, it might get even tougher. “Penn State’s best kept secret”  — Café Laura — is now wireless.

New software in the classrooms
You always see it first in academia… this semester the School of Hospitality Management will offer two new types of software in the classroom: 

Teamspot is the cross-platform digital infrastructure powering computer labs, libraries, group study areas to be reconceived as places for interactive group activity and collaborative innovation.

Teamspot provides advanced team collaboration capabilities with cutting-edge software tools that addresses the needs of “Millennial” students in their project work by:

Camtasia software combines engaging visuals with verbal and textual information, to increase student understanding and retention of the material being presented. Camtasia will further allow faculty to capture and share their expertise with students and colleagues by recording voice-over capability with screen video .http://www.techsmith.com/

Incidentally, the voice on the HRIM accounting software is none other than our very own, Marja Verbeeten.

New Student Organization Focuses on Finance and Technology

A group of dedicated HRIM students have recently formed the Penn State Student Chapter of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).  HFTP is an international organization that provides networking opportunities to hospitality professionals involved in accounting, finance, and IT areas, and is the sponsor of the annual HITEC convention.  In the past year, the chapter has had speakers including Tim Shuey, Director of Business Services for Penn State Hospitality Services, and sent three students to the HITEC convention in Minneapolis last June.

We are Penn State…New Delhi, here we come

The School of Hospitality Management has entered into a partnership with the Institute for International Management and Technology in Gurgaon, India to co-sponsor the International Conference on Services Management. The bi-annual event will be held alternately in New Delhi and University Park.

Dave Cranage and Arun Upneja, co-chairs for the International Conference on Services Management. “This will be one of the most visible conferences on business research and one of the biggest on services management,” says Cranage. “Both academic researchers in services management and corporate marketers and managers from all over the world will be attending this prestigious conference."

This June's conference will be held at the Radisson Hotel, New Delhi. An entourage of Penn State faculty will travel to New Delhi in late May-early June to attend and present at the conference and to promote the next conference to be held here at University Park.

The nature of entrepreneurship and investments in innovation have an impact on competitiveness of a nation. Globally there is a growing yearning for sustainable businesses. There is a need to re-look at entrepreneurial initiatives which match with the local context. Countries require entrepreneurial solutions addressing their cultural and socio-economic complexities…. http://www.jsr-iimt.in/sconf2007

Scholarship winners surf at Hotel-online

The happening website, Hotel-Online featured Optimum Brokerage and four PSU SHM students recently, citing the generous Optimum Hotel Brokerage Hospitality Management Scholarships.

The Trustee Endowed scholarships were awarded to four students at The Pennsylvania State University’s School of Hospitality Management, one of the country’s leading hospitality management programs.

Congratulations to:

Lyndsie Kroll – A senior Dean’s List student at Penn State, Lyndsie is also a teaching assistant and lab instructor.  She has worked many summer internships with a Marriott franchisee based in Pittsburgh, rotating in numerous positions at a busy Residence Inn.  Upon graduation, she plans a career in hotel operations management.

Laura Yi – A junior at the School of Hospitality Management, Laura maintains a high GPA and has worked for national casual dining chains and full service hotels near her home near Philadelphia.   She is currently working at the historic Nittany Lion Inn and plans to pursue a career in conference center and special events management upon graduation in 2008.

Karen Marley – A second generation Penn State student, Karen grew up in Titusville, Pennsylvania.  Currently in her Junior year, she has held management internship positions with Disney Resorts and also at the historic Nittany Lion Inn, where she works in the banquet department.  Her goal upon graduation will be to work for a hospitality organization in accounting and financial management.

Adam Raleigh – Adam is a senior focusing on food and beverage management.  He is also employed as head sauté chef at the Hotel State College’s Allen Street Grill.  Upon graduation in 2007, Adam plans to continue his culinary education and pursue a food production management position in the fine dining segment of the industry.
www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2007_1st/Jan07_OptimumScholarships.html

Alumni in the News

Bart Berkey ('89) was recently promoted to Corporate Director of Talent Acquisition, Sales & Marketing for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.

Sandy Swider (‘89) has been promoted to Vice President, Four Points by Sheraton.  Before her promotion, Sandy worked with Four Points by Sheraton on brand operations, marketing, and franchise and owner relations. 

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Send us your news - we'll include it in the School of Hospitality Monthly Update. Contact Vivienne Wildes at vjw100@psu.edu