School of Hospitality Management Monthly Update: February 2008

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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Reaching Out

Following up on trips to visit alumni in New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, director Bert Van Hoof, Paul Howard, Rosemarie Hibbler and Jeff Heim have several road trips planned throughout the spring semester.

Trips planned include visits to: Widener University Career Fair, Loews Hotels, Starr Restaurants in Philadelphia, Borgata in Atlantic City, Harrisburg PTLA, and Nemacolin. Undergraduate students will accompany the team on several of the trips.

These multi-purpose trips allow faculty the opportunity tovisit members of the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society (PSHRS), explore and creating new initiatives, and expose current students to a variety of sites within the hospitality industry.

Calendar of outreach events

FEBRUARY

2/16
PSHRS Committee Planning Sessions
The Nittany Lion Inn

2/16
Mentoring Dinner
Nittany Lion Inn 6 pm

2/17
PSHRS General Winter Board Meeting

MARCH

3/5-7
The PA Tourism & Lodging Association /Training for Lodging Careers State Student Competitio
Nittany Lion Inn & Mateer Building

3/19
Washington D.C. SHM/PSHRS Alumni Social
location TBA

3/20
Philadelphia SHM/PSHRS Alumni Social
location TBA

Debbie Ulrich takes the Helm

Debbie Ulrich ('77 FSHA), executive vice president of SYSCO Food Services of Central Pennsylvania, LLC, became the first female president of the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society (PSHRS) on January 1, 2008.

“The new year will be an opportunity for PSHRS to continue developing the programs and initiatives that are underway,” said Ms. Ulrich. “This is also a time,” she continued, “to identify new opportunities with the spirit of reaching out and touching the hearts and minds of the students and alumni from the School of Hospitality Management.”

Upon graduating from Penn State, Ms. Ulrich relocated to south Florida and began her career as a restaurant manager in 1977. She joined SYSCO in Miami in 1978. SYSCO is one of the largest foodservice marketing and distribution organizations in the nation. Ulrich has held many positions including marketing associate, district sales manager, account executive, dry products merchandiser, healthcare specialist, and manager of business development. In 1983 she relocated to Houston, Texas, where she continued her career with SYSCO at the distribution center serving that market. In 1989 she transferred to SYSCO’s corporate headquarters where she served in several sales leadership roles. In 1996, she advanced to senior director of multi-unit sales, and in 2002 she was promoted to vice president of sales at FreshPoint, Inc., a specialty produce subsidiary of SYSCO. She assumed her current position in January of 2005.

Ms. Ulrich is a past recipient of SYSCO's Sterling Service award, which recognizes individuals for their vision and dedication to customers, associates and the company. She is an active member Women's Foodservice Forum, having served on the sponsorship committee for three years, as a table leader for five years, and as a mentor. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association and works with the PA Department of Agriculture on the PA Preferred Program, active member of Alternative Fuel and Renewal Energy Council (AFREC). In addition, she participates in the College of Health and Human Development’s mentoring program andthe Women’s Leadership Initiative in addition to her active participation and involvement with PSHRS.

She is proud to be affiliated with two of the oldest Affiliate Program Groups (APGs) at the University: the Blue Band (in which she participated as a majorette) and the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society.

She and her husband, Bill, live in the Harrisburg area. Her son, Brian, is a graduate of Cumberland Valley High School and he is currently a freshman attending Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

On Board

PSHRS Committee Chairs for 2008

Finance Chair                                    Debbie Ulrich
Membership Chair -                         Jessica Park
Communications/Website Chair    Steve Morgan
Awards Chair                                    Jen Tracey
Long Range Planning Chair            Ed Book
Program Chair                                  Tom Riley

To join the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society:

Contact Jessica Park at: Park-Jessica@aramark.com

On Deck

United Club Council (UCC) is the latest initiative to organize the many student/professional clubs under one umbrella and to provide a unified meeting time. It's paying off!

Various clubs now meet at the same time and on the same evening in breakout sessions after the PSHRS meeting. In addition to PSHRS, students can join special-interest clubs such as:

Eta Sigma Delta
NSMH (National Society for Minorities in Hospitality)
Hotel Sales and Marketing Club
Club Managers Association of America
Hotel Technology and Finance Society
Catering Club
Professional Convention Managers Association

The cornerstone of the United Club Council (UCC) is the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society (PSHRS) which provides undergraduates continued service and remains student-focused.

To get involved contact Paul Howard at pah101@psu.edu.

Page Three

The Penn State student chapter of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) attended the annual meeting in force with twenty students making the trek to Seattle. So impressive were they that the weekly community newspaper of associations, CVBs and hotels, USAE, pictured them on page three!

The group was led by instructor Paul Kelley. Student officers are Ashley Akright, Peter DiOrio, Jamie Martinez, and Dana Katz. Members include: Ashley Humphrey, Elizabeth Manotti, Jessica Baker, Sara Quinteros, Brooke M. Bishop, Laura Mishkin, Katrina Lee, Lindsey Boyer, Katie Leibel, Jaclyn Mannon, Kathleen Gallagher, Bree Glasscock, Julie Anderson, Kylie Morse, Elisabeth Yoon, and Ashley Lerner.

For more pictures of the event: www.usaenews.com/index.php

Internship Opportunities Expanding

School of Hospitality undergraduate students are finding a multitude of internship opportunities ranging from on-campus to international venues.

In addition to the already established on-campus internships with Penn State Hospitality Services at the Nittany Lion Inn and the Penn Stater, as well as with Housing and Food Services (HFS), is a new catering internship with Java Catering. The internship goes hand-in-hand with student interests in the new Catering Club.

International prospects are opening in the Middle East, Asia, South America, and Europe. Bryce Kortvely, who returned from a semester abroad at the Chinese University Hong Kong (CUHK) with an offer to intern with Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong, encourages others to seek international internships. To celebrate the first international internship, Bert Van Hoof, director of the School of Hospitality Management, will provide Kortvely with a travel stipend from the School's International Travel Endowment to support his return to Hong Kong.

Bryce Kortvely at the Great Wall during a semester abroad at the Chinese University Hong Kong

Mary Ann McNulty of Starwood recently contacted Jeff Heim, instructor and internship coordinator, to draw attention to another exciting internship with the company's Dubai property. Networking in the PSHRS way, Sean Shaner (HRIM '0X) offered his expertise in Dubai where he spent his high school years before attending PSU. Shaner says that he looks forward to seeing more Penn Staters on the ground in Dubai.

Heim says the possibilities for hospitality-related internships are endless, both close to home and abroad. Most important, he says, is "a keen awareness to ensure that each internship provides a valuable managerial component for Penn State students."

Those interested in discussing internship possibilities can reach Heim at jvh4@psu.edu.

Up, up, and away

Emily Wong (HRIM '07) takes interview notes at the workshop

Bart Bartlett, Paul Howard and Rosemarie Hibbler organized and presented several workshops in January to help prepare students for interviews in the School’s Career Center. More than 120 undergraduate students came out for two sessions on resume preparation and two sessions providing tips for interviewing skills. “I was pleased to see so many students turn out,” said Bart Bartlett, professor-in-charge of undergraduate programs. School of Hospitality Management faculty Marja Verbeeten, Beth Egan, Paul Kelley, Peter Regopolous, John O'Donnell, Peter Nyheim, and Jeff Heim were also on hand to review resumes and to offer advice.

“The sessions were a big hit!” said Ms. Hibbler, coordinator for career placement and advising for the School of Hospitality Management. “I received comments from many of the students who participated in the resume-building workshops and they were all positive. The students really appreciated these sessions.”

Cooking with Kids

Fourteen undergraduate foodies kicked off the inaugural Cooking with Kids program on Friday, January 25, 2008. The six-week program pairs SHM students, freshmen to seniors, with sixth graders from Centre County to teach cooking techniques…and some of the finer points of dining etiquette.

"All I can say is "WOW, WOW, WOW!" exclaimed Conroy Saldanha, affectionately given the title of the Cooking with Kids Grand Poobah. "It was amazing and we all worked as a team." Jordan Reed does the shopping and will take over the Grand Poobah job next year. Reed has worked with several youth groups in the past and says he finds Cooking with Kids to be unique and meaningful.

"I am extremely impressed with the commitment and dedication these students put into this program," said the group's faculty adviser, Vivienne Wildes. "They put in the hours necessary to create a crisp, professional, articulate program. I am full of pride!" Wildes says her goal at the start was to show her students how social responsibility can be fun, relatively easy, and extremely rewarding.

Cooking with Kids is offered free of charge. "There are lots of cooking camps for kids," says Wildes "but, this is the only one that I know of that doesn't charge a fee."

A small group of the College's students began meeting in September to devise a plan to create a program to mentor middle school kids and to teach them healthy ways to cook interesting food creations. A different concept is covered each week with recipe themes including local foods, international, vegetarian, and simple gourmet. Within each them, kids learn to prepare snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. On the last evening, the kids will host their families for a pasta dinner that they will cook and serve.

Kids received a blue backpack, spatula, and apron donated by Sodexho. "We're glad to do it," says Ann Hines, senior human resources director of school services for Sodexho. Wildes was introduced to Ms. Hines through alumnus Bill Anastee (FSHA '88).

The Cooking with Kids team created a book of recipes and a lesson for each week. Lessons covered topics such as knife skills, sanitation, measuring, dining etiquette, nutrition, safety, health, and spices and herbs. "So many kids are intimidated by trying new foods," said freshman nutrition major Becky Baker. "We hope that the kids will leave the program ready to show their friends all they've learned here," said senior Kevin Bradshaw.

"Let's take our backpacks to school on Monday to show our teachers!" one young participant, Jordan, whispered to his buddy, Nate. "I can't wait to make the salsa for my dad," said another child. "He's going to love it!" Others planned to impress their friends with the fried plantains topped with spicy lime salt.

Patrick Keenan managed to get six evenings off from his as a waiter job at Zola Restaurant in State College in order to participate. "This is the best group," Keenan notes. "I love being a part of it."

"What really impresses me," said Jill Shockey, manager for Penn State's News Bureau, is how these students are doing this on a Friday evening. They aren't getting credit or being paid."

Scott King, general manager of Café Laura, provided the space for the program. "It's nice to see college students doing constructive things with the youth of our community," he commented. "The food looked great; the children were having a ball. I commend this group."

"I think we found some future hospitality students," Bert Van Hoof quipped as he toured the kitchen during the cooking session. The School of Hospitality Management provided the seed money for ingredients. "This is one of our community outreach projects that I am very happy to support," he stated.

"We couldn't have done it without Bert and Scott's support," observed Wildes. She hopes the program will find outside support in the future to provide meaningful research opportunities. For now, though, she is happy to see everyone having fun.

Press and pictures from the first Cooking with Kids program can be found at: live.psu.edu/story/28486

First Registered Dietitian Day Announced

Students enrolled in the Management Dietetics option in the School of Hospitality Management will celebrate the first annual Registered Dietitian Day on March 10, 2008. The occasion commemorates the dedication of RDs as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world. Management Dietetics prepares students for administrative positions within food services operated by and for medical organizations, health care facilities, government agencies and community feeding programs.

Penn State’s Dietetics curriculum is one of the first programs of its kind in the nation, dating back to the 1930s. The program initiated in the Department of Food Service and Housing Administration and was known as Institution Administration at the time. In the 1970s another dietetics program was initiated in the Department of Nutrition.

Former director of the School of Hospitality Management Sara Parks, who was professor-in-charge of Administrative Dietetics from 1971 to 1987, says all segments of the food service industry are increasing their demand for registered dietitians. “The mix of business and nutritional background is much needed in the hospitality industry,” says Dr. Parks. “There are many new directions in the profession for management dietetics professionals. In today’s current economic environment, we are seeing many management dietitians successfully starting their own consulting businesses.”

Martha Conklin, associate professor in the School of Hospitality Management and faculty adviser for students in dietetics, has watched the program grow 600% since 2000 — from two to thirteen full-time students. "Dietetics is the the College of Health and Human Development’s best-kept secret," Conklin says. "With more and more consumers getting their daily food intake from restaurants and other foodservice establishments, the importance of nutritiously prepared foods has risen—from the perspectives of consumers and the U.S. government."

Students in the Management Dietetics option take courses focused on hospitality businesses such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, and operations analysis; in addition, they take 46 credits in hard sciences such as chemistry, microbiology, physiology, and nutrition. Their Penn State degree is followed by an accredited dietetic internship, or supervised practicum, to satisfy eligibility requirements for the RD national examination and membership in the American Dietetics Association (ADA). With more than 67,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.

Senior Edith Clogg believes the program positions her to be more competitive than a straight nutrition or HRIM degree. "The management classes, knowledge about food cost, and process flow maps are very helpful," says Clogg.

It is the leadership training that sets the program apart according to another senior, Sarah Levy. "The 1000-hour work requirement, classroom activities, and general attitude surrounding the major have well prepared me for future leadership positions," she says. "Working with both nutrition and hospitality has enhanced my education. I have achieved a dynamic, well-rounded education upon which to build throughout grad school and my future career."

The combination provided Kristy Suhr ('07HRIM/NUTR) with the confidence and comprehensive experience for her dietetic internship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Levy says her training in business helped her assemble strong applications for graduate school.

Registered Dietitian Day is sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org

Did you know

More than one hundred School of Hospitality Management alumni live and work in State College, Pennsylvania, and many were on hand to celebrate the first-ever State College area PSHRS alumni social at Bar Bleu on February 11, 2008.

Quips followed by hearty laughs echoed throughout the restaurant as industry professionals, students, and faculty caught up with the latest news.

Former Thon kids now leading event

Ashley Akright (junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) was not a Four Diamonds child, but she lost one close to her. Through time and her own experience, she has found the courage to tell the story.

Bert Van Hoof and Ashley Akright

Akright's brother, Nickolas, was diagnosed with ALL when he was 7 years old. During Nickolas's treatment, the family's insurance company dropped them.

"That's really how the Four Diamonds Fund helped us," Akright said. The Four Diamonds Fund allocates support for families battling pediatric cancer.

Though Nickolas went through chemotherapy and was cured, he developed bipolar disorder -- linked to chemotherapy -- and committed suicide in 2004 at age 19 as a consequence of the disorder.

Since Nickolas's death, Akright's family has continued to participate in Thon events. She said her fondest memory of Thon was family hour the year after Nickolas died.

"Singing 'Angels Among Us' took on a whole new meaning after Nick passed away," Akright said.

Akright, who is dancing in Thon, came to Penn State because of her Thon experience.

"Since Thon is why I'm here at Penn State, I can't imagine not being involved with it. It's been such a big part of my life for the past 17 years," Akright said. "You truly see what courage, honesty, wisdom and strength are when you look at these children who are battling cancer every day of their lives."

Akright, now on the special events committee, said her favorite part is getting to know the children.

"They're little heroes who can teach us so much more than anything else at Penn State can," she said.

Full story at The Collegian.

Make my day

Vivienne Wildes, assistant professor, was quoted in Real Simple Magazine (February '08) in an article entitled Make Someone's Day. The feature article by Karen L. Smith focuses on ways guests and customers help the people who help. "When I was a server, I liked when people came back to see me simply because they appreciated the way I took care of them," says Wildes.

Homecoming King is SHM Student

Christopher Talley (junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) is the 2007-2008 Homecoming King. Mr. Talley is current president of the Student, Minority, Advisory and Recruitment Team (SMART) and former president of his fraternity. Talley says "receiving such an award was humbling."

Congratulations, Christopher – you make us proud!

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