School of Hospitality Management Monthly Update: March 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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Mark your calendar
Bert van Hoof, Paul Howard, and faculty from the School of Hospitality Management will attend alumni events in Washington, DC and Philadelphia in March.
All alumni are invited to attend the gathering, which is sponsored by the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society (PSHRS). The event promises an upbeat opportunity to meet and network with other Penn Staters in your area.
March 19 - Washington DC
Hosts: Bill Kidd and Shawn Smith
Host Hotels
March 20 - Philadelphia
Host: Abbie Pisano
Di Bruno Brothers
Join PSHRS
Contact Jessica Park: Park-Jessica@aramark.com
For further information about upcoming events, contact Angelita Johnson at 814-865-1853 or akb13@psu.edu.
Harrisburg event
Several faculty met with fifteen alumni in Harrisburg area on Tuesday, February 26, at the Appalachian Brewing Company. Jodi Marciano ’99 HRIM and Jason Bayona ’05 HRIM hosted the event.
Winter Board meeting
The PSHRS Board convened at The Nittany Lion Inn on February 16-17, 2008 for the Winter Board Meeting.
The board meeting was, for the first time ever, held in conjunction with the College’s Mentoring Dinner. Nearly sixty alumni—a record attendance—were on hand to share their experiences with undergraduate students.
The officers of the PSHRS student chapter participated in the board meeting as well. Outgoing president Leigh Silkunas made her final report and Laura Mishkin, the new student chapter president, presented her vision for the future.
Past Presidents of PSHRS.
front row (l-r): Rob Grimes, Gary Budge, Dave Scypinski
back row (l-r): Debbie Ulrich, David Miles, Harvey Kamp, Ed Book, Jim Purdum
National Scholarship Winners
Five Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management undergraduate students in the School of Hospitality Management were successful in winning national scholarship competitions.
Sara Quinteros Fernandez
Mimi Ra (sophomore), Sara Quinteros Fernandez (junior) and Stephen Rowe (junior) were awarded scholarships through the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH). Each $1,500 scholarship is awarded for the 2008-2009 academic year. Sara Quinteros Fernandez’s scholarship was sponsored by Club Corp, Stephen Rowe’s from Eat ‘n Park, and Mimi Ra’s from Starbucks.
The awards were announced at The 19th Annual NSMH National Conference held at The Westin Convention Center in Pittsburgh from February 21-24, 2008.
Ashley Akright was the winner of the International Association of Conference Centers Industry Award, which provides a $5,000 award to a deserving graduate or undergraduate student of hospitality. There is only award winner each year.
Akright will also attend the IACC's 27th Annual Conference, Equip for the Future, in Midway, Utah, with her mentor, Dr. Marja Verbeeten, from March 27-30, 2008.
Verbeeten will receive the Educator of the Year Award for writing a letter of nomination for Ashley. The award also includes a $1000 contribution to the School of Hospitality Management.
Pamela Salva
Pamela Salva (freshman) won the Marriott Hispanic Fund Scholarship in the amount of $9,000. Pamela was also selected as one of thirty promising undergraduates to attend the Hispanic Young Professionals 14th Annual Scholarship Awards Gala in Washington, DC.
Ms. Salva was recognized for her academic achievements before an audience composed of corporate executives, entrepreneurs, members of Congress, and community leaders. Ms. Salva was chosen from more than 400 students nationwide who applied for the program
Congratulations to one and all!
Students Celebrate First Registered Dietitian Day
“Everybody should have a friend who’s a dietitian!” joked instructor Beth Egan with her nutrition class. While the statement was made lightheartedly, there is, in fact, much truth to it.
As the nation's food and nutrition experts, registered dietitians (RDs) are committed to the health of their patients and their community. RDs serve a very important role in our lives, yet are often left behind the scenes.
But not this month, as Penn State students enrolled in the Management Dietetics option in the School of Hospitality Management celebrate the first annual Registered Dietitian (RD) Day on March 10, 2008.
Sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the occasion commemorates the dedication of RDs as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world.
“Registered dietitians serve a vital role, especially in the hospitality industry,” said Egan. “Customers are starting to demand more nutritional guidance when they go out to eat, and our students need to be prepared for that.”
Egan, an instructor in nutrition, informed her students about Registered Dietitian’s Day and the important role that they serve. As future RDs, students found this lesson very beneficial.
“The ‘obesity epidemic’ is an ever-pressing issue needing to be addressed in today's society,” said Lorie Foard, a freshman majoring in nutritional sciences. “As an RD, I will be on the front lines ofhalting and reversing this obesity dilemma by teaching healthy nutritional habits.”
Students also played a role in educating others about this special event and the important role of RDs. The school’s new program, “Cooking with Kids,” gives students the nutritional information they need to lead a healthy lifestyle.
“Cooking With Kids not only serves as a platform for making healthy food choices, but also serves to educate the children on how to live an overall healthy, creative, and well-balanced life,” said Foard.
The Management Dietetics Program in the School of Hospitality Management prepares students for administrative positions within all segments of the food service industry, including medical centers, restaurants, spas, hotels, food distributors, and food manufacturers. The unique curriculum is one of the first programs of its kind in the nation, dating back to the 1930s.
“The mix of business and nutritional background is much needed in the hospitality industry,” said Dr. Sara Parks, who was professor-in-charge of Administrative Dietetics from 1971 to 1987. “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.”
The dietetics program has become more popular as there becomes a growing need for professionals in this field.
“Dietetics is the College’s best kept secret,” said Dr. Martha Conklin, faculty adviser for Management Dietetics students . “With more and more consumers getting their daily food intake from restaurants and other foodservice establishments, the importance of nutritiously prepared foods has risen – both from consumers’ perspectives and the U.S. government.”
The Management Dietetics curriculum focuses on not only science and nutrition, but also on hospitality businesses. Students in the major feel that this well-rounded program gives them a competitive edge.
“Working with both nutrition and hospitality has enhanced my education,” said Sarah Levy, a senior in the Management Dietetics option. “I have achieved a dynamic, well-rounded education upon which to build throughout graduate school and my future career.”
Renee Lauser, a junior in the Management Dietetics option, believes that her degree will prepare her for what she ultimately wants to do: help people.
“I believe that being enrolled in this program will enable me to help others make better decisions regarding what they put into their bodies,” said Lauser. “As long as I am helping people and teaching others how to help people, I know that I will be happy.”
After earning a degree, students must take an accredited dietetic internship, or supervised practicum, to satisfy eligibility requirements for the RD national examination and membership in the ADA. With more than 67,000 members, the ADA is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.
To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.
Leading and Learning
The first Cooking with Kids program proved a major win-win for undergraduate mentors and their sixth grade protégés. The six-week course came to a close on February 29, 2008 with promises to "do it again next year."
Roughly fourteen Penn State students from the School of Hospitality Management worked with the twelve children in the Café Laura kitchen, teaching them culinary technique, and mini-lessons on nutrition, proper dining etiquette, and safety and sanitation skills. Each week, the group prepared four recipes that fall under a certain theme, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. (The dishes are categorized as local, international, vegetarian or simple gourmet.)
“The kids are having a really good time — and I’m having a blast, too,” said Pat Thomas, 21, a senior in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management. “I like hanging out with them. I actually came to Penn State as an elementary education student. But cooking is my passion, so I switched to HRIM. This is a good way for me to meld the two together.”
Center for Food Innovation assists Cargill in expanding products
MINNEAPOLIS – Cargill has expanded its Clear Valley® line of high oleic canola oil products to include Clear Valley® all-purpose shortening, Clear Valley® doughnut shortening, and Clear Valley® icing shortening. Cargill previously sold those shortenings under the TransEND® 390 brand name.
Clear Valley® solid shortenings deliver the high quality taste and performance food manufacturers and foodservice providers demand and the nutritional benefits consumers demand. With zero grams of trans fat per serving, Clear Valley® also is lower in saturated fat than other zero trans fat per serving shortenings.
In March 2007, The Pennsylvania State University Center for Food Innovation (CFI) conducted a sensory evaluation study* on behalf of a northeastern U.S. grocery store chain comparing consumer acceptance of doughnuts fried in Clear Valley® trans fat-free per serving doughnut shortening to doughnuts fried in shortening containing trans fats.
“The CFI study’s panelists noted no significant differences between the doughnut samples in terms of appearance, taste, texture, overall liking, color and sweetness,” said Peter L. Bordi, Ph.D., director of theCFI. “Furthermore, a majority of the panelists indicated an overall preference for the doughnuts made with Clear Valley® trans fat-free per serving doughnut shortening.”
“Clear Valley® shortenings deliver similar functionality, mouth feel and shelf life stability as other shortenings, with the added nutritional benefits that help our customers meet their trans fat and saturated fat goals,” said Scott Erickson, foodservice marketing manager, Cargill Specialty Canola Oils. “Customers don’t have to give up the flavor or texture of their product to have a product that is healthier than other alternatives.”
Clear Valley® doughnut shortening has zero grams trans fat per serving. A typical fried doughnut has approximately four grams of trans fat per serving.
For more information on the Clear Valley® line of high oleic canola oil products, please visit www.cargill.com/products/food/specialtyoils/dc_sco_specialtycanolaoils.htm.
*Sensory Comparison of Doughnuts Fried in Trans Fat-free Shortening to Those Fried in Shortening Containing Trans Fats, Center for Food Innovation, The Pennsylvania State University. Peter L. Bordi, Jr., Ph.D., Danielle M. Hack, Michele D. Rager, S. William Hessert, Jr., MJ.
National Society of Minorities in Hospitality
The 19th National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) Annual National Conference was held on November 21-24 at the Westin Convention Center in Pittsburgh. The theme for the event was Mission: Possible.
Twenty-eight Penn State students attended the event, which included breakout sessions, the election of new officers, networking sessions, a career fair, and a beautiful but chilly boat ride down the three rivers thatconverge in Pittsburgh. The number of students who attend the meeting from Penn State increases each year; this year Penn State had the second highest student attendance among all colleges and universities.
Students enjoyed meeting guest speaker Dr. Randal D. Pinkett, founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, a multimillion dollar, management, technology and policy consulting services firm based in Newark, NJ. Pinkett is also the season four winner of The Apprentice with Donald Trump.
The students represented Penn State proudly and exhibited their excellent networking skills, business etiquette, and positive attitudes.
Mimi Ra was asked to be the planning director next year for the National Board. Several students received job offers.
“The representation among businesses was phenomenal and the career fair was a huge success,” exclaimed recruitment coordinator Rosemarie Hibbler. "It was my first visit to the national meeting and I intend to go again to build on the relationships formed while in Pittsburgh.”
Sound advice
Rosemarie Hibbler, recruitment co-coordinator, was an invited speaker at the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association and the PA Tourism & Lodging Association Culinary Career Day held February 26-28, 2008 at the Hilton Harrisburg. The sessions were part of the PTLA F&B Conference.
Hibbler presented The Professional You, sharing tips on how to write an eye-catching resume, how to present a professional image, and how to conduct a professional interview.
The Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging Association is the leading trade association whose mission is to promote and protect the interests of the hospitality and tourism industry in Pennsylvania. It also serves as the member state association for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA). The PTLA was established in 1981 and has more than 600 statewide members.
Restaurateur of the Year
Partners Robby Kukler, Steve Simon, and Kris Reinhard ’93 HRIM are the proud recipients of the Georgia Restaurant Association’s Crystal of Excellence Award (GRACE) for Restaurateur of the Year.
The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA), Georgia’s voice for the food service industry, presented the trio with this honor at the inaugural awards ceremony held at The Grand Hyatt in Buckhead on November 11, 2007.
Reinhard joined the partnership in 1996 after serving as the kitchen manager at South City Kitchen and now heads the company's catering and events division as general manager of Bold American Catering.
Fifth Group Restaurants is the privately-owned company that operates Atlanta restaurants South City Kitchen® Midtown, South City Kitchen Vinings, Food Studio®, La Tavola Trattoria and Ecco, as well as Bold American® Catering, a catering and events company with onsite services at the Event Gallery at the King Plow Arts Center and offsite at private homes, offices and Atlanta's premier venues. For more information visit www.fifthgroup.com.
Wedding Bells
Brian Surden ’04 HRIM is now working as a corporate group sales manager with Starwood Hotels & Resorts at the Sheraton Braintree in Braintree, Massachusetts. He has been with the company for one year.
Deborah Kaplan ’05 HRIM is now the director of revenue management with Starwood Hotels & Resorts at the Sheraton Newton in Newton, Massachusetts. Prior to that, she was the revenue manager at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel and a revenue management trainee at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.
In addition to great career success, Brian and Deborah are officially engaged. Brian proposed on January 12, 2008 in Central Park with the help of fellow HRIM alums Hector Camacho and Marcello Khattar, both whom also work for Starwood Hotels. Hector assisted in planning the day while Marcello made the hotel arrangements. The couple plans an October 2009 wedding.
Monthly Update Archive
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
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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