July 2016 - Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

CSHTM Awarded Second Cochran Fellowship Grant

Dr. Michael Cheng, Dr. Mark Traynor & Dr. Imran Ahmed have been awarded a second Cochran Fellowship grant for 2016, which supports international exchange in food studies. As part of the program, the Chaplin School will host eight international guests from Mexico and the Dominican Republic from August 1 to August 14. They will receive training in Post Harvest Loss and Food Systems Management, and take trips to two of the largest ports in Florida - Port Everglades and Port Tampa Bay. In May of this year, the first round of Cochran Fellows - 17 gastronomy and agriculture professionals from Colombia - visited the Chaplin School to gain an understanding of U.S. cuisine and techniques used. Update: The USDA Cochran Fellowship Program has funded three grants to the Chaplin school over the last year totaling $349,000 to train gastronomy and agriculture professionals from Central and South America in U.S. cuisine, school lunches and agriculture techniques, and to promote trade between the U.S. and other developing countries.

Chaplin School Career Office Places Students In Management Positions

In two and a half years since it expanded, the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management’s J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Career Development Office has successfully placed more than 200 students in management positions immediately after graduation, while 100 percent of students graduate with internship or work experience. The office, which is funded by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, provides students with access to internships, jobs and management in training programs with brands across the hospitality industry. It also funds scholarships to attend industry events, national conferences and global competitions. Now, with an additional $225,000 grant providing an additional three years of operating funds, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation will continue to take the lead in promoting hospitality education worldwide, reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit of the pioneers for which it is named. “The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Career Development Program at the Chaplin School helped me shape and expand my understanding of the hospitality and tourism industry. The services they provided gave me the skills and confidence to get a head start in my career,” said Stephanie van Romondt, who was selected to participate in a management in training program in Dubai with Kerzner International. The goal of the grant is to ensure that students receive a well-rounded academic education with a focus on professional skills in the areas of communication, language, leadership and cultural awareness. “The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation is a big supporter of the hospitality industry as a whole and of our program, in particular. The success of the career development office demonstrates how FIU and the Marriott Foundation are working together to create development opportunities [...]

A Good Education, Hard Work and Determination Helped Student to Achieve Her Goal

Elaine Zhou, recent graduate of the Marriott Tianjin China Program, received the Management Trainee position at The Opposite House hotel in Beijing. Zhou, who had been pursuing opportunities at TOH since first learning about the hotel in 2014, completed a three-month internship last Spring. She immediately fell in love with the culture. "[I loved] the high standards, the friendly 'hi' and smile from the top levels to first line members, and the well-behaved guests. I have grown and learned a lot there, and met excellent and interesting people," she said. "And, I was becoming a better and more qualified hotelier and restauranteur." As graduation neared and everyone around her was receiving full-time jobs, Zhou decided to hold out for the job she really wanted - the MT program with Swire Hotels, owner of The Opposite House and several other boutique hotels in China. Zhou will spend the next 18 months with Swire Hotels, working with different departments and gaining first-hand knowledge of the operations, before focusing on her chosen department - Food & Beverage. Zhou, who earned the Marriott Scholarship and National Scholarship, graduated in the top two of her class this Spring. She credits FIU and The Opposite House with much of her success, but also recognizes the hard work she herself put in to making her dreams a reality. "It’s FIU that offered me a good education and opportunities to better know this industry, TOH that made me love this industry more and helped me to make the decision to start with F&B, and me myself who made the decision to choose FIU and TOH, and to choose Hospitality Management. I believe that Best ＋Best ＝Better." Currently, there are 43 FIU Hospitality students completing management training programs [...]

Dean Hampton to Present ‘Innovations in Learning Technologies’ at CHART 92

Chaplin School Dean Mike Hampton will participate in a CHART talks session at the 92nd Hotel Training Conference in Charleston, South Carolina July 30 to August 2, hosted by the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers. Dean Hampton will share his thoughts on innovations in learning technologies that are providing trainers with new resources to elevate engagement, impression and impact to unprecedented levels. To register for the conference, visit chart.org.

Adjunct professor Patti Shock records F&B cuisine trends webinar

Industry icon and FIU adjunct professor Patti Shock recorded a webinar on recent F&B cuisine and program trends for Meetings Today. You can register for the on demand webinar here.

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