Family trips spark a career path By Lazaro Gonzalez Shelbie Reilly’s love affair with the hospitality industry began unexpectedly at a young age while vacationing around the world with her parents and older sister. It wasn’t until her sophomore year in high school that she realized she could have a career in it. Her family had moved from California to central Florida, but the daughter of a Cuban mother and Irish father knew she wanted to come to South Florida. FIU’s Chaplin school was her top choice, not only for its fast-track undergraduate/graduate program, but also because she could connect with her Cuban roots. Shelbie became active in the Hospitality Student Leadership Council and peer mentoring program, attended sustainability conferences, and volunteered in the LGBT community, all while working full time at the Hyatt in Miami. She has earned multiple “Employee of the Month” awards and was nominated for the 2017 Greater Miami & The Beaches Inn Key Awards for front office achievement. She was the only American student selected to participate in the Hyatt Student Prize competition in Paris this year, where students from the most prestigious hospitality schools in the world get to demonstrate their leadership and innovative skills. She made it to the semifinals, and credits her success to FIU, especially to Associate Dean Diann Newman’s team-building/leadership class. Upon graduation, Shelbie will switch from “hello” to “aloha.” She’s heading to Waikiki, Hawaii to complete Hyatt's Operations Corporate Management Training Program, guaranteeing her a management-level position. See all 2018 World's Ahead Graduates.

The Chaplin School establishes Career Closet for students What it is? The Career Closet at the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Career Development Program has been established thanks to the generosity of Lani Kane-Hanan ‘87 MS’04. The Career Closet is a resource of upscale, new, or gently used business casual and business professional attire donated by alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the school. How does it work? Students of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management will be able to take free of charge, one outfit per academic year, up to 4 items (suit, pant/skirt, shirt/blouse, tie, shoes, etc. – depending on availability) Students must meet the following criteria: Have a valid FIU Panther ID Have an active account in Symplicity/Handshake Have an approved resume in the system Must have attended two of the following career events Resume review Employer presentation (in class, workshop or tabling event) Must have had or scheduled a career counseling session Why should you “shop” at the Career Closet? If you are preparing for a big interview, career fair, office visit to a potential employer, attending a networking event, for an internship, other career related events, and even your first job, the Career Closet is the perfect place to select professional clothes at NO COST to you. Our objective is to help our students look their best, so that they make the best positive impression as they enter the professional world. Other Career Closet Services Tips on how to dress for success Dining Etiquette Donations We welcome donations from our alumni, faculty, staff, business partners and friend of the school. Appropriate donations: Business suits Professional pants/skirts Professional Shirts/blouses Jackets and Blazers Accessories: Ties, belts, [...]

FIU student, Angelic Cox, got the chance of a lifetime this past weekend at the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival: She presented her original burger recipe to Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives star Guy Fieri at the Festival’s Heineken Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid and Sons. “This scholarship is nothing short of a blessing,” Cox said, encouraging her fellow Panthers to give the contest a try next year. “I’m so proud that Red Robin is doing this, and I really feel like a lot more people should try to apply. It’s so fun – we all eat, right?” Read full article.

FIU News sat down with a group of Panthers who got their start in the hospitality industry working with the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival. The group, who remain involved with the Festival to this day, shared their stories and some advice for students interested in volunteering with Miami’s premier gourmet gathering. Read full article.

Tales of SOBEWFF® past The annual Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival enters its 17th year of wine, food and philanthropy next month. And Miami’s premier gourmet gathering didn’t weather 16 years without collecting its fair share of interesting stories – and even some teachable moments. Festival Managing Director Devin Padgett shared a few of these stories with FIU News: Read full article.

John Ceriale, founder and president of Prospect Hotel Advisors, meets with FIU hospitality students One of the most influential leaders in the industry, Ceriale, gave valuable advice to FIU hospitality management students as he reflected on his journey and spoke about the skills that helped him achieve success. “Work hard. Be consistent. Hone your skills, and don’t be in a hurry. The tortoise always wins.” A visionary and leading force in the U.S. and worldwide hospitality industry, John Ceriale is Founder and President of Prospect Advisors, which was established in 1998.  Since its founding, Prospect Advisors has been the exclusive hotel advisor on hospitality investments to the Blackstone Group, the largest owner of hospitality assets in the world. Prospect Advisors also does select work with a number of other private equity companies in the hospitality field.

FIU Hospitality student is the only American student selected to compete at the Hyatt Student Prize 2018 competition in Paris FIU hospitality management student, Shelbie Reilly, was the only American student representing both FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and Hyatt Hotels at the annual Hyatt Student Prize competition in Paris, France on January 15, 2018. The Hyatt Student Prize is an annual 2-day competition featuring the most prestigious hospitality schools in the world, where a selected group of students get the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership and innovative skills. "The whole experience was absolutely amazing! First off, getting selected as a finalist meant traveling to Paris, France to enjoy the phenomenal city and meet extraordinary people along the way. The challenges the finalists were faced with was nothing FIU has not prepared me for so I went into all the challenges feeling completely prepared! I was truly proud to be representing our University and United States during the competition.” Shelbie’s love for the hospitality industry began as a child traveling with her parents and older sister. She was recently promoted to Rooms Lead Host at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, and is expected to complete the Master of Science in Hospitality Management at FIU in spring 2018. After completing her associates degree at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida, Shelbie was accepted into FIU’s Chaplin School Bachelors/Masters (4+1) hospitality management program, where she has excelled. She became a member of the Hospitality Student Leadership Council and lead hospitality management peer mentor, and attended several sustainability conferences, while working full time at Hyatt. Upon graduation, Shelbie plans to apply for the Hyatt's Corporate Management Training Program. Her ultimate career goal is to [...]

As the interim dean, Dr. Michael Cheng vows to focus on student success, creative thinking and innovation, while growing the building blocks that have defined the Chaplin School's academic excellence for more than 45 years Dr. Cheng's letter: I am incredibly honored and excited to serve as the interim dean at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. For the last 45 years, the Chaplin School has been a pillar in the hospitality industry and an invaluable talent resource, as well as a beacon of hope for many aspiring students. So many of its graduates have accomplished great things in the hospitality industry around the world. I embrace this responsibility and will devote all my time and energy to preparing and educating those who will lead us in the future. Building upon the legacy of the leaders before me, now more than ever, we will focus on student success, the cornerstone of FIU. We’ll forge intimate industry relationships to amplify resources for the students, while we strengthen the existing relationships that make us unique and set us apart, such as our collaboration with the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival. As the world evolves and the industry with it, we need to continue to evolve our curricula, in order to maintain that delicate balance between education, industry, and students. Students need to be prepared to meet industry demands. At the same time, our industry needs graduates who can lead and drive innovation and growth. The Chaplin school will build upon the model that has produced so many successful alumni over the years, but our sight is set on raising the bar. We aim to redefine hospitality education. [...]

Chaplin School postdoctoral associate, Dr. Ahmad, has successfully completed FSMA training on produce safety and preventive control rules. Food Safety Modernization Act (or FSMA) is the most sweeping reform of our current food safety system aimed at reducing and completely eliminating foodborne illnesses. The FDA is implementing the new act in the form of 7 set of rules, including the Preventive Controls rules for Human and Animal Food, the Produce Safety rule, and the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) rule through extensive outreach to industry. The new act has far reaching consequences on domestic and foreign food producers. To ensure timely implementation of FSMA, the FDA has partnered with state, federal, and international governments, industry, and academia in the development and delivery of training. The Chaplin School is committed to extend its support to partners engaged in any stage of food production that covers by the FSMA regulations. To this end, Chaplin’s Faculty and technical staff have taken part in the training activities. Completion of pre-requisite courses and lead instructor courses will allow FIU to independently offer training programs based on FDA’s approved curriculum. More about Dr. Ahmad.