Administrator, Author at Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Esteemed Rocco M. Angelo Recognized and Honored by the Chaplin School at FIU

Join Us in Supporting the Rocco Angelo Legacy in Leadership Campaign Give Now Across the nation and around the world, when alumni of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management think of their time at FIU, one face comes to mind: Rocco M. Angelo. In honor of Rocco’s decades of service to the Chaplin School, we are pleased to invite friends, colleagues, industry partners and all of those who have been inspired by the passion, dedication and commitment of this extraordinary individual to join us in recognizing his impact. More than any other person in the history of the Chaplin School, Rocco has personally led countless students and alumni on their academic and professional paths to success. As we look to the next horizon of the Chaplin School, FIU seeks to ensure that Rocco’s unparalleled legacy continues to make a difference. The Rocco M. Angelo Legacy in Leadership Campaign is raising endowed funds to extend his legacy in perpetuity. This campaign will provide current and future generations of Chaplin School students and alumni with the resources needed to ensure FIU's Worlds Ahead reputation. Earnings from the endowment will be used to support scholarships, recruitment initiatives to attract the best and brightest students, alumni engagement efforts, mentoring programs, career services, and student enrichment opportunities. As a valued and distinguished member of the Chaplin School, our alumni and industry partners reflect the School’s global reputation for excellence. Endowed funds strengthen this reputation by helping us reach our next horizon as an international leader of hospitality and tourism management education. To give online, visit the Chaplin School's Give Now page and select the Rocco Angelo Legacy in Leadership Endowment Campaign as your designation. For more information, [...]

Chaplin Students among International Group to Successfully Compete at the Hotelschool the Hague Innovation Challenge

Chaplin School students Marina Boulanger, Leira Fombrun, and Jonathan Rosa were selected to represent FIU at the 2015 International Hotel School Student Challenge in Amsterdam last month. Hotelschool the Hague hosted the competition where students from 10 top hotel schools from around the world were tasked with developing an innovative and sustainable hotel concept that was relevant and applicable to an assigned hotel chain.During the three-day innovation summit, the FIU delegation and others were separated into culturally diverse teams to encourage interaction with other students and, in the process, gain exposure to different cultures, ideas, and perspectives. Industry professionals and executives provided workshops, lectures, and coaching to inform the ideation process.Marina Boulanger, junior and vice-president of the Student Hotel Club, learned a great deal about the value of a diverse team in solving a complex problem."The cultural differences were unbelievable," Marina said about her team. "Every student brought something unique and different to the table. All of them were incredibly smart and really brought all aspects of their personalities to the challenge."The process was an enlightening experience for senior Leira Fombrun as well. She serves as president for both the Student Hotel Club and FIU's chapter of the American Hotel & Lodging Association."I learned that guest experience is no longer about just checking in a customer and providing them with a place to stay, it’s about enhancing their experience and providing personalized customer service," she said. "Let’s make it more than just a bed. Let’s give our guest a platform to meet other people, to learn about a city’s culture and its locals, all within the walls of the hotel. Let’s make it their home away from home."On the final day of the summit, each [...]

FIU Hospitality Alumni Talk: Alex Kuk

Alex Kuk B.S. '04, M.S. '08 recently discussed the challenges and opportunities of opening a new restaurant with hospitality management students at the Chaplin School. While sharing his experience with construction, funding, marketing, and human resources needs, he emphasized the importance of identifying a clear vision of the concept from the beginning, and the long-term benefits of staying true to that vision. He comes from a family of restaurateurs and co-owns Temple Street Eatery near Downtown Ft. Lauderdale, which has quickly become a favorite spot by many in South Florida, serving unique Asian comfort food.

Peer Mentoring Program Spotlight: Meet Ian Cochran!

Ian Cochran is from Baltimore, Maryland, and transferred to FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management in January 2015 from Cecil College in North East, Maryland. Since becoming a student at FIU, he has taken on several leadership roles. As lead peer mentor and a member of the Hospitality Student Leadership Council, Ian chose FIU over other universities because of the national reputation of the Chaplin School and the resources available to students at the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Career Development Program. Ian is leading the Peer Mentoring Program because he wants to use his industry experience to be another resource for students. He prides himself on helping younger students succeed and develop into hospitality management professionals. Ian’s proudest accomplishment is serving his country as an engineer in the U.S. Marine Corps. His future professional goals include becoming a food and beverage director at one of South Florida's top beach resort hotels. Students in the Chaplin School have the opportunity to receive assistance and guidance toward achieving their personal and professional goals from fellow peers in the program who have experience in the hospitality industry. Learn More about Peer Mentoring

Hospitality Alumnus Adam Stewart ‘03 Named Caribbean Hotelier of the Year

The Sandals Resorts International CEO was named 2015 Caribbean Hotelier of the Year at the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association's Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF) in Puerto Rico. As the exclusive education institution for CHIEF 2015, Chaplin School’s Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research provided the Leadership for Service Excellence Training. Additionally, professor Nancy Scanlon, Ph.D., served as a moderator for Operations and Go Green panels. Read Adam's Twitter Post

Dean Hampton Shares Insight during Education Panel in China

On September 12, Dean Mike Hampton participated as a panelist during The Real Deal's U.S. Real Estate Showcase & Forum in Shanghai, China. The education panel focused on the benefits and challenges of studying abroad, expected communications skills, and the importance of enrolling at an institution that fits students’ aspirational goals. Photo: Moderator: Mercedes Yao of Vanke Real Estate with panelists: Andrew Sohn (Due West Education), Rime Sun (NYU Shanghai), Xu Liyun (New Oriental), Allen Wu (Fenwick Keats), Sean Mei (Partners Trust China), and Mike Hampton (Chaplin School).

Chaplin Faculty Invited to Return as Judges at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair

Professors Barry Gump and Patrick "Chip" Cassidy served as professional wine judges for the 41st annual Sonoma County Harvest Fair. The Professional Wine Competition took place on September 15 and 16, followed by the sweepstakes selection on September 17. Dr. Gump and Professor Cassidy joined fellow educators, enologists, and wine professionals tasked with judging more than 1,000 wines in just two and a half days. Both Dr. Gump and Professor Cassidy are sought after wine judges and experts, serving on panels in the past at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in California, American Fine Wine Competition in Florida, Atlantic Seaboard Competition in Virginia, and the International Eastern Wine Competition in New York, to name a few. During this trip, the two professors had the pleasure of reconnecting with Chaplin alumnus Mike Faulk, the winemaker of Engracia Wines, a gold medal winner at this year's competition. Photo: FIU hospitality management professors Dr. Barry Gump and Patrick "Chip" Cassidy with Katie Young of Sonoma County Harvest Fair (right) on the Frei Brothers E. & J. Gallo Ranch in California.

Hospitality Alumnus Gives Students Insight on Opening a Restaurant

Andreas Schreiner '00 came back to where it all started. The Chaplin School alumnus is the founding partner of the Pubbelly Restaurant Group. He spoke with hospitality students on September 14 as part of the School's first alumni talk of the semester. The restaurant and hotel expert not only offered a look back at his life, but gave students insight into what it takes to build a successful restaurant from the ground up. "Have a clear goal of what you want and start working at it now," he told students. "When opening a restaurant, you should know that you will be part of every little thing you can think of. I remember going from formulating budgets to building furniture all on the same day." Schreiner spoke about how the Chaplin School prepared him for where he is today. "Surprisingly, the classes I enjoyed the least are the ones that ended up helping me the most, like accounting," he said. "The real-world knowledge I got from my professors and fellow students gave me a well-rounded education and helped me become a better person. FIU gave me the skills I needed earlier on in life that would otherwise have taken me much longer to learn." Schreiner gave some tidbits into what can be expected from the Pubbelly brand in the future. "PB Steak in Downtown is coming soon and so is Pubbelly Sushi in the Dominican Republic," he said. "A licensing agreement has also recently been signed with Norwegian Cruise Line for a Pubbelly-style restaurant." To anyone interested in opening a restaurant, Schreiner recommends securing 20 percent more in funds than the initial budget allocates. "That way, you are prepared for any curveballs thrown," he said.

In Their Own Words from China: How Study Abroad Changes Students‘ Lives

Studying abroad 7,000 miles across the globe, some students find themselves; others fall in love with more than a different country. Since Fall 2008, nearly 100 hospitality management students have taken advantage of the opportunity to study in China for one or more semesters at the Marriott Tianjin China Program, FIU’s largest overseas program. While the academic experience is a big part of their venture, for many of them the experiences outside the classroom have made the most palpable impact. Many left their comfort zones for the first time. Others were surprised, impressed by the people, the culture, the cities, but most agree it was a life-changing experience. Here, four of them talk about experiences outside the classroom, in a new series we call In Their Own Words from China. Gigiana Fraind Gigiana Fraind, B.S. '13, who studied in China in 2012, discovered her inner strength for the first time. "This was probably the first time I have ever been put to the test — the test of life! On this particular day, four of the other students from FIU and I took a bullet train to Beijing, which is about three hours from Tianjin. Our Chinese friends had written the names of hotels and the connecting trains in Mandarin on a sheet of paper to help us find our way. Aside from the language barriers, the train station was pretty friendly, and we managed to get the train tickets in our hands. No such luck with taxis. Once off the train, we couldn’t get a taxi if our lives depended on it. We had to walk to our hotel, after many stops asking random strangers for directions. "This experience taught me a lot! I [...]

Hospitality Professor Recognized as Overseas Master in Shanghai

Summer 2015 was a busy one for FIU hospitality professor Dr. Jinlin Zhao. Recently, he was recognized as the Overseas Master by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. This award represents an effort of to enhance higher education in Shanghai by inviting experts from all over the globe to teach their area of expertise to students. For the first time ever, the Commission selected a hospitality and tourism professor to receive this prestigious award. Earlier this year, Dr. Zhao taught at the Shanghai Institute of Tourism/Shanghai Normal University, and has been invited to return during FIU's winter break in December. During his most recent visit, Dr. Zhao engaged with administrators and faculty in cultural, academic, and research exchanges. He also delivered lectures highlighting current trends in hospitality and tourism to undergraduate and graduate students. Overseas Masters selected by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission come from a wide variety of disciplines and contribute to universities in Shanghai in many capacities. The program has been in place for several years and Dr. Zhao is honored to be recognized as one of the best and brightest in the field. "Recognition as the Overseas Master is a great honor for me," Dr. Zhao said. "I will definitely continue my effort in building a bridge between U.S. and China's higher education programs, as well as to contribute to the global hospitality and tourism education." In addition to his role as professor, Dr. Zhao also serves as director of graduate programs and director of development in Asia and the Pacific at the Chaplin School.

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