Congratulations to hospitality students Jenifer Bound (pictured left) and Gabriela Moreno (pictured right) who were both selected as FIU Worlds Ahead Graduates for Spring 2014. To be Worlds Ahead, soon-to-be graduates must be nominated by their school or college for their extraordinary achievements.
This semester, the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management’s Jenifer Bound and Gabriela Moreno earned their place of honor thanks to their innovative thinking and outstanding research involvement.
Jenifer Bound has served as teaching assistant to several hospitality chef instructors during her time at the Chaplin School. For two years in a row, she has worked with celebrity chefs at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE. Just last year, her “Holy Smokes” spice blend was selected as a winner of the Badia Soul of Cooking Spice Contest (read more about Jenifer’s spice blend win).
After graduation, Jenifer plans to work as an executive/pastry chef in a restaurant where sustainability and the use of local food are a priority. She also intends to pursue a graduate degree in Public Health at FIU.
With a passport filled with a lifetime of travel experiences, graduate student Gabriela Moreno wanted to study hospitality and tourism management in more depth. As a graduate research assistant under the leadership of hospitality professor and mentor Dr. Miranda Kitterlin, Gabriela collected data for research initiatives, assisted with preparations for 15 conference presentations, and helped prepare research papers for publication in four peer-reviewed journals. Kitterlin states that Gabriela’s research skills are unparalleled among her peers and that she has been solely responsible for the execution of data collection for three projects. In addition, Gabriela credits mentors Dr. Sandro Formica and Dr. Dan Cormany for providing her with rich academic experiences which have led to a new job as Meeting Coordinator with A Plus Meetings and Incentives.
Gabriela plans to work in the hospitality industry before returning to school to obtain a doctoral degree.
The two hospitality students will be recognized by FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg during Spring 2014 undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies.
To learn more about Jenifer and Gabriela, visit the Commencement website’s Worlds Ahead Graduates page.
