Dear friends,

The past year has been another exciting one for the School of Hospitality Business Management (SHBM). This edition of Crimson Pineapple highlights a few of the great activities, developments, faculty, students, and alumni connected to SHBM in 2023 and upcoming items in 2024.

Recent personnel changes and events are helping advance the distinction of the SHBM program. We hired Mat Morgan as our new executive chef and recent graduate Jessica Murray (’22 PhD) as an SHBM scholarly assistant professor. Wine industry leader April Reddout is an instructor and the new manager of the Wine Business Management Certificate. Rhonda Hammond, assistant professor, is our new director for wine and beverage management programs. The Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living continues to offer a wealth of educational resources for our senior living management students, including opportunities with senior living industry experts, as you’ll see in our feature on the “Technology for the Business of Aging” panel.

At the second annual Washington Hospitality Conference in Seattle, alumna Katie Stordahl (’17 Hosp. Busi. Mgmt.), general manager for InnVentures IVI LP, received the Rising Star Award for her leadership in the hotel industry. The conference was jointly sponsored by SHBM and the Washington Hospitality Association. It featured 450 attendees, an industry tradeshow, educational sessions, and a gala awards dinner. We also celebrated the successful launch of our first annual alumni golf tournament.

Additional points of pride include our globally renowned reputation: SHMB ranked third in the US and eleventh worldwide for academic research and excellence in hospitality and tourism management (Shanghai rankings). Professor Dogan Gursoy was on the 2023 list of the world’s top 1 percent of the most highly cited researchers in hospitality and tourism. Professor Christina Chi was again included in Stanford University & Elsevier’s top 2 percent of highly cited scientists worldwide in the categories of single year 2022 and whole career, in the field of sport, leisure, and tourism. Associate Professor Dipra Jha was appointed as the Carson College associate dean for equity and inclusion – inclusive pedagogy, and he also earned international recognition for his impact in hospitality and tourism.

I’m proud to announce Lake Tahoe Community College’s Lisa Maloff University Center awarded the first Byron Marlowe Hospitality Scholarship to Monica Manuel, a single mother working in the hospitality industry to earn a bachelor’s degree in hospitality business management through our partnership with Lake Tahoe Community College. Additionally, Nocking Point Wines has produced Coug Red: Back Home, a merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend created in collaboration with Dr. Marlowe before his passing. A portion of the sales will support the Byron Marlowe Endowed Scholarship Fund supporting WSU wine and beverage business management students.

What’s ahead in 2024? Hospitality Week will run February 26 to March 1, 2024, and feature the Burtenshaw Distinguished Lecture as well as numerous activities. And, renovations for our new beverage lab are finally scheduled for spring/summer 2024.

Having just completed my four-year term as the hospitality school director, I asked not to serve a second term. While having the opportunity to serve as director has been a highlight of my career, my future plans are to focus on teaching, writing, and remaining as a resource at SHBM to assist in facilitating the exciting things ahead. As we search for my replacement, Professor Mario Reyes will serve as interim director until August 15, 2024. He is an experienced academic leader, having been dean at the University of Idaho College of Business and Economics for four years before joining the Carson College’s Department of Finance and Management Science.

As you browse through this edition of Crimson Pineapple, I hope you are inspired by the accomplishments of our faculty, alumni, students, and programs. I encourage you to consider ways you might engage with the School of Hospitality Business Management to help us build on our reputation as one of the highest quality hospitality programs in the world.

Cheers! And Go Cougs!

Sincerely,

Bob Harrington, director