Skip to main content Skip to navigation
The Crimson Pineapple The Official E-Newsletter of the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management

April Reddout Tapped to Manage Wine Business Management Certificate

justin.hope

Simply put—helping students fills her cup. That’s why April Reddout, a busy, successful wine consultant in Kennewick, Washington, accepted a new role as the manager of the online Wine Business Management Certificate in the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management. The noncredit program offers six learning modules developed and taught by WSU business faculty and industry professionals, including Reddout, with diverse business expertise. “This program is affordable and delivers a lot of content in a short time frame. The online format makes it flexible for people to succeed, which I love,” Reddout says.

» More ...

Tutta Bella CEO Joe Fugere Inducted into the SHBM Hall of Fame

justin.hope

I support the hospitality program because of its impact over the years,” says Hall of Fame inductee Joe Fugere. “What I really love about the program is the combination of pragmatism, real-world application of experience, and scholastic aptitude wrapped into one. The SHBM leaders and the Carson College of Business administrators are great people with a soul. It really makes a difference.

» More ...

First Annual Golf Tournament Plays Out at Echo Falls Golf Club

justin.hope

The WSU School of Hospitality Business Management’s first annual golf tournament was a swinging success with more than 60 participants. “We designed the event as a four-person team scramble to build community among our young alums and give our participating students professional experience with event management and networking with donors,” says Robert Harrington, SHBM director.

» More ...

Mat Morgan Appointed as New Executive Chef & Culinary Director

justin.hope

When Mat Morgan was the food and nutrition director at TriState Health, his culinary staff often told him he’d make a really good teacher. He didn’t think much about it at the time. But when two friends and Indeed, an online job sourcing company, sent Morgan the same job posting for the director of the Marriott Foundation Hospitality and Culinary Innovation Center in the Carson College of Business, he took notice. “When I received three messages within a couple of hours, I took it as a sign I should apply for the position,” he says. He joined the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management in June 2023.

» More ...

Alumna Jessica Murray Joins Hospitality Faculty

justin.hope

It’s rare when a student who earns four degrees at the same institution stays on to become a faculty member there. But for alumna Jessica Murray, a new scholarly assistant professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management, it made sense. She’s spent the last 11 years at WSU working on her education and career, gaining culinary, research, and teaching experience as she completed multiple degrees in hospitality and food science.

» More ...

Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living Hosts “Technology for the Business of Aging”

justin.hope

Graduates who have strong business and technical skills and a working knowledge of human psychology will be in high demand in the senior living industry, according to senior living technology panelists Kyle Rand, Erin Hayes, Steve Moran, and Matt Reiners, who were hosted by the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living during the Carson College’s annual Hospitality Week. The panelists spoke about the rewards of their jobs and the abundance of career opportunities in the senior living realm as the number of people over 55 eventually exceeds those under age 18.

» More ...

Students Study Abroad in the United Arab Emirates

justin.hope

Some call it the “Manhattan” of the Middle East, but Andrey Polinko, a WSU Tri-Cities business major, took one look at Dubai’s tall buildings, clean sidewalks, luxurious cars, and unique infrastructure and thought “utopia!” The 21-year-old from Richland, Washington, was one of 23 students from across WSU to participate in the Carson College’s new faculty-led study abroad experience in the United Arab Emirates. Dipra Jha, assistant director of the School of Hospitality Business Management, planned for 18 months to deliver an immersive, hand-crafted educational experience for the students from the time they got off the plane.

» More ...

Lind Olafsdottir Prepares for a Wine Career with WSU/César Ritz Colleges Education

justin.hope

For Icelandic native Lind Olafsdottir, the decision to pursue the WSU/César Ritz Colleges Switzerland joint bachelor’s degree was a natural fit for her long-time interest in food and beverage. She entered the hospitality industry at 17 when she got a job at a restaurant known for its cuisine and beverages. Her five years of experience there aligned perfectly with the César Ritz Colleges recommendation that prospective students work in the hospitality field before entering the program. Then she learned about the WSU/ César Ritz Colleges program. “I didn’t exactly know at that time what I wanted to do in the future, and when this possibility fell into my lap, I asked myself, ‘Why not try it at least?’” Over the three years of her program, Olafsdottir did more than just try. She excelled.

» More ...

United Nations Recognizes Nancy Swanger as Top 50 Senior Living Leader

justin.hope

Just over a decade ago, Nancy Swanger and four senior living executives established the nation’s first senior living management course within a university hospitality program. At the time, Swanger, an associate professor of hospitality business management in the WSU Carson College of Business, didn’t know it was the beginning of something much larger. Something that would eventually lead to the United Nations recognizing her as one of the top 50 leaders in the world who is transforming health and wellbeing for aging populations, thanks to her work through the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living.

» More ...