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.
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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.
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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.
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Associate Professor Dipra Jha recently earned international recognition for his impact in hospitality and tourism. Recent accolades include an honorary doctorate and a spot on the International Hospitality Institute’s list of 100 most influential people in US hospitality and travel.
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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.
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The School of Hospitality Business Management and the Washington Hospitality Association are both leading sources of education and business insights for the state. Acutely aware of Washington’s shortage of 20,000 hospitality employees, Anthony Anton, WHA president and CEO; Bob Harrington, SHBM director, and Carson College of Business event manager Angie Senter saw value in collaborating to provide hospitality professionals with opportunity for education and networking. Working diligently for about six months, they created the Washington State Hospitality Conference held in 2022.
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Choosing to turn a personal loss into opportunity for others, Jerry and Angelina Burtenshaw created a legacy of professional development opportunities spanning four decades within WSU’s hospitality school.
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As the SHBM’s assistant director, Dipra Jha is the main point of contact when students, parents, and industry leaders visit the Pullman campus, and he has an active role in the SHBM’s social media presence. He also teaches courses in hospitality business management and international business. A passionate advocate for experiential learning and international education, Jha aims to develop and lead study abroad programs to destinations in Asia and the Middle East/North Africa region.
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Navin Dimond (’85), CEO of Stonebridge Companies, has a history of providing unique learning opportunities for WSU students interested in hospitality business management, marketing, sales and construction management careers. Last fall, Dimond and Executive Chef Jamie Callison teamed to offer hospitality students a transformational week of learning at the Stonebridge corporate office and key properties in Denver.
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While growing up, Elizabeth Nalbandian often helped her mother and grandmother make food for traditions spanning thousands of years. At 12 she learned to make pastries; as a bored 15-year-old, she read recipe books whenever her grammar teacher wasn’t looking. After high school, she became intrigued by the idea of combining food, science, and culture into a career path. How she would up over 6,700 miles from her home in Jerusalem to study hospitality, culinary arts, and food science at WSU is a story as sweet as chocolate.
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