Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership

Tailgate + Alumni = Happiness 😁☀

Join us for a Tailgate Party on Saturday, Aug. 31 from 3-5:30 p.m. at the Party on the Plaza, in front of the Alumni Center!

Visit https://igfn.us/form/rRtPCA to register for the Aug. 31 tailgate, using the discount code LVTAILGATING24 for a discounted pre-order ticket!

We hope to see you there! Please note that all are welcome to attend and we would love to see some alumni come out to support! This season, we will have a few additional Tailgate Parties as well on Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 2 and Nov. 23! Tickets for these will be available after the Aug. 31 event.

Welcome to our new grad students! 🎉 We had a fantastic time at the Grad Student NSO last Friday. 👋

We're excited to welcome 13 new MS students and 4 new Ph.D. students to our programs. Our MS students will have the unique opportunity to explore their passions in the hospitality industry and even conduct research with Hilton College faculty. Our Ph.D. students will gain valuable research and teaching experience before they even graduate!

Interested in learning more? Our MS in Hospitality Management program develops future industry leaders and attracts students from around the world. Students work with both faculty and their colleagues on real-world issues and make lifelong connections. Applications for spring 2025 are now open! International applicants should apply by October 1st, and domestic applicants should apply by November 1st.

Our Ph.D. program produces top-tier hospitality researchers and educators. Applications are open through January 15, 2025.

Tickets for the third annual Corks & Forks are now on sale!

Indulge in 10 extraordinary wines, each with its own tale to tell. Savor hauntingly delicious culinary creations from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, October 9 at Hilton College.

Tickets are $125 and can be purchased at https://uh.edu/hilton-college/News-Events/corks-forks-payments/

Proceeds support Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership student scholarships.

Ki-Joon Back, associate dean for research and graduate studies and Moores Chair professor, and Sharmagne Taylor (’86), vice chair of Eric’s Club, celebrated the legacy of Mr. Glen Yoshiaki Gondo, who passed away last month.

Gondo was a well-known global hospitality leader and inspiration to many people all throughout Texas. Commonly known as the 'sushi king', Gondo's family was known to have opened the first Japanese restaurant in Houston. After the family restaurant closed, Gondo started Tokyo Gardens Catering and Sushic, LLC. This catering venture grew to operate hundreds of sushi kiosks in all H-E-B grocery stores.

More than 400 people attended his celebration of legacy event on Monday, August. 5, including the current mayor, the previous two mayors, state representatives and many other friends and colleagues from the community.

Hilton College presented a certificate of appreciation for Gondo’s devotion to the industry and our graduates.

Join us in commemorating this incredibly influential community leader.

What's a picnic without a good lawn game? ☀️🍓⛱

During our Hilton College Welcome Picnic, 64 incoming students and their families shared laughs during some friendly competition. The gathering kicked off with giant UH Jenga and Cougar branded bean bag toss, and then students paired with our ambassadors to compete in a building-wide scavenger hunt. To win a clue, they needed to win games, such as mini bowling, paper airplanes, house of cards, beach ball name memorization, bucket and sponge relay race, headbands and bucket toss!

The day was capped with a cozy meal, rock paper scissors, conversation and musical chairs! Thank you so much for all who attended and volunteered their time to help plan this annual event.

Class is back in session 📖

Today, the Hilton College halls are back as they should be -- filled with our amazing students! We're so excited to see what the Fall 2024 semester has in store! Tag us in your first-week pics for a chance to be featured on our account!

We're just BEEing ourselves! 🐝 🐝

Yesterday, 58 members of the Hilton College family journeyed to Harvest for the Hungry farms, as part of the first-ever Faculty & Staff Retreat. The day comprised a farm tour, a Bee Kahoot game, honey tasting and bee box decorating. These boxes will be used to harvest honey produced by the organization's bees this year.

Harvest for the Hungry is a non-profit organization that fights for those struggling with food insecurity by growing farm-to-table produce on 61 acres in Freeport, Texas.

Thank you to everyone who attended the retreat to learn about their impact, as well as connect with colleagues, have some fun and eat some tasty treats! What a great way to kick off the new academic year!

Just be yourself!

Yesterday, 58 members of the Hilton College family journeyed to Harvest for the Hungry farms, as part of the first-ever Faculty & Staff Retreat. The day comprised a farm tour, a Bee Kahoot game, honey tasting and bee box decorating. These boxes will be used to harvest honey produced by the organization's bees this year.

Harvest for the Hungry is a non-profit organization that fights for those struggling with food insecurity by growing farm-to-table produce on 61 acres in Freeport, Texas.

Thank you to everyone who attended the retreat to learn about their impact, as well as connect with colleagues, have some fun and eat some tasty treats! What a great way to kick off the new academic year!

The 2024 Hilton Alumni Awards and Annual Meeting will be held on September 19th at 6:30pm in the UH Hilton Shamrock Ballroom. Join us to celebrate our outstanding alumni award winners! Please RSVP below to secure your spot.
https://lnkd.in/grYYwhMw

Today, we welcomed a new cohort of Global Hospitality Business master’s students! 32 talented students from all across the world stepped foot on campus today for orientation and a celebratory luncheon. They are part of a unique program across three continents, run by leaders in hospitality management education. Students spend one semester at the Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne in Switzerland, one semester at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Hotel & Tourism Management in Hong Kong and one semester at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership in Houston.

We can’t wait to see the world-class leaders emerging from cohort 12 of this top-tier global program!

Hilton College is overjoyed to announce that we have a new faculty member joining the family; join us in welcoming Dr. Kyle Hight!

Dr. Hight joins us as an assistant professor in the area of restaurant operations. Dr. Hight earned his Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida, and his research interests include restaurant substance use and abuse, restaurant entrepreneurship and restaurant operations. A Houston native, Dr. Hight recently moved back to the area with his wife and seven-month-old daughter. And a fun fact, he’s also a certified sommelier.

We are so happy to have you, Dr. Hight. Go ‘Coogs!

We certainly held the passport to global hospitality this last week at the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) Global Conference and Alumni Luncheon in Montreal, Canada! 🔑

We’re so appreciative of all the amazing faculty, alumni and graduate students who joined us. A few highlights included Dr. Minwoo Lee being formally inducted to the board of directors as the new ICHRIE Director of Research for 2024-2026 and Ph.D. student Araceli Hernandez being named the 2024 ICHRIE Dissertation Proposal Competition winner.

Keep on shining, ‘Coogs! Your light is so bright!

You bring the sun ☀ We'll bring the picnic basket!

Save the Date: Hilton College will be holding a Welcome Picnic for students and their families from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17 in the Conrad Hilton Ballroom.

Interested in attending? Visit https://connect.uh.edu/register/GHLWP81724 to RSVP!

All incoming students: Get your Cougar Card before the Fall 2024 semester starts, so you won't have any delays on your first day!

We can't wait to have you back on campus in just a few weeks. 🤗

And that's a wrap on Summer Camp Session ✌

Thank you to all the extraordinary counselors and students who attended! We love these camps because we get to see new friendships grow and memories of boba, bowling, tie-dye, and [most importantly] Hilton College form!

Last week, Hilton College representatives and alumni caught up during the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), hosted by the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP)! While networking, our reps had the wonderful opportunity to share insight over our online Executive Master of Hospitality Management and Doctorate in Global Hospitality Leadership programs.

HITEC also provided a great opportunity to share information about student internships in the hospitality technology fields and education advancement opportunities for professionals.

Alumni, join us in Montreal, Canada for the MONTREAL MIXER!

From noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, alumni can rekindle, forge new friendships, learn about Hilton College updates and talk industry trends! Buffet lunch will be served at the Le Centre Sheraton Montreal, so be sure to let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.

We hope to see you there!

Alumni, mark your calendars for the 2024 Hilton College Alumni Awards and Annual Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 19. For this event, we're seeking several outstanding alumni nominations and need your help!

Learn about each of these awards then nominate an alumnus who deserves honorable recognition! Visit Bit.ly/HiltonCollegeAlumni today!

Summer is made for exploring 😎

And this week, we did just that! Yesterday capped the Hilton College Summer Camp of 2024 🥳 Our campers had so much fun learning about the University of Houston and Hilton College. Thank you to our amazing industry partners, who gave the campers such a special experience at their businesses: They learned about the industries from Roostar Vietnamese Grill, , , , , BrightStar Productions, River Oaks Country Club, Halal Guys and the !

From kitchen to cup, our Hilton College Summer Campers perfected their boba-making skills this morning in the Sysco Student Kitchen! 🥤😋

🌞☀️We're diving into summer fun with the Hilton College Summer Camp! 🏨🦒

From exploring Hilton Hotels to visiting local Houston hotspots like Pappassitos, Roostar, River Oaks Country Club, Halal Guys, Bright Star Productions, the GRB Convention Center, the zoo, and so many more, our campers are in for an adventure! 🎳🍧 Here’s to making lifelong memories with new friends, boba and tie-dye shirts! 🌟

Campers, remember to tag us in your photos for a chance to be reposted!

Hilton College seniors: If you will complete your degree in either the Summer 2024 or Fall 2024 semester, don't forget to apply for graduation ASAP!

Please note this action is currently ONLY required for students finishing their degree in the summer or fall of 2024.

The graduation application can be found on your MY.UH page under the ADVISING tab.

"We must always be willing to learn because knowledge is power however we also must be willing to empower, elevate and train the next generation," said SJ Shaw, a Hilton College graduate student.

Shaw recently had his article, "Tailoring Employee Training to Individual Needs: Experience vs. Inexperience," published on Hospitality Net! Through this piece, he details the effectiveness of catering training programs for new hires to their individual level of unique experiences and skills. In the modern workplace, one's background, skills and personal experiences significantly influence the learning curve and potential contributions to the organization. Visit https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4121815.html to read his full article!

By tailoring training to fit each new employee, training becomes more relevant and effective, leading to higher productivity and job satisfaction. Plus, it helps create a more adaptable workforce, which can only benefit the industry.

"It's like turning employees into superheroes – everyone has their own unique power," said Shaw.

Congratulations on this achievement! We're proud to have leaders, like you, influence the industry's future. 🥳

Calling for papers for the 30th annual Graduate Education & Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality & Tourism! This conference will be held from January 2-4, 2025.

Visit https://easychair.org/account2/signin?l=7483590954462844323 to view the submission link.
OR
Visit https://www.gradconfht.com/ to view the conference website!!

Heads up, here's some important dates related to the conference:
June 1, 2024: Online paper submission opened
Sept. 15, 2024: Online paper submission closes
Oct. 20, 2024: Notification or acceptance and registration opens
Nov. 11, 2024: Final papers deadline

Paper topics include:
- Consumer behavior in hospitality
- Consumer behavior in tourism
- Finance and economics
- Leadership and education
- Lodging management and service quality
- Marketing
- Restaurant and food service
- IT adoption and application
- Tourism and sustainability

Beer’s Best Friend = A Cougar Paw 🍻🤝

Find the Hilton College Alumni Association at the third annual Cougar Crawl! This event supports the UH Young Alumni Network, as they network with various alumni groups and show off their Cougar Pride. The signature event will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8, and will take place across three bars in Downtown Houston: McIntyre’s, AngelShare and Flying Saucer. Come see the Hilton College Alumni Association table at the Angel Share stop!

Visit https://giving.uh.edu/uhaa/2024-cougar-crawl-tickets to get your tickets while they’re still available. Go Coogs!

📸

It's always award season... but this time, we've taken it globally

We've earned two Best Paper Awards during the 2024 APacCHRIE Conference in Seoul, South Korea! Former MS student, Dr. Hyejo Hailey Shin and our former MS and PhD student, Dr. Hyekyung Park earned these outstanding recognitions, and Hilton College is so proud to have these recipients as part of the family!

Check out the award information:

Best Youth Paper Award – “Exploring the Asymmetric Impact and Relative Competitiveness of Service Attributes on Customer Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction: Impact Asymmetry Competitor Analysis and Two-factor Theory” with Nga Yin Xenia Wong (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Dr. Hyejo Hailey Shin (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Dr. Hyekyung Park (Florida State University) and Dr. Minwoo Lee (University of Houston).

Best Conference Paper Award - “Winning the race for competitive advantages through asymmetric dynamics of service quality: Introducing theory-driven asymmetric impact competitor analysis” with Dr. Eunhye Park (Gachon University), Dr. Hyekyng Park (Florida State University), Dr. Tarik Dogru (Florida State University) and Dr. Minwoo Lee (University of Houston).

New friends ☀️ New housing ☀️ New classes!

Incoming students, don't forget to register for your orientation this summer! For incoming freshmen, this will be a two-day session and for transfer students, this will be a one-day session.

Visit https://www.uh.edu/undergraduate-admissions/admitted/orientation/new-student-and-transfer-orientation/ to see the full schedule and register! Make sure you sign up before the last in-person session on July 29.

The Diageo Learning Skills for Life program officially has six new graduates!!

This is a free program for those seeking employment in the hospitality industry and it particularly aids those who may have previously faced barriers to education. After the two-week program, participants earned certification in beverage and food handling and fine-tuned their resumes and job interview skills!

Greetings from Chicago, Illinois! 🤩

Last weekend, our faculty, staff and alumni met up at the Chicago Alumni Mixer! At Pizano's Pizza and Pasta, many laughs were shared over slices of pizza and engaging conversation. You may have also seen some familiar faces at the National Restaurant Association Show, where Hilton College had an outstanding booth! Thank you to everyone who came by to learn about our current programs and happenings.

A big shout out to Lauren Smith, our program manager for development and alumni relations, for organizing the mixer and to Jeremy Dafoe, our director of undergraduate academic services, for organizing the booth at the show.