In the news

• Is a SC wedding boom approaching? The State (feat. Jessica Rourke)
• Columbia restaurant owners excited about new federal aid program: Post & Courier (feat. Drew Martin)
• Harvest Hope names new CEO: Cola Daily (feat. alumna Erinn Rowe)
• Practice squad works behind scenes to prepare Gamecocks for NCAA Tournament: Post & Courier (feat. students Wyatt Ross and Tommy Webb)
• Pretty Girls Sweat aims to make exercise fun for USC women: Daily Gamecock (feat. student Ashley Simpson)
• Leaving a tip is an American custom. Why that’s a problem: CNBC (feat. Robin DiPietro)
• Historic Plaza Resort hires industry giant to manage hotel: Daytona Beach News-Journal (feat. Scott Smith)
• South Carolina travel agents: Vacation demand high as COVID pandemic drags on: Spartanburg Herald-Journal (feat. Simon Hudson)
• One month away from NASCAR's official throwback weekend: SCNow.com (feat. Tom Regan)

 

Faculty, staff and student notes

• Robin DiPietro was named an honorary professor by the University of Aruba.
• Marketa Kubickova and Jeff Campbell’s article, “Revisiting the relationship between destination quality and satisfaction: evidence from developing economy,” was published in Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research.
• Simon Hudson delivered a lecture on COVID-19 and the Hospitality Industry at an event sponsored by the UofSC Alumni Association and Prisma Heath.
• Hospitality Management major Sydney Accomando received the 2020 Tourism Student Award for outstanding academic achievement in culinary, hospitality and tourism studies. The award, given by the South Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition, includes a $1,000 scholarship.
• Alumna Jisset Pena (Sport and Entertainment Management, '08), now an athlete manager with Roc Nation, spoke via Zoom to Prof. Armen Shaomian’s Entertainment and the Law Class.
• Sport and Entertainment Management doctoral student Misun Won successfully defended her dissertation, “An Examination of Sport Ticket Price Acceptability and Surcharge Transparency in Partitioned Pricing.”
• Andy Gillentine’s Cuernavaca Special sandwich was featured in the April edition of Food Network Magazine and on sandwichoftheweek.com.
• Kristin Malek (M.I.H.T.M. International Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2012) hosted a webinar on “Learning Engagement Strategies” as part of the “Excellence in Teaching and Research” virtual program by Sumy State University and Washington State University.

Alumni news

Accomplishments/Awards:

• Kristin Malek (M.I.H.T.M. International Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2012) hosted a webinar on “Learning Engagement Strategies” as part of the “Excellence in Teaching and Research” virtual program by Sumy State University and Washington State University. 
• Shannon Schoultz (B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management, 2012) was selected by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity to participate in its program as a 2021 Pathfinder. 

Job Changes/Promotions:

2020

• Bridget Conley (B.S. Retail Management) started a new position as an allocation analyst with The TJX Companies, Inc. 
• Samantha Gallagher (B.S. Fashion Merchandising) started a new position with Salvatore Ferragamo as a public relations associate. 
• Jeremy Zhao (B.S. Tourism Management) started a position as a front office agent with Grand Hotel Beijing. 
• Ashley Zimmer (B.S. Hospitality Management, 2018, M.I.H.T.M. International Hospitality and Tourism Management) started a position with Tara Investments as the front office manager at Homewood Suites by Hilton Charleston Historic District.

2019

• Alexandria Hill (B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position in football operations with the National Football League.

2017

• India Harrison (B.S. Fashion Merchandising) started a new position as a senior supply chain associate with The Farmer’s Dog.
• Elizabeth Martin (B.S. Hospitality Management) started a new position with OneTrust as a marketing events coordinator. 

2016

• Lexi Griffith (B.S. Fashion Merchandising) started a position with Under Armour as a global merchandise planner. 

2013

• Casey Crum (B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position with Studio71, LP, as a director of account management.
• Mallory Ketchem (B.S. Fashion Merchandising) started a new position with Nike as an integrated marketplace manager — Express Lane. 

2012

• Robert Ciccotelli (B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position with Stack Sports as a sales executive, Revenue. 
• Brittany Doyle (B.S. Tourism Management) started a new position as a paid digital media strategist with IMG Academy.

2011

• Gillian Rumpf (B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position with The Home Depot as a brand development manager.

2010

• Adam Berrios (B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as the director of sales with Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.
• Glenn Brown (B.S. Hospitality Management) started a new position with Marriott International as a food and beverage manager. 

2010

• Jason Wasserman (B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position with Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler as a partner. 

2005

• Christina Argeris Thigpen (M.H.R.T.M. Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management) started a position with the City of Charlotte as the deputy director of economic cevelopment. 
• Drea Braxmeier (B.S. Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as vice president of Edelman. 

2003

• Lily Feng (B.S. Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management) started a new position with Prism Hotels & Resorts as a regional director of finance.