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College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

  • Graphic with headshots of Marissa Bayer, Riki Menninger, Zepeng Jake Liu and Lauren McGraw

April 2023 HRSM student, faculty, staff and alumni notes

Posted on: April 6, 2023; Updated on: April 6, 2023
By Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu

In the News

Student Notes

  • Hospitality Management Ph.D. students Lali Odosashvili and Swechchha Subedi (advised by Professor Drew Martin), won the Best Student-led Completed Paper Award at the 8th Annual SECSA-CHRIE conference for their paper "Understanding Mindfulness: Is Covid-19 a social tipping point?"
  • Addison Arey (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as a flight attendant with Breeze Airways for after graduation in May.
  • Yuhao Chen (Tourism Management) will continue his education with graduate school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign after graduation in May.
  • Bella Dolan (Sport and Entertainment Management) attended the first in-person ExploreCAA program at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles.
  • Adnaan Dossaji (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a business operations internship at Columbia Craft Brewing Company.
  • Brooke Fopeano (Sport and Entertainment Management) will pursue a J.D. at Stetson University School of Law after graduation this May.
  • Brett Galonczyk (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a corporate partnerships internship with the Winston-Salem Dash for summer 2023.
  • Jenna Garand (Retailing) accepted a summer 2023 internship with Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
  • Ellie Givens (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) will be joining the Kohl's Internships team as a leadership and management intern for summer 2023.
  • Angela Grillo (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an event management internship with the Columbia Fireflies for summer 2023.
  • Sean Grimes (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position for after graduation in May as an account executive at Maverick Events in Dallas, Texas
  • Emma Halderman (Hospitality Management) accepted a programming internship with NBC Sports.
  • Riley Hardy (Tourism Management) accepted a hospitality rotational internship for summer 2023 at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte.
  • Caiti Lieberman (Hospitality Management) accepted a position as communications assistant at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte for after graduation this May.
  • Zepeng "Jake" Liu (Tourism Management) will continue his education by pursuing a master’s degree at Purdue University’s White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management after graduation in May.
  • Lauren McGraw (Hospitality Management) accepted a position with Marriott International as a Food and Beverage Voyager in Charlotte for after graduation in May.
  • Jenna Myers (Hospitality Management) accepted an internship with Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants at Mon Ami Gabi in Las Vegas for summer 2023.
  • Carly Pavenski (Hospitality Management) accepted an internship with Greenville Country Club for summer 2023.
  • Jordyn Petroff (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a retail and sales operations internship with the Cleveland Guardians for summer 2023.

Faculty/Staff Notes

  • Department of Retailing faculty members Sang-Eun Byun, Jeff Campbell, Karen Edwards, Jiyeon Kim, Rafiqul Rana and Donna Watts presented at this year's American Collegiate Retailing Association Virtual Conference. Campbell also serves as secretary for the association.
  • Marketa Kubickova, as president of SECSA CHRIE (the Southeast, Central and South American Federation of the Council on International Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education), led the organization’s successful annual conference in Orlando, Florida.
  • Erica Lake completed her Ph.D. in educational leadership and administration at the USC College of Education.
  • Eric Nichols successfully defended his dissertation, completing his Ph.D. in Sport and Entertainment Management from HRSM.
  • Armen Shaomian, as president of the Music & Entertainment Industry Educators Association, led a successful 44th MEIEA Summit in Las Vegas and received the MEIEA Outstanding Service Award.
  • Richard Southall and Mark Nagel published the book The NCAA and the Exploitation of College Profit-Athletes, available through USC Press.
  • Scott Taylor published "Exploring consumer perceptions of no- and low-alcohol craft beers" in the Journal of Consumer Marketing.
  • Nick Watanabe and Johan Rewilak published "Where Analytics Gets it Wrong" in the Journal of Applied Sport Management.

Alumni Notes

  • Zahria Barber (Hospitality Management, '19) started a new position as an interactive marketing specialist at Swickard Auto Group.
  • Lauren Battista (Hospitality and Tourism Management, '14) was featured in a USC video highlighting her role as Dallas-Fort Worth Gamecock Club Director.
  • Andrea Belfanti (Hospitality Management, '00) was named one of the 100 Most Inspirational Leaders in Hospitality and Travel for 2023 by the International Hospitality Institute.
  • Marissa Bayer (Sport and Entertainment Management, '20) was promoted to director of marketing and fan experience with the University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics.
  • Riki Benninger (Sport and Entertainment Management, '18) started a new position as sales manager at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Union Station.
  • Patrick DeLozier (Hospitality Management, '01) formed the DeLozier Group, a new company with the mission to provide a unique approach to executive search and consulting services in the private club and hospitality industries. The firm will specialize in high-touch service to place candidates for the long-term in addition to providing the strategy, support and innovative tools for club leaders to succeed.
  • Brannon Desseyn (Sport and Entertainment Management, '14) started a new position as group product manager with Eventbrite.
  • Helen Hall-Leland (Retailing - Retail Management, '15), founder of Blender Bombs, was featured in WeFunder’s list of Top 10 companies run by women.
  • Kate MacCoy (Hospitality Management, '06) was named to the BizBash 40 Under 40 list.
  • Katie May (Tourism Management, '18) started a new position as senior human resources generalist, North America with Trident Trust.
  • Kenzie McCarter (Sport and Entertainment Management, '22) was promoted to marketing manager with Provident Music Group’s Essential Worship. Provident is a Nashville-based division  of Sony Music. Kenzie first joined Provident as an intern during her senior year as a USC student.
  • Ashlyn Ooi (B.S. Hospitality Management '21, M.I.H.T.M. '22) started a new position as events and meetings intern at the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion.
  • Casey Perri (Hospitality Management, '17) started a new position as a corporate meeting and event planner with Colonial Life.
  • Anne Reamer (Interdisciplinary Studies, '00) was named one of five finalists for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

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