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College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

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May 2024 HRSM student, faculty, staff and alumni notes

Posted on: May 9, 2024; Updated on: May 9, 2024
By Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu

In the News

Faculty and Staff Notes

  • Congratulations to the 2023-24 HRSM Faculty and Staff Award winners:
    • Darron Kirkley, Harry E. and Carmen S. Varney Distinguished Teacher of the Year and School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Teacher of the Year
    • Stephanie Taylor, Department of Retailing Teacher of the Year
    • Steve Taylor, Department of Sport and Entertainment Management Teacher of the Year
    • Tina Weaver, Staff Member of the Year
    • Jung-Hwan Kim, Patricia G. Moody Distinguished Researcher of the Year
    • Matt Brown, Brian J. and Linda L. Mihalik Global Scholar
    • Hui Jiang, Outstanding Doctoral Student Researcher of the Year
    • Damla Sonmez, Outstanding Doctoral Student Teacher of the Year
    • Donna Watts received the 2024 USC Faculty Integrity Award
  • Armen Shaomian completed the University of South Carolina's Emerging Leaders Program.
  • Collin Crick completed USC’s Pipeline for Academy Leaders Fellowship Program.
  • Scott Taylor Jr. and Ph.D. student Damla Sonmez authored "Nutrition and Nature: Means-End Theory in Crafting Sustainable and Health-Conscious Meal Kit Experiences," published in Sustainability.
  • Scott Taylor Jr. co-authored "Forecasting the Mexican craft beer market: an integrated consumer perception conjoint analysis approach incorporating price and product attributes," published in the International Journal of Wine Business Research. HRSM alumnus Diego Bufquin was also a co-author.
  • Robby Lybrand served as a judge at the National ProStart Invitational, hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

Student Notes

  • Congratulations to the College of HRSM students recognized for academic excellence and leadership at University of South Carolina Awards Day.
    • Dean's Award for Outstanding Leadership and President’s Award: Maddi McLean
    • Academic Excellence Awards:
      • Hospitality Management: Caroline Aase
      • Tourism Management: Rorie Pyle
      • Retailing, Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations: Samantha Fedel
      • Retailing, Retail Management: Darby Klemz
      • Retailing, Retail Management: Julia Rothman
      • Sport and Entertainment Management: Hannah Margeson
      • Interdisciplinary Studies in Services Management: JC Nahra
      • Outstanding Senior: Maggie Jones 
  • Congratulations to the following HRSM students on earning Graduation with Leadership Distinction: Julia Burden, Caroline Carbone, Piper Carter, Makayla Coats, Isabelle Edson, Morgan Garrett, Neely Hicks, Ellie Hill, Maya Kanich, Madelyn Lindsay, Maddi McLean, Kennedy Petersen, Gabi Reed, Stephanie Ripp, Caroline Salisbury, Rose Spagnuolo, Emma Trombley, Eliza Turnage, Marissa Womack and Carlo White.
  • Retailing students visited Fox Sports’ Charlotte headquarters for a special guided tour led by Head of Wardrobe/Senior Stylist Hade Robinson and including opportunities to meet and talk with other executives.
  • Sport and Entertainment Management students worked the Credit One Charleston Open and the 2024 Dreamville Festival.
  • Hundreds of USC students including many from HRSM worked the Masters Tournament in Augusta, thanks to a program offered by HRSM.
  • Caroline Aase (Hospitality Management) and Manshi Patel (Tourism Management) represented HRSM in the inaugural Collegiate Hotel Turnaround Competition at the 2024 AAHOA Convention and Trade Show. Faculty members Charles Partlow and Scott Smith served as coaches.
  • Caroline Aase (Hospitality Management) accepted a position as an analyst in the Transactions and Asset Management Department at IHG Hotels & Resorts, based in Atlanta.
  • Caroline Ailstock (Retailing - Retail Management) will attend Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s Sophomore Summit event this month.
  • Cornelius Alexander Jr. (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a football coaching position for his summer internship with the Providence Panthers.
  • Max Bass (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as a management trainee with Circa Resort & Casino.
  • Madison Baldwin (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) accepted a retail internship at The Breakers Palm Beach for this summer.
  • Avery Balfour (Hospitality Management) accepted a position with LPL Financial as a business development associate in Fort Mill, SC.
  • Brooke Becchetti (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position with the New England Knockouts as an intern for their inaugural season,
  • Jake Brown (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position with the Charlotte Knights as a ticket office gameday associate.
  • Kenneth Campbell (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a ticketing internship with Nashville Soccer Club for this summer.
  • Mary Beth Carman (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position with the New Orleans Pelicans and the New Orleans Saints as an inside sales consultant.
  • Kylie Corbett (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a new position as an operations traveling intern with the American Junior Golf Association.
  • Matthew Curtis (Retailing) accepted a position with Cvent as a sales development representative/account management associate.
  • Molly Danaher (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a summer position as a youth coach for the Soccer Shots branch in NYC.
  • Brooke Darby (Interdisciplinary Studies in Services Management, minor in Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a new position as resident services manager at The Standard at Columbia.
  • Bella Dolan (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an internship with Creative Artists Agency’s Digital Media Department in their Los Angeles office for the summer.
  • Benjamin Drago (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a summer position at Bellewood Country Club as a member of their course maintenance department.
  • Jaime Duffey (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) accepted a  summer marketing and e-commerce internship with Serà Fine Silk in Milan, Italy.
  • Robert Francisci (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a summer remote operations internship with MLB Network.
  • Maisie Fischel (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a year-long internship with the Carolina Panthers Premium Services team.
  • Jenna Garand (Hospitality Management) accepted a summer hospitality rotational internship at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte.
  • Anna Goeppner (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as a Project Management Associate with CAA ICON.
  • Madison Graham (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a new position as settlement coordinator with Live Nation in Washington, D.C. after graduation. She interned with Live Nation while still a student.
  • Caitlin Griffin (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a sales and service coordinator.
  • Alexandra Grippo (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an inside sales team position with the Brooklyn Nets.
  • Kassidy Hejlik (Retailing - Retail Management) accepted a summer styling internship with Boot Barn in Irvine, California.
  • Jenna Heuer (Retailing) accepted a role as a buying intern with Academy Sports + Outdoors for this summer. She will be based in Houston.
  • Kinsey Holmen (Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as a premium match day space staff member with Charlotte FC.
  • Sara Hrivnak (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a summer merchandising internship with the Harrisburg Senators.
  • Jessica Hubert (Hospitality Management) accepted a position at the Marriott Crystal Shores Resort on Marco Island, Florida as an intern in the recreation/ activities department.
  • Montarius Jones (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a stadium operations summer internship with the Columbia Fireflies.
  • Michael Keisler (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a summer sales and marketing internship with Sports, Sponsorships and Events Consulting.
  • Darby Klemz (Retailing - Retail Management) accepted a position with Belk in their Retail Development Program - Planning.
  • Kathryn Kuchinski (Sport and Entertainment Management)was chosen as a USC University 101 Peer Leader for Fall 2024.
  • Payton Kurtz (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) accepted a summer internship in guest relations at the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in Montana.
  • Camaya Lewis (Sport and Entertainment Management) worked at the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) Qualifier and State Basketball Championships.
  • Kaitlyn Lewis (Sport and Entertainment Management) was chosen as Special Events Director for USC Dance Marathon.
  • Hannah Margeson (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an internship with Bespoke Sports & Entertainment in Charlotte.
  • Maddi McLean (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a new position as a seasonal intern with the Baltimore Ravens football operations department.
  • Matthew Monteleone (Sport and Entertainment Management) was awarded the Season Ticket Slugger bat by the Columbia Fireflies for exceptional sales performance.
  • Chris Mullen (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a new position as an Inside Sales Representative with the Nashville Predators.
  • Rollins Nix (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an event operations Internship with FC Cincinnati.
  • Ava Patak (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a ticketing internship for the summer with the Washington Wild Things in Washington, Pa.
  • Carson Pickert (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an inside sales representative position with the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • Ian Piihl (Sport and Entertainment Management) was inducted into the USC Russell House Hall of Fame.
  • Noah Reiter (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as an inside sales consultant for the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans.
  • Junior Saint Juste (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a summer operations internship with the South Carolina United FC Bantams.
  • Caroline Salisbury (Tourism Management) received the University of South Carolina Hall of Leaders Award for her work as president of the USC Homecoming Commission.
  • Gregory Sanders (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a stadium and facility operations internship with the Columbia Fireflies.
  • Madi Schnepfe (Tourism Management) was awarded the Maryland Tourism Education Foundation Scholarship and theCollege of HRSM’s R. Roy Pearce Family Endowment Scholarship.
  • Alyssa Schwartz (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a new position as a recreation intern at Frederick County Parks & Recreation.
  • Kennedy Silverman (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as a creative media intern with Gamecock Athletics starting in the fall.
  • Adam Simpson (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as Glow Squad - marketing intern with the Columbia Fireflies.
  • Rosie Spagnuolo (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as a corporate partnership activation associate with the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Madilyn Steffe (Advertising and Sport and Entertainment Management) was promoted to director of research and insights at The Carolina Agency.
  • Nicholas Striveri (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as inside sales associate with the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • Eliza Turnage (Sport and Entertainment Management) worked Monday After the Masters, Hootie and the Blowfish’s charity golf tournament and accepted a position as a talent team intern with Live Nation.
  • Camden Wheeler (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) accepted a summer position as a marketing intern for Red Saffron Milano in Milan, Italy.
  • Carlo White (Hospitality Management) earned the Carolina Sales Institute Salesperson of the Year Award.
  • Merritt Woodham (Hospitality Management) accepted a position as a digital marketing associate with Capital City Financial Partners.

Alumni Notes

  • Kate Ashton (Hospitality Management, '20) received the Empire Distributors 2023 Retail Wine District Manager of the Year award.
  • Joseph Belmonte (Sport and Entertainment Management, '22) started a new position as assistant account manager, CRM with GSE Live at Genesco Sports Enterprises.
  • Madison Briley (Hospitality Management, '21) accepted a new position as club event planner at the Bald Head Island Club.
  • Andy Co (Sport and Entertainment Management, '19) began his term as student body president of the University of Miami School of Law.
  • Graham Cooley (Hospitality Management, '22) was promoted to Sales Manager for the Signia by Hilton Atlanta.
  • Ryan Daniels ( B.S. Hospitality Management, '17, Master of International Hospitality and Tourism Management, '19) started a new position as national account manager with Visit Phoenix.
  • Olivia Desantis (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, '23) started a new position as sales and experience advisor at Varsity Brands.
  • Kourtney (Dworsky) DeZellar (Sport and Entertainment Management, '16) started a new position as director, marketing at Barings.
  • Rachel Dixon (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, '20) accepted a new position as an associate planner in Sephora Makeup with Kohl’s.
  • Nicaela (Niki) Gray (Hospitality Management, '07) was promoted to director of events at Atrium Hospitality.
  • Katie Kudrna (Master of Sport and Entertainment Management, '23) started a new position as coordinator, client services and hospitality with the Tennessee Titans.
  • Jessie Lessin (Sport and Entertainment Management, '18) was inducted into the iHeartMedia CEO Club.
  • Ava Martemucci (Hospitality Management, '22) started a new position as centric district manager at ADP.
  • Jessica O’Neill (Sport and Entertainment Management, '12) was named to the Sport Business Journal 40 Under 40 Class of 2024.
  • Conor Pernetti (Sport and Entertainment Management, '22) was promoted to manager of membership services at Austin FC.
  • Carmen Steiner (Retailing, '17) was promoted to chief of staff at Runwise.
  • Olivia Stepp (Retailing - Retail Management, '23) accepted a new position as manager, merchandising & licensing with the LPGA.
  • Joanna Tiller (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, '20) started a new position as app and email designer at Victoria’s Secret & Co.

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