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College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

  • Portraits of Iyanna Alston-Hasselvander, Benjamin Drago, Scott Kaplan, and Ghazal Shams featured in the June 2025 News and Notes from the University of South Carolina College of HRSM.

June 2025 HRSM student, faculty, staff and alumni notes

Posted on: June 3, 2025; Updated on: June 3, 2025
By Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu

In the News

Faculty and Staff Notes

Student Notes

  • Tepper Scholars Morgan Guynn, Forrest Merrill, Kios Perrin II and Brianna Watts will intern with Tepper Sports & Entertainment in Charlotte this summer.
  • Eilea Andrews (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) will complete her practicum this summer with Hill House Home in Charleston.
  • Madison Boles (Master of Sport and Entertainment Management) will be joining CAA ICON this summer as a project management intern in Charlotte.
  • Ashley Brusca (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘14) started a new position as senior event manager at Rose Bowl Stadium.
  • Ryan Cizmar (Sport and Entertainment Management) began a merchandise internship with Perfect Game.
  • Ella Connelly (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) will be a celebration specialist with Bliss Bridal this summer.
  • Mackenzie DePinto (Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as premium hospitality student associate at Madison Square Garden Sports Corp
  • Benjamin Drago (Sport and Entertainment Management) completed the 3rd annual Cleveland Cavaliers and The Foundation Ticket Sales Team Virtual Sales Academy and began a summer internship with the Reading Royals.
  • Elizabeth Duce (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) began a summer internship with The Florida Room.
  • Lauren Frasier-Jeffries (Sport and Entertainment Management) began a summer internship with 23XI Racing.
  • Ava Fricker (Sport and Entertainment Management) began a summer internship at Primepoint HR & Payroll.
  • Blake Gossman (Hospitality Management) began an internship with Southern Way Catering.
  • Marisa Huerta (Hospitality Management) started a food and beverage internship with Beach House Resort in Hilton Head.
  • Jemyah Jones (Hospitality Management) was named to the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality National Board as Southern Regional Chair.
  • Zoe Mullins (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) started an internship on the visual merchandising team with Dick’s Sporting Goods.
  • Johannes Piket (Sport and Entertainment Management) began an outside operations internship at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
  • Madi Schnepfe (Tourism Management) accepted a summer internship with Celebrity Packaged Goods, and will return as College of HRSM marketing and social media intern for the fall semester.
  • Emese Simko (Sport and Entertainment Management) is interning with GoHammerhead after working events with the company beginning last summer.
  • Ghazal Shams (Ph.D. Hospitality Management) was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award (Instructor of Record) for 2024–2025 by the University of South Carolina.
  • Ellie Weissenburger (Sport and Entertainment Management) will serve as a corporate partnerships and ticket sales intern with Peak Sports MGMT this summer, working with Wofford College Athletics.

Alumni Notes

  • Iyanna Alston-Hasselvander (Sport and Entertainment Management, '24) started a new position as seasonal video intern with the Los Angeles Chargers.
  • Badr Badraoui successfully defended his dissertation to complete his Ph.D. in Hospitality Management. His topic was "Strategic pricing in a disrupted hospitality landscape: asset valuation, competitive behavior and consumer preferences."
  • Andy Co (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘19) was featured in a story by the University of Miami about his ongoing success. He will be joining Alston & Bird as a finance associate in their Charlotte office this fall.
  • Kyle Cooper (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) accepted a new role as an event operations staff member with FC Cincinnati.
  • Grace Cornell (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) accepted a new position as 2025-26 events intern with the Washington Commanders.
  • Olivia Donofrio (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) was selected for the prestigious Legends/ASM Global Training Camp, a five-week program designed to develop future leaders in sports and entertainment.
  • Alyce Etter (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘25) accepted a new role as a buyer’s assistant at Shoe Carnival’s corporate headquarters.
  • Ashley Flannery (Hospitality Management, ‘25) accepted a new position as a sales associate with Frito-Lay.
  • Jordan Hamilton (Retailing, ‘25) accepted a new position with Anheuser-Busch as a brewery area manager at the company’s Cartersville (Georgia) Brewery.
  • DJ Hauben (Sport and Entertainment Management, '22) completed a concurrent J.D. and Master’s in Sport's Law and Business at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law, and will be joining Clark Hill Law as an associate attorney in the banking and financial services group, working out of both the Pittsburgh and Scottsdale offices.
  • Aidan Heller (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) accepted a new position as arena experience and operations graduate associate with the Orlando Magic.
  • Jenna Heuer (Retailing, ‘25) accepted a position as an executive in training with Academy Sports + Outdoors at their corporate headquarters. She will be placed in an assistant buying role.
  • Julia Latham (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) accepted a new role as public relations intern with Ferragamo in New York City.
  • Annabella Martuscelli (Hospitality Management, ‘25) accepted a new position as food and beverage supervisor at Tampa Yacht and Country Club.
  • Jarett Mayfield (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) accepted a position as wide receivers and defensive backs coach with the Providence Athletic Club Panthers.
  • Jordan McCraw (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘19) completed the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership York County program and was voted outstanding leader by his classmates.
  • Ryan McGowan (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘23) started a new position as a guest services coordinator with Quint.
  • Macy McLaughlin (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘25) accepted a new role as director of retail with Alpine Country Club.
  • Sydney Mellody (Hospitality Management, ‘25) accepted a new position as an inside sales consultant with the Charlotte Hornets.
  • Emily Perrone (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘20) accepted a new role as manager 1, partner solutions at Paramount Brand Studio.
  • Sara Piper (Hospitality Management, ‘07) was featured in Manage HR Magazine.
  • Casey Rand (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘25) accepted a new role as a merchandise assistant at Belk corporate headquarters in Charlotte.
  • Sydney Richardson (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘21) completed her MBA at Limestone University and started a new role as program account manager at Signatures Apparel.
  • Zoe Straugnn (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) accepted a new position as partnership marketing coordinator with the Richmond Kickers Pro Soccer Club.
  • Josh Strickland (Master of Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as executive vice president at Vig Pak.
  • Davis Tapp (Sport and Entertainment Management, '23) accepted a new role as a group sales account executive with the Charlotte Hornets.
  • Dylan Wyandt (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) began a new role as an Orange Ambassador with the Chesapeake Baysox.
  • Brooke Zerbe (Hospitality Management, ‘25) accepted a new position as event coordinator with River Hills Country Club in Lake Wylie, South Carolina.

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