Skip to Content

College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

  • headshots of Rick Lackland, Katelyn Lizsnyai, Thomas Lokken, Destinee Rocker

March 2025 HRSM student, faculty, staff and alumni notes

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

In the News

Faculty and Staff Notes

  • Mike Watson has been named interim associate department chair for The Department of Retailing. He will start his duties in March.
  • Rich Harrill co-authored “Hotels in contested spaces of America's gun culture,” published in the March 2025 edition of Annals of Tourism Research.

Student Notes

  • School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Student Advisory Board members Meredith Aase, Brady Bocherer, Isabella Maritato and Scott Senkowski represented USC at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) 2025 in Los Angeles.
  • Congratulations to the new executive board of the USC National Retail Federation (NRF) student chapter: Abby Foy (President/University Ambassador) Kendall Gadsby Outreach Chair), JamieNeal Roe (Social Media Chair) and Michael Pugh (Executive Assistant).
  • More than two dozen Sport and Entertainment Management students worked the National Wild Turkey Federation convention in Nashville
  • Lane Boutwell (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an operations internship with Ripken Baseball for summer 2025.
  • Ginny Burt (Retailing - Retail Management) accepted a marketing position with Giggs in Nashville for after graduation in May.
  • Mackenzie Depinto (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an offer to join the Madison Square Garden Student Associate Program this summer as a premium hospitality student associate.
  • Paige Elleo (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a summer internship with Morris Elite Soccer Club.
  • Rodrigo Feller (Sport and Entertainment Management Ph.D.) won Best in Track Presentation in the Sport Business Track at his first ever Global Sport Business Association Conference.
  • Jessica Gregorio (Sport and Entertainment Management) led the planning and logistical management for Cockstock 2025.
  • Hope Hackling (Retailing) accepted a merchandising internship with Carter’s in Atlanta for this summer.
  • Maria Holevas, Lia Tenebruso and Anna Wilson represented HRSM and all of USC at New York Fashion Week, in an experience made possible by a partnership between the Department of Retailing, USC Office of Trademark Licensing, and CLC / Learfield's U of NYFW program.
  • John Sawyer Leonard (Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as baseball data scout at Sports Info Solutions.
  • Katie Lewis (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an offer to fulfill her final internship requirement as a full season golf operations intern focused in women’s golf at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm after graduation in May.
  • Finnea Loftus (Retailing) accepted a new position as special projects intern at Belk.
  • Thomas Lokken (Hospitality Management) accepted a role as an inside sales representative with the Nashville Predators for after graduation in May. He previously interned with the team.
  • Julia Miller (Retailing - Retail Management) accepted a full-time role with Goosehead Insurance as an account executive in their Charlotte office for after graduation in May, and recently earned her agent license.
  • Karen O'Neill (Hospitality Management, '97) began a new role as SVP with SONIFI Solutions.
  • Ryan Parker (Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position with the Gamecock Football video operations team.
  • Matt Pinkowski (Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as receptionist at Colonial Life Arena.
  • Raymond Pioli (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position with BSE Global as an inside sales representative for after graduation in May. BSE manages the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, Barclays Center, and Long Island Nets.
  • Hannah Proce (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a marketing internship with Live Nation Entertainment.
  • Carson Pruett (Sport and Entertainment Management) and Dante Ratto (Master of Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted inside sales consultant positions with the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans for after graduation in May.
  • Caitlyn Rascher (Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as a sales development representative at VOZZI.
  • Katie Vance (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted an internship with the Harrisonburg Turks baseball team for this summer.
  • Katie Zimmerman (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a role as a sales associate with the New Jersey Devils for after graduation in May.

Alumni Notes

  • Sarah Arrigo (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘23) was promoted to client service representative at Playfly Sports in the Home Team Sports division.
  • Sophia Barnes (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘24) started a new position as partnership services coordinator with the Charlotte Knights.
  • Katherine Cazayoux (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘24) served as operations assistant for the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee.
  • Luc Chang (Master of Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘23) accepted a new role as brand marketing supervisor with Nike Taiwan.
  • Michael DiPaola (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘19) started a new position as manager, concession operations at Augusta National Golf Club.
  • Rick Lackland (Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Administration, ‘86) was named the 2025 Sales/Marketing/Catering Employee of the Year by the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. Lackland is a member of the HRSM Alumni Society Board.
  • Zach Lambert (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘24) will be joining the Baltimore Orioles Ballpark Operations team for the 2025 season.
  • Katelyn Lisznyai (Master of Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘24) accepted a new position as senior manager of marketing and communication with the Lake Erie Crushers.
  • Jeremy Mann (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘24) started a new position as account executive with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.
  • Hannah Margeson (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘24) accepted a new position as coordinator of client services at Aquarius Sports and Entertainment.
  • Luke Massey (Hospitality Management, ‘22) joined the Business Development team at SONAR, helping to make supply chain decisions easier for shippers all over through cutting edge data and analytics software.
  • Conor Mitchum (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘19) started a new position as senior account executive with the Charleston RiverDogs.
  • Elijah Neal (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘23) started a new position as account executive at RSM Retail Sports Marketing.
  • Nikki O'Brien (Sport and Entertainment Management, '11) accepted a new position as client development director with Ticketmaster.
  • Destinee Rocker (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘22) began a new role as founder and certified travel agent with Elegant Escape Travels.
  • Jenna Roberts (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘09) was promoted to assistant box office manager at Bojangles Entertainment Complex with Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
  • Travis White (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘20) started a new position as general manager of social at Five Iron Golf.

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

©