In the News
- “Winners and losers: Why has Columbiana Centre survived where other malls have failed?” Post and Courier (feat. Mike Watson)
- The next frontier of pickleball is coming to Greenville. Will it stick? Post and Courier (feat. Andy Gillentine)
- Want To Watch World Cup Final? Tickets Still Available on Morning of Game: Newsweek (feat. Stephen Shapiro)
- Wildfire smoke threatens the World Cup final. FIFA still doesn’t have a plan. Grist (feat. Nick Watanabe)
- USC grads live through Venezuela's earthquake, join rescue and relief efforts: WLTX (feat. 2026 grad Paulina Mejia)
- World Cup buzz has the potential to mint more soccer fans among kids — some just toddlers now: El Dorado News-Times (feat. Nick Watanabe)
- What Is Loud Budgeting? WalletHub (feat. Md. Rafiqul Islam Rana and Darron Kirkley)
- Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card Review: WalletHub (feat. Darron Kirkley)
- Best Credit Card Deals: WalletHub (feat. Donna Watts)
- How An Old Fire Station Became One Of Columbia, South Carolina’s Most Exciting New Restaurants: Southern Living (feat. Carolina LIFE Program/HRSM Employment Model)
Faculty and Staff Notes
- Congratulations to Matt Dunn, Chris Knezevich, Robby Lybrand, Laura Truell and Mike Watson, all promoted from instructor to senior instructor!
- Congratulations to School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Professor Miyoung Jeong on earning the ICHRIE Lifetime Research Achievement Award.
- Congratulations to School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Director Fevzi Okumus, one of the 2026 Global 100 Influential Educators in Hospitality as chosen by the International Hospitality Institute.
- David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management Professor Nick Watanabe led and moderated two panel discussions at the World Cup Diplomacy Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
- Congratulations to David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management Professor Natasha Brison on the publication of a textbook she co-authored, Legal Liability in Recreation, Events, and Hospitality: A Risk Management Approach, 5th edition.
- Congratulations to longtime HRSM Professor Emeritus Andy Gillentine on the publication of his new book, The Allegory of the Bow Tie: How Small Acts of Courage Create Big Changes.
- Congratulations to School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Ph.D. student Omid Oshriyeh and Professor Ercan Sirakaya-Turk. Their article, “Faith on the Vegas strip: Measuring Islamic religiosity via ARC" was published in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (SSCI, Q1, Impact Factor: 11.3).
- Congratulations to School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Professors Scott Taylor Jr. and Robin DiPietro on the publication of their article, "Campus Food Recovery: Balancing Sustainability and Student Needs" in ICHRIE Research Reports.
- Congratulations to School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Professor Marketa Kubickova on being chosen to serve on the International Luxury Hotel Association Advisory Council.
- School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Professor Scott Taylor Jr. partnered with School of the Earth, Ocean & Environment Professor Katherine Ryker to brew a special beer, “Rende-Brew,” for the SEOE’s annual conference.
- Congratulations to Retailing Professor Terry (Haekyung) Kim on the publication of an article she co-authored,”Beyond transparency: Moderating roles of personalization and need for cognition in explainable AI (XAI) recommendations and perceived fairness.” It was published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.
Student Notes
- HRSM students worked the MLS All-Star Game and the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship.
- Sam Bowers (Sport and Entertainment Management) earned the Game Changer Award as a Columbia Fireflies intern.
- Alayna Champ (Retailing) served on the Postsecondary & Workforce Validation Panel for Henrico County Public Schools.
- Nico Degabrielle (Sport and Entertainment Management) and Christian Emenecker (Hospitality Management, ‘26) are the inaugural recipients of the Club Foundation’s University of South Carolina Scholarship, a program established in 2026 to support current students and alumni who are pursuing careers in club management.
- Clare Ehnes, Carly Goldberg, Ashley Geller, Meadow Motroni and Morgan Silverman (all Retailing) are in New York City, working for Ralph Lauren at the U.S. Open.
- Nishka Gandhi (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) will be joining Alexandra Madison Weddings this fall as a retail coordinator intern.
- Dorian Hutcherson (Master of Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted the position of account executive of retention with the Gamecock Club.
- Tanzil Nasir (Master of Retail Innovation) successfully defended his master’s thesis, “The Impact of AI-Chatbot Quality on Customers’ Online Shopping Experience.”
Alumni Notes
- Nicole Anderson (Sport and Entertainment Management, '25) led the planning of the inaugural WNBA All-Star Mascot Breakfast during WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago as part of her role as event administrator, hospitality with Quint.
- Lauren Barth (Sport and Entertainment Management, '23) earned the New Jersey Devils Business Development MVP Award for the 2025-26 season.
- Ryan Brewer (Sport and Entertainment Management, '23, Master of Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) accepted a new position as associate director of development, collegewide initiatives with The Citadel Foundation.
- Will Brewster (Hospitality Management, ‘20) will be joining the Texas Association of School Boards as an event planner.
- Katherine Cazayoux (Sport and Entertainment Management, '24) started a new role as event operations manager with the Crescent City Classic in New Orleans.
- Mark Cormack (Sport and Entertainment Management, '10) started a new role as head of ticketing and events at Loudoun United Football Club.
- Sarah Haile (Sport and Entertainment Management, '13) started a new role as manager, brand sponsorships and experiential marketing at Capital One.
- Jessica Amick Harrell (Sport and Entertainment Management, '08) started a new role as executive director and CEO of USTA South Carolina.
- Aidan Heller (Sport and Entertainment Management, '25) started a new role as an events & engagement assistant with the Orlando Magic.
- Victoria Laudien (Sport and Entertainment Management, '26) started a new role with the Orange Bowl Committee as a marketing & promotions assistant for the 2026–2027 season.
- Kelli Lynch (Sport and Entertainment Management, '20) received the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Leadership Award.
- Jack Meakin (Hospitality Management, ‘18) joined First Hospitality as their vice president of business development.
- Madelyn Miller (Sport and Entertainment Management, '24) started a new role as manager, team travel & logistics with the Milwaukee Bucks.
- Zoé Pappas (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘26) will be attending Loughborough University London to pursue her master’s in sports marketing.
- Kason Pippin (Sport and Entertainment Management, '26) has committed to LSU Shreveport to pursue an MBA with a human resources management concentration.
- Shannon Schoultz (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘12) received the Award of Excellence for Dedication to the Young Lawyers Division at the Georgia Bar's annual meeting in June. As a member of the Georgia Bar, Shannon currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Young Lawyers Division and is co-chair of Inclusion in the Profession Committee.
- Joe Sobieralski (Sport and Entertainment Management, '01), University of South Carolina senior associate vice president for administration and business affairs, has been elected to serve as the new secretary to the USC Board of Trustees. He will remain university treasurer.