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College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

  • Portrait collage featuring Jenna Bernstein, Seonjin Lee, Brittany Martin and Jarett Gerald

July 2026 HRSM student, faculty, staff and alumni notes

Posted on: July 6, 2026; Updated on: July 6, 2026
By Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu

In the News

Faculty and Staff Notes

  • Nick Watanabe, Susmit Gulavani, Bradley Sharples, Natasha Brison, and Grace Yan were awarded the ASPIRE-AI grant from the USC Office of Research for their research titled "Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Innovation in Sport and Entertainment Management."
  • Murray Cohn gave a presentation at the ECHL Summer Meetings in Nashville.
  • Mike Watson was featured in the article “Learning Tools Go Digital” in the latest issue of trade journal Floor Covering Weekly.
  • Tarlan Chahardovali’s article, “Inspirational Labor and the Affective Economy of Women’s Soccer Fandom," was published in Sociology of Sport Journal.
  • Md. Rafiqul Islam Rana and retailing student Susanna McCormick received a USC Undergraduate Research Mini-Grant for their research project: “Consumer Behavior within Secondhand and Fast Fashion: Substitution, Sustainability, and Overconsumption in the USC Community”. They will be conducting the project in the 26-27 school year.
  • ESPN broadcaster Debbi Antonelli and Sports Business Journal business of college sport reporter Ben Portnoy will co-teach a new class, “The Changing Landscape of College Sports,” in the David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management this fall. 

Student Notes

  • Reagan Audi (Retailing - Retail Management) volunteered with the partnerships team at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.
  • Peter Aysseh (Sport and Entertainment Management) will be joining Tampa Bay Sun FC as a soccer operations (equipment) intern for the Fall 2026 season.
  • Griffin Evans (Sport and Entertainment Management) was selected for an internship with Learfield as an associate coordinator – partnership services, supporting Gamecock Sports Properties.
  • Stella Feldman (Sport and Entertainment Management) began a summer internship with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation
  • Colby Frick (Sport and Entertainment Management) accepted a position as a 2026 training camp equipment intern with the Carolina Panthers.
  • Grace Karle (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations) earned the Inside LVMH certificate.
  • Marleigh Klamert (Sport and Entertainment Management) started a new position as a global sales intern with Legends Global this summer, supporting the Williams-Brice Reimagined project.
  • Seonjin Lee (Hospitality Management Ph.D.) earned both the Best Research Paper Award and the Best Presentation Award at the 56th Annual Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) Conference for his research on "Biases in Generative AI and What They Mean for Tourism Destinations."
  • Tanzil Nasir (Master of Retail Innovation) successfully finished his thesis and will graduate this summer. He will begin working on his Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee in the fall.
  • Megan Novo (Sport and Entertainment Management) started an investment internship with Optimum Sports, a part of Omnicom Media.

Alumni Notes

  • Tyler Austin (Retailing, ‘25) has been accepted into HRSM’s Master of Retail Innovation program and will begin this fall while serving as a graduate assistant in the Department of Retailing.
  • Sarah Barreca (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘17) was promoted to director of global merchandising for Converse Apparel at G-III Apparel Group.
  • Jenna Bernstein (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘26) started a new role with Oak View Group as account executive for premium sales and services at Enmarket Arena. She interned with OVG while still a student.
  • Madison Brown (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘25) started a new role as a sales assistant at G-III Apparel Group - Jessica Howard, Eliza J, and Vince Camuto Dresses.
  • Anna Chrisanthopoulos (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘26) started a new position as a category management coordinator with Heydude.
  • Daniel Clement (Hospitality Management, ‘23) has joined Fairmont Hotels & Resorts/Fairmont Washington, D.C. as executive meeting manager.
  • Catherine Coleman (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘26) accepted a new position as a hospitality and events trainee with MKTG in Charlotte.
  • Abbie Consoer (Hospitality Management, ‘22) accepted a new position as a Global Meetings & Corporate Events Specialist at the PGA Tour.
  • Zach Gayner (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘14) joined Seminole Hard Rock Support Services as vice president, global social media.
  • Cassie Geer (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘23) earned the ECHL Ticket Sales Professional of the Year award for the second consecutive season! Cassie generated over $1.4M in sales for the Savannah Ghost Pirates with Zawyer Sports & Entertainment.
  • Jarett Gerald (Sport and Entertainment Management, '11, Master of Sport and Entertainment Management, '15) was named Vice President of Athletics & Recreation and Director of Athletics at La Salle University.
  • Ryan Gottlieb (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘09) started a new role as deputy athletics director/chief commercial officer at Florida Atlantic University.
  • Nicole Gregorio (Hospitality Management, ‘26) started a new role as a Sales Coordinator with Four Seasons at the company’s corporate office in New York City.
  • Maddie Johnson (Master of Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘24) accepted the role of general manager of ticket sales for Carolina Ascent FC and Charlotte Independence.
  • Samantha Kinsley (Sport and Entertainment Management, '21) joined Silhouette Group Inc. as a luxury event producer.
  • Parker Knight (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘26) will return to USC to begin the MBA program at the Darla Moore School of Business.
  • Ella Kreinz (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘26) started a new role as a client solutions associate with Matlen Silver in their Charlotte office.
  • Erin Lewantowicz (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) was promoted to membership development specialist with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • Aidan Mahoney (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘26) will return to USC to begin the MBA program at the Darla Moore School of Business with a focus in finance.
  • Brittany Martin (Hospitality Management, ‘16) was selected as the recipient of the 2026 IAVM VMA Asia-Pacific Leadership Institute Scholarship.
  • Kayla Mason (Hospitality Management, ‘25) accepted a new position in the Disney Hospitality Leadership Program as a food and beverage leader at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
  • Griffin Miller (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘19) joined FlexWork Sports Management as director of partnership development.
  • Matt O’Brien (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘14) was promoted to director, head of U.S. Marketing at Reebok.
  • Justin Panner (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘23) joined the Philadelphia Eagles as a ticket operations coordinator.
  • Grace Parks (Hospitality Management, ‘26) started a new role as a food and beverage focused manager in training at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte.
  • Brennan Petrane (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) earned the Rookie of the Year award from Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) Ticket Sales and Service.
  • Brigid Pfeifer (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘23) was named account executive rookie of the year at Justworks' Revenue Kickoff.
  • Mikey Schnepfe (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘20) earned the Most Improved award from Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) Ticket Sales and Service.
  • Isabel Simon (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘26) accepted a new position as an account executive of operations and project management with Athleto Group in Chicago, following an internship with the company while still a student.
  • Maggie Thrasher (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘26) began a new role as a sport management marketing associate with Kraft Sports + Entertainment in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
  • Riley Toth (Hospitality Management, ‘26) accepted a position as a South Carolina sales ambassador with Next Level Marketing, representing Tito's Handmade Vodka.
  • Ryann Wiltsie (Sport and Entertainment Management, ‘25) will be attending Charleston School of Law to pursue her J.D.
  • Natalie Wright (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘26) accepted a new position as a temporary buying operations coordinator with Anthropologie.
  • Grace Yegge (Retailing - Fashion Merchandising and Digital Innovations, ‘26) will be moving to New York City to join UNIQLO as a management candidate after serving as a store management intern at the company’s Disney Springs location while still a student.

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