In the News
- Honor Roll: David Stotlar — The Mentor (feat. Stephen Shapiro and Tom Regan) Sports Business Journal
- Dawn Staley brings leadership lessons to USC: WIS
- How Dawn Staley's book, coaching change gave 110 South Carolina students new curriculum: Greenville Online
- ‘It could be the edger’: USC’s Dawn Staley launches leadership program for students: SC Daily Gazette
- Dawn Staley Leadership Academy officially begins: Yahoo News
- Dawn Staley-inspired leadership classes debut at University of South Carolina: The State
- USC College of HRSM launches Dawn Staley Leadership Academy: ColaDaily
- Dawn Staley Leadership Academy officially begins: WLTX
- "We can also stop hunger": USC fights student food insecurity with new free meal locations (feat. Scott Taylor Jr.) WACH
- University of South Carolina celebrates launch of new Feed the Flock refrigerators (feat. Scott Taylor Jr.) ABC Columbia
- College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management founds Dawn Staley Leadership Academy (feat. HRSM students Makayla Clay and Emmy Ross) Daily Gamecock
- Charlotte Knights pitch $13.3M county share for Truist Field renovations, but officials want more details (feat. Tom Regan) Charlotte Business Journal
- What’s the most important thing to look for in a credit card for international travel? (feat. Mike Watson) WalletHub
- Do you think consumers put too much emphasis on a credit card’s annual fee? (feat. Md. Rafiqul Islam Rana) WalletHub
Faculty and Staff Notes
- Congratulations to the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management on earning rankings of No. 5 in the U.S., No. 12 globally and No. 1 in the category of world-class faculty among hospitality and tourism management programs!
- Congratulations to Professor Lori Pennington-Gray on being awarded a Fulbright Specialist tenure for three years!
- Congratulations to Fevzi Okumus on the publication of Competitiveness of SMEs in Hospitality and Tourism: A Multidisciplinary Approach, for which he served as editor.
- Congratulations to Tarlan Chahardovali on the publication of her article “Equal Goals, Unequal Standards: The Policy Debate on Goalpost Dimensions in Women’s Football” in the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics. Her co-author was former HRSM faculty member Johan Rewilak.
- Congratulations to Terry (Haekyung) Kim on the publication of her article “Can AI write authentic CSR? Effects of message source across informational and narrative CSR communication” in Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.
- Congratulations to John Grady on completing a year-long term as a Faculty Research Fellow with the USC division of Student Affairs and Academic Support (SAAS). His research project focused on enhancing access for students with disabilities and others to campus events and facilities and included research collaborators Amber Fallucca and sport and entertainment management students Marshall Gada and Jake Kali. Read more about the project: Meet the inaugural Student Affairs Faculty Research Fellows - Student Affairs and Academic Support | University of South Carolina
Student Notes
- Cori Johnson (Sport & Entertainment Management) worked the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, IL.
- Jake Kali (Sport & Entertainment Management) worked the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, IL.
- Grace Martin (Sport & Entertainment Management) worked the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, IL.
- Colleen Raycroft (Fashion Merchandising) interned with Conner Ives for the Spring/Summer 2027 Fashion Show in New York City.
- Zoe Elwell (Sport & Entertainment Management) stepped into a new role with College Hockey South as Head of Community Relations.
- Madeleine Schmidt (Sport & Entertainment Management) just joined Greene Street Records as an A&R Administration/Publishing Coordinator.
- Samantha Diaz (Sport & Entertainment Management) accepted a position as an Event Sales Associate with Sports Promotions Group.
- Lisa DeGise (Hospitality Management) started a new position as a Store Manager at Petite Party Shop.
- Teia Perez (Retailing) accepted a full-time offer with American Eagle Outfitters Inc. as a Merchandising Teammate.
- Lindsay Refsnider (Sport & Entertainment Management) worked alongside the Charlotte Sports Foundation at Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium.
- Brynn Atlas (Sport & Entertainment Management) accepted a part-time position with SellOutSource, supporting USA Rugby matches in the Nashville area.
- Olivia Arriaga (Sport & Entertainment Management) accepted a position to be an Event Day Associate with Ticketing Operations with the Carolina Panthers for the Fall 2026 season.
- Nathan Wilhoyte (Sport & Entertainment Management) starting a new position as Special Event Staff at the Columbia Fireflies.
Alumni Notes
- Kaila Regan (Hospitality Management ‘26) began her Master’s degree in Sport & Entertainment Management.
- Elijah Frechette (Sport & Entertainment Management ‘26) accepted a position with LAA Sports & Entertainment as a Recruiting Associate.
- Caroline Lange (Marketing? ‘25) joined the team at Emily McCarthy as the Operations Manager for their new Charleston location.
- Samantha Fedel (Retailing ‘26) joined PlayOn Sports as a Product Marketing Specialist.
- Timothy White (Sport & Entertainment Management ‘26) accepted a full-time position as an Office & Events Coordinator with S.A.F.E Management in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Sara Sabry (Sport & Entertainment Management ‘16) started a new position as Director, Premium Service & Operations at Oak View Group.
- Liam Sullivan (Hospitality Management ‘26) completed his internship with Xanterra Travel Collection and is now working at The Oasis at Death Valley in Death Valley National Park, California.
- Kieran Burgess (Hospitality Management ‘25) started a new job as a Beverage Sales-Consultant for Johnson Brothers Maverick in Houston, Texas.
- Mallory Ketchem (Retailing ‘13) started a new position as a Principal Sales Director at Nike.
- Emily Cox (Retailing ‘26) joined Low Country Case & Millwork and The Helm as an Executive Assistant.
- Grace Clerk (Sport & Entertainment Management ‘22) began her legal career at BakerHostetler in their Atlanta office.
- Justin Merkle (Sport & Entertainment Management ‘22) started a new role as an Event Manager at The ECNL.
- R. Jacob Gilbert (Master of Sport & Entertainment Management ‘18) was accepted and will be pursuing a PhD in Law at the University of Sydney.
- Savannah Miller (Master in Hospitality and Tourism Management ‘26) was promoted to Food & Beverage Manager at Dallas Athletic Club.
- Trevor Lazarus (Hospitality Management ‘26) accepted a position as an Assistant Manager at Silver Lake Lodge.
- Samantha Bailey (Retailing ‘26) joined The Home Depot as a Merchandise Planner at the corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Jakhi Brown (Master of Sport & Entertainment Management ‘26) joined the University of South Carolina Upstate as the Assistant Director of Intramurals, Club Sports, and Summer Camps.