Dear Alumni, Friends, and Students, I hope this newsletter finds you well and that your summer included moments of rest and joy with family and friends. As we begin a new academic year, I am delighted to share highlights from the past year and plans for what lies ahead. The past year was one of […]
Youngdeok Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor (Summer 2025)Department of Retailing, University of South Carolina My Ph.D. experience at UT was truly the most rewarding journey of my life. The dedicated scholars in our program supported me relentlessly, and their guidance led to an incredible outcome. I am deeply grateful to all the professors I had in […]
Lexane Adrion, Class of 2019, Merchandise and Business Planner for Gucci Lexane entered the Neiman Marcus Executive Development program after graduation, later becoming an Assistant Buyer. In 2021, she became an Analyst for Tommy Hilfiger. Her career with Gucci began in 2023, where she serves as a Merchandise and Business Planner. Lexane says that “RHTM’s […]
HTM – Grace Keffer, Omni Nashville HotelThis summer, Grace Keffer, a senior in HTM, completed an internship at the Omni Nashville Hotel. She gained hands-on experience across several departments, including front office, housekeeping, food & beverage, and banquets, which provided a comprehensive view of full-service hotel operations. One highlight of her internship was assisting with […]
The 20th Annual Student Enrichment Fundraiser was a tremendous success, thanks to the dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and the support of our industry partners and friends. This year we were honored to recognize Commissioner Mark Ezell of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development for his outstanding leadership and contributions to Tennessee’s thriving hospitality […]
Ebony M. Robinson, Teaching Assistant Professor Ebony M. Robinson joins RHTM as a Teaching Assistant Professor after serving two years as an Assistant Professor in Human Development and Consumer Sciences at the University of Houston. She earned her doctoral degree in Consumer and Design Sciences from Auburn University in 2023, an M.F.A. in Luxury and […]
Dr. Andrew D. Holt Endowed Professorship – College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Hongping Zhang received the Dr. Andrew D. Holt Endowed Professorship Award in recognition of her excellence in teaching, research, and service. From 2022 to 2024, Zhang generated 3,525 student credit hours while consistently demonstrating exceptional teaching quality. Students commend her for […]
Dr. Hongping Zhang, Hospitality & Tourism Management, is preparing a group of students to complete in the STR (Smith Travel Research) Virtual Student Market Competition during Fall 2024. The competition requires student teams to analyze various types of hotel and tourism data and deliver a professional-quality presentation on their findings to a panel of senior-level […]
Dear Alumni, Friends, and Students: Greetings from Rocky Top! I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I trust you had some time to relax and enjoy the summer with your loved ones. As we prepare for the upcoming academic year, I wanted to share some highlights from the past year […]
HTM – Lily Vincent, Rocky Top Sports World (Spring 2024) and Nashville Convention and Visitor Corporation (Summer 2024) Lily Vincent, a senior majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management, completed her HTM internship over the summer at Rocky Top Sports World in Sevier County, Tennessee and showing her hardworking spirit took on an additional experience over […]
