News
- Fall 2025- Greetings from the Department Head
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… Read more: Fall 2025- Greetings from the Department Head - What Our New PhD Graduates Say!
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… Read more: What Our New PhD Graduates Say! - Alumni Highlights
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… Read more: Alumni Highlights - Internship Highlights
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… Read more: Internship Highlights - 20th Student Enrichment Fundraiser
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… Read more: 20th Student Enrichment Fundraiser - Faculty and Staff UpdatesEbony 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… Read more: Faculty and Staff Updates
- Faculty Awards And RecognitionDr. 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… Read more: Faculty Awards And Recognition
- RHTM Students Preparing to Compete in Industry Competitions
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… Read more: RHTM Students Preparing to Compete in Industry Competitions - Greetings from the Department Head | Fall 2024Dear 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… Read more: Greetings from the Department Head | Fall 2024
- 2024 RHTM Internship Spotlights
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… Read more: 2024 RHTM Internship Spotlights - Industry and Student-Focused Focused Curriculum Changes Taking Shape in HTM and RMM for Fall 2024Since Fall 2022, the Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) and Retail & Merchandising Management (RMM) programs have been working hard to develop substantive industry and student-focused changes to the curriculum of both programs. Beginning in Fall 2024, in addition to… Read more: Industry and Student-Focused Focused Curriculum Changes Taking Shape in HTM and RMM for Fall 2024
- 19th Student Enrichment Fundraiser – A Success!
After a three-year hiatus, the annual Student Enrichment Fundraiser made a grand return! The event was a tremendous success, featuring numerous major sponsors, table sponsors, and attendees who generously supported our efforts to enhance student experiences. A standout moment was… Read more: 19th Student Enrichment Fundraiser – A Success! - New Departmental Faculty and Staff
We are excited to introduce new additions to the Department of Retail, Hospitality & Tourism Management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville! New Faculty Swechchha Subedi, Assistant Professor Dr. Subedi joins RHTM this summer after earning her doctoral degree from… Read more: New Departmental Faculty and Staff - 2024 RHTM Alumni Spotlights
Kimberly Billings (’08), Director of Merchandising for Pilot Company Kimberly began her career at Pilot Company in 2009 as Staffing Coordinator, quickly moving on to become Divisional Staffing Manager for Canada (2010) during Pilot’s expansion into the country. She next… Read more: 2024 RHTM Alumni Spotlights