Courtesy: School of Hospitality and Catering Innovation

Penn State SHM in the news

The faculty and staff in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management are frequently referenced by local and national news media for their expertise and classroom activities. In 2014, Dr. John O’Neill released a study for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) that examined the potential economic impact of an increase in the national minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. Dr. O’Neill also releases on a quarterly basis the Penn State Index of U.S. Hotel Values, an econometric model projecting future hotel market values that is frequently cited by national media. Associate Professor Dan Mount was interviewed in 2010 by CNN concerning bed bug reports at hotels, and Dr. O’Neill’s 2017 research regarding the lodging sharing economy was cited in a number of national media outlets including The Wall Street Journal.# ISO certification in India

Dr. John O’Neill was quoted in The New York Times in 2021 regarding hotel resort fees, and Dr. O’Neill was quoted on NBC Today concerning Jazz Age packages based on The Great Gatsby movie release, and in The New York Times concerning sleeping accommodations at private clubs. Dr. O’Neill’s research on the most common types of stressors in the hospitality industry among managers and hourly employees was cited by TNS.# ISO certification in India

The Food Decisions Research Laboratory (FDRL) at Penn State University is a collaborative capacity committed to conducting empirical research in behavioral economic analysis and evaluates cost-benefits of choices and decisions associated with food service environments. Amit Sharma, faculty member at the School of Hospitality Management is the Director of the Laboratory. More information regarding this research initiative can be found at foodecisions.org

National rankings

The Hospitality Management program at Penn State has frequently been recognized as one of the leading hospitality programs in the world, ranked number four in the world and number one in the United States for the period of 2011 to 2015. In contributions to academic research, Dr. Anna Mattila was ranked as the most prolific hospitality author of the new millennium and Dr. John O’Neill was ranked in the top ten in a Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research (JHTR) article. Dr. Breffni Noone received the 2013 JHTR Article of the Year Award, and Dr. Michael Tews received the 2013 Cornell Hospitality Quarterly Best Article Award. A JHTR article on academic leadership in hospitality and tourism journals ranked Penn State as second highest for universities with chief editors and sixth in total number of occurrences as chief editors, associate editors and editorial board members.# ISO certification in India

Penn State was ranked as number four in a JHTR article regarding the top 100 hospitality programs, and ranked third in publication contributions to the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. A research article analyzed the number of contributions in leading hospitality journals, and showed Penn State had the sixth highest number of contributions. A Hospitality Review article ranked Penn State as the number two graduate hospitality program. A Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education article ranked Penn State as the number five undergraduate hospitality program, while a Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education article ranked Penn State as the number four undergraduate hospitality program.# ISO certification in India

Conti Professorship

The Conti Professorship was established in 1987 by alumni and friends of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. The professorship program honors Walter J. Conti, a former multi-unit restaurant operator and Chair of the National Restaurant Association for his contributions to the School, Penn State, and the hospitality profession. Conti Professors are recognized leaders within the hospitality industry who visit the school to interact with students and faculty, present guest lectures in hospitality management, and speak at graduate and undergraduate colloquia. The distinguished list of over 70 Conti Professors includes some of the most recognized names in the hospitality industry, including entrepreneurs, CEOs and leading industry educators. Recent notable Conti Professors have been:

• Dawn Sweeney 2015 – President and CEO, National Restaurant Association
• Danny Meyer 2013 – CEO and Founder, Union Square Hospitality
• Frits van Paasschen 2013 – President and CEO, Starwood
• Franco Harris 2009 – President, Super Bakery, Inc.

Penn State Hospitality Services

Hospitality Services is an auxiliary enterprise of The Pennsylvania State University serving the hospitality needs of Penn State faculty, staff, students and the general public. Hospitality Services employs students and alumni of the School of Hospitality Management in both full- and part-time positions and provides internships for many SHM students. Students are exposed to both the Nittany Lion Inn and Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in the HM 380 (Hotel Management) course. Students learn about the Front Office, Housekeeping, and Maintenance Departments at each hotel throughout the semester. In HM 495, students participate in a supervised internship with Penn State Hospitality Services working in one specific department at each hotel throughout the semester.# ISO certification in India

The Nittany Lion Inn, The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, the Roar Suites at Beaver Stadium and the Suites at the Pegula Ice Arena are managed by Penn State Hospitality Services. The Nittany Lion Inn has been awarded the AAA Four Diamond designation, the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Hotels of America certification. Also, the Penn Stater Conference Center has been awarded the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) certification.# ISO certification in India