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October 2012

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Eric's Club Spring2012
Hospitality Personified
You've probably seen them in their matching red polo shirts, because they're everywhere! Giving tours of the College, flipping burgers at tailgates, passing out brochures at high school college fairs, staffing the College's annual hospitality summer camps … you name it. And no matter where they are, they're always eager to talk about their college and all it has to offer. They're the Conrad N. Hilton Ambassadors, one of 16 student organizations at Hilton College. But they're more than just an active club—they're actually an honors group made up of some of our top students, charged with promoting and representing Hilton College to prospective and current students, alumni, VIP guests and the Greater Houston community. Each semester, the Ambassadors hand out applications at the Student Organizations Fair. Potential members submit their applications and résumés, and a select few get interviews. From that pool, the new Ambassadors are selected. As members, they're required to maintain a 3.0 GPA. They're also expected to assist in student-recruitment efforts, give tours, host and execute tailgates at all home UH football games, volunteer at College events, assist faculty and administrators as needed and participate in a student-to-student mentor program, which was launched this semester. Enrollment Director Danny Arocha (standing far left) is the group's staff mentor, and Cali Smith (right of Danny) is the current president. The Ambassadors pride themselves on representing the College, upholding its reputation and that of all hospitality majors. "Hospitality is all about helping people, and that's what we try to do," said Cali. And if you've ever seen the Ambassadors at work, you know—they do it well. (Photo: John Trujillo)
 
Eric's Club Spring2012
Charles in Charge
The next time you dine at Eric's Restaurant in the Hilton University of Houston, you could see some familiar faces. Charles Pereira ('12) has taken the helm as Eric's manager and staffed the restaurant almost entirely with current Hilton College students. Charles, a native of Trinidad, has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales-Miami, and his career thus far has taken him to restaurants all over the world—from the Caribbean, to New Orleans, to Germany and back. When he came to Hilton College to pursue his master's degree, he concurrently taught the undergraduate service class and did some consulting for local restaurants. After graduating last May, his extensive restaurant experience made him a natural fit for Eric's. But Charles isn't just teaching his staff how to work in his restaurant; he's teaching them how to work in anyone's restaurant. The goal, he says, is to turn inexperienced students into skilled servers well-versed in global hospitality-industry standards; servers who, after they move on from Eric's, can work anywhere—even in fine dining. Under Charles' watchful eye, the student servers are taking what they've been taught in class and applying it in a real-world setting—exactly the kind of experiential learning that sets Hilton College apart from other hospitality schools. If you haven't been to Eric's lately, stop by and see how Charles and his staff are taking charge. And while you're there, stay for breakfast, lunch, dinner or happy hour! Click here for hours and menus. (Photo: Taylor Wiley)  
 
CMAA Panelists
They Won't Brag, so We Will!
The fall semester is well under way, but our Hilton College faculty aren't just busy in the classroom. They're also making individual and collective contributions to hospitality research. Assistant Professors Dr. Jason Draper and Dr. Yoon Koh have been researching the economics of the travel industry and hospitality finance, respectively. Dr. Koh recently had two articles accepted in Tourism Economics: "Stock Market's Reactions to U.S. Hotel Firms' Strategic Alliance" and "Internationalization and Financial Health in the U.S. Restaurant Industry." Dr. Draper also had two articles published: "Review of Meeting Planner Site Selection Criteria Research" in the Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, and "Access to the Beach: Comparing the Economic Values of Coastal Residents and Tourists" in the Journal of Travel Research. Assistant Professors Dr. Mary Dawson, Dr. Jay Neal and Dr. Juan Madera—along with a visiting scholar from Zejiang Gongshang University, Dr. Jue Chen—conducted and published a study called "The Influence of Hotel Communication Practices on Managers' Communication Satisfaction With Limited English Speaking Employees" in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. In addition, Dr. Madera had five other articles published, including two on social media and hospitality recruiting: "Using Social Networking Websites as a Selection Tool: The Role of Selection Process and Fairness and Job Pursuit Intentions" in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, and "Using Social Networking Sites for Selection Purposes: An Investigation of Hospitality Recruiters" in the Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism. Kudos to our faculty on these publications! Pictured left to right are: Dr. Neal, Dr. Koh, Dr. Draper, Dr. Dawson and Dr. Madera. For more details on these articles and other faculty accolades, check out the Faculty Accolades section of the Hilton College website. (Photos: Taylor Wiley) 
 
CMAA Panelists

Big Smiles for Even Bigger Scholarships
On Sept. 21, four Hilton College students had the rare opportunity to dine at Houston's historic Bayou Club. They also "talked shop" with distinguished alumni in private club management and received generous scholarships from the College's Southwell, Steger and Brecunier Scholarship Endowment. This special scholarship luncheon was hosted by Jonathan Shear, CCM ('80), general manager of The Bayou Club. Others in attendance were Joe Bendy, CCM (‘89), GM of the River Oaks Country Club; David Chag, CCM ('77), GM of The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.; Dean John Bowen; and endowment honorees Robert G. Southwell, CCM, and W. Red Steger, CCM. Pictured from left to right are: Bob Southwell; 2012 scholarship recipients Cesar Hinojosa, Calli Oerschnigg, Alexis Hoey and Adrian Vivas; and Red Steger. Bob, Red and Joan Brecunier, CCM, are leaders in club management education. Throughout their accomplished careers, they've taught club management courses at Hilton College, provided jobs for students at their clubs and served as mentors for young managers. This scholarship endowment was created in 2007 by alumni in club management positions across the nation to honor their mentors and to attract and support top students pursuing careers in club management. Second only to endowments created by the Hilton Foundation, it is Hilton College's largest privately funded scholarship endowment with the largest single payout to date—$20,000—going to this year's recipients. Additionally, Calli and Cesar were awarded a week-long, all-expenses-paid trip to the Boston area—courtesy of David Chag—to tour private clubs and get an insider's view of how they operate. Thank you to our gracious host and kudos to all of our scholarship recipients! (Photo: Wendy Ballard)

 
Vegas Students Spring
Remembering Bob Raulston
Beloved alumnus Robert "Rabbi" Raulston ('75) passed away on Sept. 17, 2012. The public is invited to attend a gathering celebrating Bob's life on Saturday, Nov. 10. It will take place at Noah's House, located at 176 Fellows Road in Houston, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and the event will end with a memorial balloon release. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made in Bob's name to Hilton College, via the University of Houston. Please put "In memory of Bob Raulston" in the check memo, and the donations will be directed to the Conrad N. Hilton College Scholarship Fund.