Kansas State University

My name is Mary Ernst and I am a senior in Hospitality Management with an emphasis in the Meeting and Event Management track. I come from a military family, but have been happy to call Manhattan home for the last 15 years. Event planning has always been a passion of mine, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else in life. This semester I had the opportunity to help with two events for the College of Health and Human Sciences. Continue reading “Student Spotlight: Mary Ernst” →

My name is Stephen Hager and I am a non-traditional senior in the Food & Beverage track in Hospitality Management. I am married to my wonderful wife, Elli Hager, who is currently an academic advisor for open option students in the Arts & Sciences department. I recently just turned 30, so it’s never too late to go back to school to follow your dreams!

I sort of fell into the hospitality department after leaving the Air Force when I started working at a bar in a small Kansas town. I worked my way through all the positions, and fell in love with the industry. I worked my way up to management in that bar, then transferred to managing an Arby’s for three years. I knew that to take my career in the direction I wanted, I would need to go back to school.

I am graduating this December. In my first semester I was undecided, splitting my classes between the Entrepreneurship degree and the Hospitality Management Degree. I immediately formed the opinion that the Hospitality Management program would be the better choice to help me achieve my eventual goal of opening my own restaurant, bar, and arcade.

In my time at Kansas State I have served as the Vice President of Eta Sigma Delta, and I have also served as the Treasurer for the Hospitality Management Club. I would recommend to any other students to get involved. These two clubs have opened doors that would otherwise have been closed, including going to the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.

In the future, I hope to open my own concept, but in the more immediate future I’m looking to stay in Manhattan, filling a lead position in a local restaurant.

Dr. Richard Robinson, associate professor at the University of Queensland, Australia joined the Hospitality Management students and faculty to discuss his research on Wednesday, October 2, 2019. Dr. Robinson’s research projects explore tourism and hospitality workforce policy and planning, skills development, identifying ‘foodies’ consumer behaviors and designing and evaluating education programs. 

Junehee Kwon, professor in hospitality management, was invited to serve National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe Allergen Certificate Examination Job Task Analysis panel. She was one of 12 panel members comprised of industry leaders in food safety and food allergy management and prevention. Kwon was invited to the panel based on her food allergy research. She was the only food allergy educator/researcher in the panel, which was charged to revalidate job tasks to prevent food allergy reactions in restaurants and other foodservice establishments. 

Kwon also received recognition from the College of Health and Human Sciences, earning the Dawley-Scholer Award for Faculty Excellence in Student Development based on her contribution to graduate education in the Department of Hospitality Management. Dr. Kwon has been an advocate for graduate education and chaired 11 doctoral students’ supervisory committees since joining Kansas State University in 2008. Her students are employed in higher education institutions in the U.S. and abroad including Auburn University, University of Missouri, Mahidol University in Thailand, University of North Texas, and Oklahoma State University, to name a few. She also has led the graduate programs since 2014, strengthening teaching and grantsmanship competencies for all doctoral students.

K-State Hospitality Management students, staff, and faculty catered the White Tent for the K-State College of Health and Human Sciences Saturday, October 26. It was a delicious brunch! The Wildcat football team went on to beat OU 48-41! It was a great day for all Wildcats from beginning to the end!!! 

In honor of Veterans Day, the Hospitality Management Club, a student group in the hospitality management department, invited all students, faculty and staff to a breakfast, Monday, Nov. 11, at Lacy’s Fresh Fare and Catering in Justin Hall’s Hoffman Lounge. 

Breakfast was open to the public for a $5 fee while all veterans, active-duty military personnel, those who serve in the Reserve or National Guard, ROTC cadets and K-State police will receive complimentary breakfast. The meal will include biscuits and gravy, sausage links, orange juice and coffee. 

Lacy’s Fresh Fare and Catering is a student-operated teaching lab in the hospitality management department of the College of Health and Human Sciences.