Hospitality Internships

Hospitality Internships is honored to welcome Lisa Andrus, PhD. (Andrus Hospitality, LLC) as a valued member of our Academic Advisory Committee! Lisa’s background in the hospitality arena spans vastly and includes nearly all facets of small and mid-sized hospitality. At her core, Lisa is most happy participating in the physical aspect of the industry: serving customers, staff training, planning, set-up, and execution of events. Lisa transitioned into the management side of hospitality in the Pittsburgh, PA region, overseeing multiple venues with a focus on food cost, efficient deployment of staff, and customer service excellence. She led major quality enhancement, marketing, employee recognition, and training efforts at governmental, private, and non-profit firms across Pennsylvania. This experience led her to share her knowledge and background as a professor at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she lectured in the fields of labor relations and hospitality management. Lisa’s educational accomplishments include a BA in Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management, a MA in Industrial & Labor Relations and most recently a PhD in Administration & Leadership. Her combined professional and educational triumphs positioned her uniquely in the development of Andrus Hospitality in her hometown of Williamsport, PA, and originated with the build-out of the Clearstory event space, event planning, and the Williamsport Community Kitchen. The world of academia rang once again when she joined the School of Business & Hospitality at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, where she served as Dean with oversight of programs, faculty, and students in the fields of business, culinary arts, and hospitality. Dr. Andrus is joining a distinguished group of top educators from around the globe who help connect students in hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, and sports management with exceptional internships, manager-in-training programs, and entry-level management opportunities worldwide.

Hospitality Internships is honored to welcome Professor Stanley Tapia Rivera (Universidad Ana G. Méndez (UAGM)) as a valued member of our Academic Advisory Committee! Born in New York City and raised in the Palma Sola neighborhood of Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, Prof. Tapia Rivera brings an extraordinary combination of professional expertise and academic leadership. With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality and customer service industries, he has worked with renowned hotel chains such as Sands, San Juan Grand, Intercontinental Hotel Group, and Wyndham Hotel Group, excelling in operational management and customer service. In academia, Prof. Tapia Rivera currently serves as Director of the José A. (Tony) Santana International School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (ISHCA) at Ana G. Méndez University. Under his leadership, ISHCA has achieved groundbreaking milestones, including the establishment of the Bacardi Center of Excellence and the creation of a Beverage Management Program with Sommelier Certification, the first of its kind in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Prof. Tapia Rivera’s achievements extend to international boards and commissions, where he has represented Puerto Rico with distinction. As a Commissioner of the ACPHA and a member of prestigious organizations like EUHOFA International and CONPEHT, he has shaped global standards in hospitality and tourism education. His dedication to excellence has been recognized with numerous accolades, including Manager of the Year (Intercontinental Hotel Group), Professor of the Year (ISHCA), and membership in the Distinguished Alumni Gallery at Universidad del Este. With a strategic vision combining practical industry experience with academic innovation, Prof. Tapia Rivera is committed to fostering the next generation of leaders in sustainable tourism and hospitality. His leadership and insight will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our programs and initiatives. Professor Tapia Rivera is joining a distinguished group of top educators from around the globe that helps connect students in hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, and sports management with exceptional internships, manager-in-training programs, and entry-level management opportunities worldwide.

Hospitality Internships is honored to have Yana Kyrylyuk (Lviv, Ukraine) as one of the founding members of our Industry Advisory Committee! Our newly launched Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) is tasked with enhancing the alignment of hospitality education with industry standards. A key initiative of this committee is to collaborate with academia to develop robust internship standards and create structured manager-in-training programs, entry-level management positions, and registered apprenticeships tailored to meet industry needs.   Yana Kyrylyuk is a curious mind and passionate advocate for people development in the hospitality industry. She strongly believes that the foundation of thriving organizations long-term lies in unlocking people's potential through education and development. Learning is at the heart of everything she does. Whenever there was an opportunity to study abroad and learn about different educational systems, she took it on. Yana recently graduated cum laude from Hotel Management at Breda University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands). Currently, she is working on a new HSMAI Europe Commercial Career Start Program for final-year students and recent graduates interested in sales, revenue, and marketing in the hospitality industry with no prior work experience in those disciplines. Learn more about Yana here: yanakyrylyuk.com We look forward to working with Yana as our committee aims to influence the development of a practical and forward-thinking approach to hospitality education. This committee will be essential in our efforts to connect students in hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, and sports management programs with top-quality internships, manager-in-training programs, entry-level management positions, and apprenticeships worldwide.

We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans for AAHOACON in April!

Hospitality Internships would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new students from the following schools who have created their professional profiles and joined our growing global community this past week: Tshwane University of Technology (South Africa) London Metropolitan University (United Kingdom) HTA School of Culinary Art (South Africa) Oklahoma State University (United States) International Hotel School (Official) (South Africa) Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology (Canada) Pace University (United States) University of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States) California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (United States) Esther's aid for the needy and abandoned Children (Rwanda) University of Wyoming (United States) Indiana University Southeast (United States) University of South Florida (United States) Wishing you the best of luck as you explore high-quality internships, management training programs, and entry-level management positions on HospitalityInternships.com!

Hospitality Internships is honored to have  Craig Sullivan (California Lodging Investment Conference & [CLIC] Connect Podcast) as one of the founding members of our Industry Advisory Committee! Our newly launched Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) is tasked with enhancing the alignment of hospitality education with industry standards. A key initiative of this committee is to collaborate with academia to develop robust internship standards and create structured manager-in-training programs, entry-level management positions, and registered apprenticeships tailored to meet industry needs.   Craig Sullivan is the Founder of the California Lodging Investment Conference & [CLIC] Connect ™. He launched [CLIC] in 2017 to create the only lodging investment conference focused exclusively on the California Hotel Market. Craig is recognized as an expert in California hospitality, lodging, investment, and in commercial real estate development. He is a popular speaker, panelist, and moderator at the leading national hospitality and investment conferences and at local CA-based conferences. Craig was the co-host, co-creator, and co-producer of ‘Check Out California®’, the only California-focused hospitality, travel, and tourism radio show airing on OCTalkRadio. In 2019, Craig launched ‘Check Out California 3x10®’ and in 2020 the show was relaunched as "Check Out California®" featuring Hotels, Restaurants, Sports & Entertainment Venues across California. Along with launching [CLIC] Connect® an online interview show featuring leaders in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries. The show’s engaging formats ask the Guest(s) a series of questions followed by our Lightning Round and films on location across the state or in the [CLIC] Connect Studio. Craig has helped underwrite and close nearly 25 billion dollars in hotel transactions. His deals cover national and global hotel sales, refinancing, construction loans, including 2.2 billion dollars' worth of transactions in one year, 2 Shows in the Top 30 Podcasts, Top 25 Travel & Tourism Promoters and Top 10 & 50 Social Media Hospitality Influencer and 100 Most Powerful People in US Hospitality 2022 and 2023 by the International Hospitality Institute. Craig is a connector and advisor, and passionate about giving back to the community. He mentors the next generation of hotel professionals, advocates for women's equality, and supports charitable causes. Craig’s affiliations include AAHOA, IHI, CREW-OC, AH&LA, CLIA, ILLA, and California Hotel & Lodging Association. We look forward to working with Craig as our committee aims to influence the development of a practical and forward-thinking approach to hospitality education. This committee will be essential in our efforts to connect students in hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, and sports management programs with top-quality internships, manager-in-training programs, entry-level management positions, and apprenticeships worldwide.

Hospitality Internships is honored to welcome Dr Reneé Minnaar PhD (Consult Renee), as the newest member of our Academic Advisory Committee! Dr. Minnaar’s inclusion in the Academic Advisory Committee comes as part of our initiative to grow our presence in Africa, reflecting our commitment to fostering global partnerships and expanding opportunities for academic and industry collaboration on the continent. Dr. Renee Minnaar is a hospitality and tourism professional who has been making an impact as a Hospitality, Tourism, and Academic Consultant at Consult Renee since 2017. She adds value to assessment, moderation, program review, re-circulation, research, review of research articles, guest lectures, publishes speaking, and acts on several advisory boards. She obtained a PhD in Tourism Management, focusing on Econometrics, from North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, in 2017. This makes Renee one of the few PhD graduates in the field of tourism in South Africa. She is a seasoned higher education hospitality and tourism academic, researcher, and lecturer and has spent over 14 years teaching hospitality and tourism subjects at both public and private higher education institutions in South Africa. Renee has gained hospitality experience from some of the best hotels in South Africa, as well as during her time as rooms division manager at one of the best hotels in the world, the Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa. During 6 years at & Beyond Travel (an award-winning luxury experiential travel company), Renee added value as a destination, systems, and booking trainer, creating and developing the training curriculum and learning management systems, facilitating in-person, online, and international training, assessing and moderating training, and implementing new systems in the company. Renee's main purpose is to make a difference and expose more people to the beauty of hospitality and tourism and to establish herself as an expert in the field of hospitality and tourism (and, of course, leaving the world a better place than she found it). Dr. Renee Minnaar joins a distinguished group of top educators from around the globe, collaborating to connect students in hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, and sports management with exceptional internships, manager-in-training programs, and entry-level management opportunities worldwide. Welcome aboard, Dr. Minnaar!

Hospitality Internships is honored to welcome Angel F. González (California State University, Monterey Bay) as a valued member of our Academic Advisory Committee! Dr. González joins our Academic Advisory Committee as part of the newly launched STEP IN (Statewide Educators Partnering with Industry) initiative, formed through our partnership with the California Hotel & Lodging Association. Dr. González, Associate Professor of Sustainable Hospitality Management at the College of Business, California State University Monterey Bay. He was an Instructor of Hospitality Management at Oklahoma State University (OSU), Universidad del Este, and the University of Puerto Rico. He has a Ph.D. from OSU, a M.S., and a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts. He earned an Advanced Culinary Arts Certificate from the Culinary Institute of America, completed the Revenue Management Professional Development Program at Cornell University, and is a Certified Hospitality Educator by AHLA. His career in Hospitality includes working with Hyatt, Hilton, and the Walt Disney Company. Dr. González is joining a distinguished group of top educators from around the globe to help connect students in hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, and sports management with exceptional internships, manager-in-training programs, and entry-level management opportunities worldwide.

Hospitality Internships is delighted to welcome Dr. Cristian Morosan (University of Houston) as a valued member of our Academic Advisory Committee! Dr. Morosan joins our Academic Advisory Committee as part of the newly launched STEP IN (Statewide Educators Partnering with Industry) initiative, formed through our partnership with the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association. Dr. Cristian Morosan is the Donald H. Hubbs Professor and Director of Undergraduate Digital Education at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston. His expertise is in information technology and innovation. He has accumulated over 20 years of teaching in higher education and over 30 years of involvement with the hospitality industry.  Dr. Morosan’s research has been funded by regional organizations such as the European Union, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals, and several state and local governments in the U.S. His most recent funded research focuses on the role of artificial intelligence in higher education. He has an extensive portfolio of peer-reviewed and invited publications and is a regular presenter at prestigious industry and academic events. Dr. Morosan received several awards, such as the prestigious Teaching Excellence Award for Innovation in Instructional Technology, the Stephen Rushmore/HVS Research Excellence Award, the University of Houston Leadership in Teaching Excellence Award, and best paper awards.   Dr. Morosan has been teaching courses in information technology, innovation, marketing, and management at all levels and in all formats. He has always been passionate about teaching, especially about teaching with and about information technology. Dr. Morosan is an avid innovator and is always looking for opportunities to introduce students to new technologies. Dr. Morosan is joining a distinguished group of top educators from around the globe to help connect students in hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, and sports management with exceptional internships, manager-in-training programs, and entry-level management opportunities worldwide.

In Case You Missed It... Last Wednesday’s newsletter featured some incredible highlights from the Hospitality Internships community, and we’re excited to share them with you here! 1️⃣ Strategic Partnership with ISHA. We announced a groundbreaking collaboration with the International Society of Hotel Associations (ISHA), a partnership that will unlock new opportunities for hospitality professionals and businesses across the U.S. and beyond. Together, we’re paving the way for a more connected and innovative industry. 2️⃣ Spotlight on Industry Advisory Committee Member - Senan Goundjo. Senan’s journey from Benin to the boardroom is an inspiring story of resilience, education, and innovation. With over 15 years of global experience, he’s a shining example of leadership in hospitality and technology. 3️⃣ Spotlight on Academic Advisory Committee Member - Tevfik Demirciftci Ph.D., CHE , CHIA. Dr. Demirciftci brings a wealth of global experience and academic excellence to our team. His dedication to mentoring and staying ahead of industry trends is shaping the future of hospitality education and inspiring the next generation of leaders. We’re proud to work with these outstanding individuals and excited about the opportunities ahead with ISHA. If you missed the full article, be sure to check out the newsletter!