Retailing and Tourism Management News
Dr. Min-young Lee, Associate Professor in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management (RTM), spent the summer of 2017 participating in a faculty exchange program with Shanghai Normal University. During her time in China, she spent two and a half weeks teaching classes focused on brand management, cultural aspects of marketing and branding, and consumer behavior in the university’s hotel and restaurant program.
The Department of Retailing and Tourism Management is working to insure that graduates in hospitality management and tourism have the skills and knowledge to succeed in the industry.
Each semester, the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management (RTM) offers a unique, competitive experience as a part of a required class. Dr. RayeCarol Cavender teaches RTM 425 to enlighten students on the role of human resource management in the retail and hospitality industries. Unlike the typical college lecture, students in the class are challenged to solve a relevant case for the department’s corporate partner, Target. This year, students were given a case related to facilitating diversity and inclusion among Target’s store-level employees.
The Department of Retailing and Tourism Management is happy to announce the addition of Dr. Pei Zhang, Assistant Professor to the faculty.
In May, Dr. Jason Swanson and Dr. RayeCarol Cavender, faculty members in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management, traveled to Ikaria, Greece with 17 hospitality management and tourism (HMT) students. The study tour focused on "Transformative Travel," providing students with the opportunity to observe the practices of Greek culture and learn from the locals on the island. Ikaria is classified as a 'Blue Zone', a geographic area where people live the longest.
Most people who run a store or help manage a hotel will tell you it’s next to impossible to pursue a graduate degree in their field simply because they would have to quit their current job in order to return to college.
The Department of Retailing and Tourism Management hosted a student from Fayette County School’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Academy Internship Program during the spring semester. STEAM is a broad umbrella that promotes innovation and authentic, problem-based learning experiences in the workplace. This program is individualized and designed to allow students to engage with potential future careers and earn course credit through volunteer, job-shadowing, or intern experiences.
Katie Hahnel, a master’s student in retailing and tourism management, recently completed the LEAN Six Sigma Training program, earning Green Belt Certification.
