Cornell University

Founded in 1865, Cornell is an Ivy League research university comprising seven under- graduate colleges and seven graduate and professional schools. With total enrollment of more than 20,000 students from all over the world, and top-rated programs in archi- tecture, business, engineering, hotel admin- istration, human and veterinary medicine, human development, the humanities, labor and employment issues, law, and life scienc- es, the university embodies Ezra Cornell’s vision of “an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” The university’s commitment to high- quality education is reflected in the number and variety of resources available to its stu- dents, faculty, and staff. These include one of the largest academic research libraries in the United States; a First-Year program designed to help new students successfully negotiate the transition from high school to college; the Transfer Student Program, which supports students who come to Cornell after studying elsewhere; and more than 800 student organizations dedicated to interests ranging from politics to pro- fessions, religion to recreation. Cornell’s faculty, numbering more than 2,600 world- wide, includes Nobel laureates, Pulitzer prize winners, and presidents of the leading professional organizations in their fields. There is a vibrant cultural life on campus, with seasonal offerings of theater, music, film, art exhibits, and dance. As New York State’s land-grant institution—and the only Ivy League university with land-grant sta- tus—Cornell seeks to instill an interest in public service and community involvement in its students, encouraging them to use their skills and knowledge to benefit others. The university experience also is enriched by the diversity of its student body. More than a quarter of undergraduates are African American, Asian American, Latino, and Native American, or from multiracial backgrounds. International students from 120 countries make up an additional 8 per- cent of the student body. Cornell’s main campus is frequently described as one of the most beautiful in the United States. Spread over 745 acres of gardens, fields, and woods crisscrossed by gorges, waterfalls, and creeks, it includes more than 260 buildings ranging in age from mid-Victorian to early twenty-first century and offers spectacular views of Cayuga Lake and the surrounding countryside.

5 welcome

6 the Finest Education in Hospitality Management

8 hospitality: The World’s Largest Industry

10 worldwide Hospitality

12 A Hotelie and a Cornellian

14 hospitality Leadership through Learning

16 A Management Curriculum

20 Understanding People Is Key

22 student Life

24 hotel Ezra Cornell

26 After You Graduate

28 the Faculty

30 industry Connections

32 hands-On Learning

34 About Ithaca

35 Admissions

38 is the Hotel School for You?

Admissions Office School of Hotel Administration Cornell University 180 Statler Hall Ithaca, NY 14853-6902 607.255.6376 E-mail: [email protected]

www.hotelschool.cornell.edu 4 Welcome

The Cornell School of Hotel Administra- tion was founded in 1922 as the nation’s first collegiate course of study in hospital- ity management. A gift from the Statler Foundation in 1948 enabled the con- struction of a building dedicated to the program, and in 1950 Hotel Administration became a school of its own. The Statler Inn, with fifty-two guest rooms and two restaurants, opened in 1950 as the world’s first teaching hotel. In 1989, Cornell unveiled the $45 million, nine-story Statler Hotel and J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center. Today, the Hotel School is recognized as the world leader in hospi- tality management. The school provides management-level instruc- tion in the full range of hospitality disciplines, educating the next generation of leaders in the world’s largest industry. www.hotelschool.cornell.edu 5 The Finest Education in Hospitality Management

You will find no better preparation for a career in hospitality management anywhere in the world. Schools that offer programs similar to ours invariably modeled their curricula after ours, and many of their professors are graduates of our Ph.D. program. Throughout the industry, we are known by our nickname—the Hotel School—rather than as Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. In the hospitality industry, everyone knows which hotel school they mean—Cornell is in a class by itself. We have almost 900 undergraduate and graduate students; some sixty full-time faculty members (whose priorities are teaching, advising students, conducting research, and consulting); a 153-room teaching hotel; the largest and most comprehensive hospitality library in the world; the world’s number-one executive-education program, serving thousands of hospitality leaders annually; and a network of 11,000 alumni working in every aspect of hospitality. But what makes the Hotel School superlative isn’t anything that can be measured in numbers or by external standards. In hospitality education, we are the bearer of the standard.

What is the Hotel School? A Business School for the Hospitality Industry Behind every smiling reservation clerk lies an intricate world of management-planning, finance, operations, information technology, marketing, branding, and more. We’re a professional school, one that gives you the tools of business administration and teaches you how to apply them in the hospitality industry. Every Hotel School student takes the same core courses, covering such sub- jects as accounting, finance, marketing, information technology, and human resources. And be- cause hospitality is all about people—it’s a labor-intensive field and the ability to serve customers and clients pleasantly and consistently counts for a lot—labor relations, customer relations, and human relations generally are an important part of your education.

6 Laura Kornegay ’96

Vice president, Leadership Development ClubCorp Dallas, Texas

“In Dallas they’re proud of Texas A & M and the University of Texas, and there are people who have never heard of Cornell; but in the indus- try, they all know Cornell.”

“The hotel business is a very small world; and where you went to school makes all the difference,” says Laura Kornegay, vice president, Leadership Development for ClubCorp, which owns and manages more golf clubs, country clubs, and business and sports clubs than any other company in the country. “In Dallas they’re proud of Texas A & M and the University of Texas, and there are people who have never heard of Cornell; but in the industry, they all know Cornell.” Kornegay recruits at four national campuses, including Cornell, and she and her friends who recruit for Marriott, Starwood, and ARAMARK look forward to seeing one another on campuses and at conferences. “Someone once said to me, ‘You talk to each other?!?’ And I said, ‘Of course! We compete for the same recruits, but it’s a friendly competition.’ “You don’t think about this a lot, but Cornell offers you an amazing network of people. Honestly, I can pick up the phone and call any Hotel School alum and say, ‘Hi, this is why I’m calling, this is what I need, can you help?’ Our common experience makes that possible.” Kornegay’s relationship with ClubCorp began, indirectly, at Cornell. After completing a sales internship at Bristol Hotels and Resorts in Dallas, where Peter Kline ’69 was chief executive, she went to work for Bristol after graduating. When Kline sold Bristol to Intercontinental Hotels, Kornegay decided to stay in Dallas rather than move to Atlanta, and called on Cornell contacts, including members of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH), for help in finding a new position. Through a NSMH contact at TGIFridays, she landed a job in Dallas. Then, when John Beckert ’75, former chief operating officer atB ristol, joined ClubCorp, along with his brother Richard ’78 and John Longstreet ’77, who had been Kornegay’s former boss in human resources at Bristol, Kornegay went with them to ClubCorp. “I loved working at Bristol because of the company’s values; and it’s exciting to be back where it all began—with hotelies,” she said. “I understand the way these guys operate. . . . They came out of the Hotel School twenty years before I did, but we still speak the same language and can talk about the same activities.”

7 Hospitality: The World’s Largest Industry

Hospitality is big business—$4 trillion a year and growing fast. When you add up all the hotels, motels, and resorts in the world, plus airlines, B&Bs, cafete- rias, car rentals, catering, concessions, eco-tourism, fine-dining restaurants, multi-unit restau- rants, ski resorts and health spas, vacation clubs, and more, hospitality turns out to be a bigger business than most people realize. It’s also airline management, amusement parks, ballparks, casi- nos and gaming operations, city clubs, cruise lines, country clubs, dance halls, e-commerce, golf clubs, theme parks, tourism, and yacht clubs.

Business at this scale is a high-stakes game of risks and rewards. Creativity counts, and so does the discipline necessary to achieve results. Every dream is eventually measured against a profit- and-loss statement. You’ll need to be sharp, imaginative, and realistic, all at the same time. If you are, you will be given more responsibility at an earlier age than you might have imag- ined. Chances are, you will advance rapidly. Or, if you prefer, start your own company. Quite a few Hotel School graduates have founded companies, including Alamo Rent-A-Car; Burger King; Dunkin Donuts; Duty Free Shoppers stores at international airports; Hotel Valuation Services; PriceWaterhouseCoopers Global Hospitality Consulting; and more. The worldwide hospitality industry is riding a strong wave of economic growth. In Asia and Latin America, American companies are making inroads, and national governments and private developers are building establishments at a great rate. Opportunities abound for Hotel School graduates, especially those who know foreign languages and cultures. And when new career opportunities arise, as a Hotel School grad you’ll be able to change fields within hospitality or move to a related industry such as business consulting, design, finance, in- vestment, or real-estate development. Our curriculum gives you a solid foundation for all aspects of hospitality and related service industries. The Name “Hotel School” Only Begins To Describe Us The Hotel School was founded in 1922 when a group of hoteliers approached Cornell administra- tors about starting a program in hotel management. That was before the first international hotels, and it was before commercial airlines began whisking hundreds of thousands of passengers around the globe every day. The industry has grown and changed, and so has the school. If you wanted to “reposition” the school (the kind of exercise you’re likely to study in your first marketing class), you might think of changing our name from School of Hotel Administration to School of Hospitality Management. That’s a better description of what we do. But a name as good as ours (you will also learn) is not something to mess with. The Hotel School is recognized as the world’s number-one management school for the global hospitality industry, even if we do have a modest name.

8 Greg Sheets ’93 Vice President, Hotel Operations Pechanga Resort and Casino

Rebecca Ratner ’97 Director, Human Resources Mark Birtha ’94 Wynn Resort Las Vegas Vice President, Development Marriott International

Michael Zanolli ’93 Manager, Butler Services The Venetian Resort–Hotel–Casino Las Vegas, Nevada

“This is a go-to department. We make things happen,” said Celebrities may get butler services at the Venetian Zanolli, who has been doing this for eight years. Four years ago, Resort–Hotel–Casino—like Andrew Lloyd Weber on the opening he had a staff of twenty-three; now he has double that. night of Phantom of the Opera in Vegas or a famous chef opening a new restaurant—but the people who get it all the time are the big-time gamers and top-end casino players, the highest of the high rollers. “There’s a perception of Las Vegas as a place you fly into, get Mike Zanolli and his staff of fifty look after their every desire. into the party mode, and do the strip. For most people, it’s a party These guests, who stay on the top three floors, where every city. For us, it’s home. It’s where we live and where our kids go to room is huge, may fly into town with a few million dollars and may school. We love the mild winters and lovely spring and fall seasons. drop hundreds of thousands in a night. “Hotelies are doing very well in Vegas, whether it’s Mark Birtha “We call them whales because they’re the biggest fish in the ’94, vice president for development for Marriott International; Greg sea,” Zanolli said. Naturally, these players are courted by every major Sheets ’93, vice president for hotel operations for Pechanga Resort casino: Everyone wants them to play at their tables. and Casino; or Rebecca Ratner ’97, director of human resources for It was a challenge when a couple of men in a top-floor suite told Wynn Resort. “I think that Hotel School graduates have had a better their butler they wanted a haircut in the suite—in an old-fashioned education than those from some of the other schools I’ve met out barber’s chair. Zanolli scrambled, located one at a Syracuse, New here,” Zanolli said. York, barber supply company, and had it shipped it out, pronto. Zanolli was tapped a few years ago to help open the Venetian “This is a go-to department. We make things happen,” said Macao and to brand the Paiza Club, the Sands’ private club. Making Zanolli, who has been doing this for eight years. Four years ago, three trips to the peninsula of Macao, forty-three miles southwest he had a staff of twenty-three; now he has double that. of Hong Kong and ninety miles from Guangzhou, he helped plan Zanolli, who comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was drawn to rooms and train staff at the nearly $2 billion resort. Vegas and Las Vegas when he was a junior at the Hotel School. He dreamed of Macao each generate about $6 billion a year in gaming. the West: Reno, Tahoe, Vegas. After sending résumés everywhere, “The Chinese are very serious gamblers,” Zanolli said. “And they he accepted an offer from The Nugget in Reno. Three years later, feel it’s a matter of destiny if they are lucky or unlucky. They don’t when the Silver Legacy (the first new casino in forty years) opened in buy it that it’s random.” Reno, he went to work there, at the front desk. When something went wrong in the casino’s valet parking division, he was made supervisor to see that no more cars were stolen. Three years as valet and transportation manager at the Silver Legacy stoked his ambition. He moved to Las Vegas as soon as he could. Zanolli’s wife Katherine “K. C.” Connelly is also a hotelie: Class of ’92. She runs a consulting business from home while also looking after three young children.

9 Worldwide Hospitality

Many people long to see the Taj Mahal. Others, to photograph elephants in Africa or dance in the streets of Rio de Janeiro at Carnaval. With frequent-flyer miles as an added incentive, it sometimes seems that everyone who can travels as often and as far as possible. That much you can see for yourself. Still, do you have any idea how international the hospitality industry has become? International in More Ways Than You Might Imagine International hotels were first established in the 1960s by companies such as Hilton and Inter- Continental. They were able to attract American tourists and executives to hotels they built, owned, and ran all over the world. Sheraton was the first to realize that a hotel chain’s success— and profits—stemmed more from reputation and operation than ownership. Sheraton developed

Regional vice president for and sold properties in Hawaii to a company in Japan but continued to manage them and re- Now married, ARAMARK International hotelies Jhorna and Group, Marc Bruno ’93 was tained “brand control.” Holiday Inn took the next step in the trend, selling to others both the Otto Rincón met as ARAMARK project leader properties it developed and the right to manage them, while retaining only its brand. students. Jhorna was at the 2004 Olympics in Often, a hotel is built by one company, managed by another, and owned by a third. Today’s born in India, and Athens, Greece. Today, Hotel School graduates operate in a complex business environment—which is why we teach you her family now lives Marc is overseeing in Singapore. Otto, preparations for the 2008 properties design, planning, finance, investment, management, and marketing (including born in Colombia, Olympics in Beijing, China. branding). grew up in New There was a time, too, when American-owned hotels sent American managers overseas. Then, York City. Today, for a while, international hotel companies favored local managers. Today, nationality is not an students from more than thirty countries issue. Americans own and operate centers of hospitality all over the world, and an American ho- attend the Hotel tel may just as easily be owned by a European group or controlled by a Saudi investor. Where School. you work depends on your interests, abilities, and connections, more than on your nationality or anything else.

10 Jhorna Rincón ’02 eCommerce Marketing Manager Marriott International, Inc. Washington, D.C.

Marta Beatriz Molina–Seal ’96 Otto Rincón ’01 Vice President, Research and Development Financial Associate Marriott International, Inc. Rockwood Capital Corporation Washington, D.C. Greenwich, Connecticut

From investors to developers to property owners, the Cornell name continues to open doors, smoothing the way for her to conduct business more effectively. Molina–Seal found out just how well the Cornell name is Marta Beatriz Molina– known in Latin America soon after she graduated. Her intention Seal knows it’s true: had to been to stay in New York for her first job, but a lapsed visa hotelies have a bond forced her to return to her native Panama. As it happened, Molina– like none other. Seal’s mother had put her photo and graduation announcement in the local newspaper. While she graduated fifteen years “Before I even arrived my mother had eight calls from people later than Scott Melby M.P.S. ’81, wanting to hire me,” Molina–Seal recalls. Her first two employers Molina–Seal owes her current job —one of the largest hotel-development companies in the with Marriott International to region and the Panama Tourism Bureau—were both headed by Melby, the executive vice president Cornellians. for the division to which she was applying. After making it through “When I was in high school I imagined pursuing a career that a few rounds of interviews, “what sealed the deal was running into would have an impact on the way people live,” she says. “The Scott at a Cornell function,” recalls Molina–Seal. Hotel School gives you the instant credibility that opens doors in “Bumping into my future boss was fortuitous. Scott just said: an industry in which you can get real economic results.” ‘Call me on Monday.’ A week later I got the offer.” Had she pursued a general education in economics, or develop- Such strong backing comes, Molina–Seal says, because alumni ment, or even real estate, Molina–Seal says, she would have been know the kind of education they themselves received at the Hotel less valued as a job candidate and less effective in furthering School and value what that has given to others. hospitality and tourism—a key engine for the region’s economic “They know you are not only sharp and well-trained but can development through creation of new jobs. handle many things coming at you at once,” Molina–Seal explains. “Because of my education and the Cornell network, I have In her case, Molina–Seal simultaneously works on as many as insider knowledge on how the industry works,” she says. eight different projects, all part of Marriott’s expansion in Latin “I am honored to be working for a leading hospitality company America and the Caribbean. She spends half her time traveling in such as Marriott because the learning experience never ceases. the region, helping the company to decide which projects—the The avenues for professional and personal growth, and assuming conversion of existing hotels or building of new ones—warrant five increasing levels of responsibility, are countless,” Molina–Seal says of Marriott’s brands: Ritz–Carlton, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, of the company that Fortune has ranked as the lodging industry’s Courtyard by Marriott, and Renaissance Hotels. Each hotel project most admired company and one of the best places to work. can take from a few months to several years from planning to opening. It’s Molina–Seal’s job to analyze—from a financial, legal, and transactional point of view—what it will take from all the par- ties involved to move a project forward.

11 A Hotelie and a Cornellian

With only 800 undergraduates, the Hotel School is one of the smallest of Cornell’s seven undergraduate schools and colleges. But small does not mean limited.

As a Hotel School student you will take many, but not all, of your courses in Statler Hall. You will meet other Cornellians in your elective courses—and where you live and dine, at the gym, concerts, clubs, and other activities, including fraternities and sororities if you choose to join one. More than 13,500 undergraduates are enrolled at Cornell. Add about 6,000 graduate students and another 14,500 faculty and staff members, and the Cornell community weighs in at more than 30,000 people. Think you’ll be able to find a handful of people that you like? The chances are good you will! As a first-year student you live on the north campus with students from all seven undergraduate colleges. After that, you can remain on campus by moving to a west-campus house or residence hall, joining a campus housing co-op, residing in one of nine thematic program houses, or joining a fraternity or sorority. You also have the option of taking an apartment off-campus. The choice is yours. And Cornell’s food is scrumptious. Cornell Dining’s thirty-one dining locations comprise one of the top-rated university food services in the country.

12 Julie Margolin ’99 Director of Operations Levy Restaurants Staples Center and NOKIA Theatre at L.A. Live Los Angeles, California

“The great thing about my education is that it prepared me for all kinds of work. I learned about gaming, clubs, all types of food-and-beverage service, and more. It was a solid foundation for applying what I learned to professional roles . . . ”

For a sports fan like JULIE “We bring a fine dining experience to places where people do MARGoLIN, being director of not expect one, such as Churchill Downs racetrack, Ravinia Festival, operations for Levy Restaurants at Wrigley Field, and the U.S. Open tennis tournament,” she said. Staples Center and the NOKIA Margolin directly oversees all food and beverage operations at Theatre at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles STAPLES Center and the NOKIA Theatre at L.A. LIVE, which includes has its perks, and getting a “hi catering operations, restaurants and clubs, luxury and event suites, there” nod from Los Angeles Lakers as well as general and premium concessions. forward Luke Walton is just the Some of the special circumstances that come with the position beginning. include: “I love this job,” Margolin said. • Servers are taught to appreciate the timing of plays on the court “I work at an amazingly busy when serving a table: “touching” a table just as Kobe Bryant property and a lot of what I do is goes for a three-point shot does not make for an exceptional trouble-shoot at a very high level.” dining experience. “Levy Restaurants provides all of • Patrons who come to the arena often—five nights a week, for the food and beverage for an arena some—expect variety in their menus: Quality and creativity in that seats more than 20,000, daily menus are key to running a successful arena operation, offering guests everything from fine with some fans showing up as often as the players on the court. dining to general concessions at STAPLES Center, as well as for the guests of our special event venue that seats more than 7,000 at the • Recognizing that sports are big business, and networking in a NOKIA Theatre at L.A. LIVE. My role is to serve as the supporting suite or over a courtside dinner is powerful. link between the client, who owns and operates these incredible • Knowing that each guest experience with Levy Restaurants venues, and the management team that ensures that guest needs throughout the arena can be as powerful as what happens on and expectations are met and exceeded.” the event floor. Staples Center, located in downtown Los Angeles, is a multi- Before she landed this job Margolin lived at sea. As an inventory purpose arena that is the home to five professional sports teams: manager for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, working out of Miami, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles she saw to it that as many as 3,900 passengers had whatever they Kings, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Los Angeles Avengers. needed in the way of food, beverages, and amenities. STAPLES Center also plays host to some of the city’s biggest and “The great thing about my education is that it prepared me for most important civic and entertainment events, such as The all kinds of work,” Margolin said. “I learned about gaming, clubs, Grammy Awards, The Democratic National Convention, major all types of food-and-beverage service, and more. It was a solid concerts, and celebrity tributes. NOKIA Theatre at L.A. LIVE opened foundation for applying what I learned to professional roles: in October of 2007 and has already hosted the American Music working for a cruise line, managing a Marriott, running a traditional Awards, the America Idol Finals, and an incredible line-up of restaurant, or directing operations for a place like STAPLES Center.” concerts and family shows in its short time in operation. Chicago-based Levy Restaurants was the first to serve upscale food and provide an authentic restaurant experience in sports stadiums, ballparks, arenas, convention centers, and zoos, according to Margolin. 13 Hospitality Leadership through Learning

The Statler Hotel and J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center is the primary teaching tool for the school. The hotel and school are seamlessly integrated, creating a distinctive educational experience for students and delivering a unique brand of hospitality for guests. Each year some 200 students work alongside seasoned professionals across all hotel and restaurant operations. A select group of students participate in the Statler Leadership Development Pro- gram (SLDP). Serving in part-time, paid po- sitions, they learn from hotel department heads in accounting, front-office operations, human resources, restaurant operations, or sales and marketing; putting their academic learning to practical use. Students work through a series of challenging positions, gaining knowledge and technical skills while supervising other students. Many rise into management positions, further preparing them for career success.

Timothy Ryan, left, and Michaela Wolfanger, SLDP participants

What is ‘Operations’? A Brief Note on Terminology You’ll become familiar very quickly with the special language of hospitality. Only rarely does anyone around here say “general manager,” for example, to refer to the director of a hotel; we abbreviate the title to GM, and everyone at the school knows what we’re talking about. Not familiar with “operations”? Basically, operations means anything that has to do with custom- ers or guests. The rest is non-ops: corporate-office decision-making, financial services, -busi ness development, and so forth. Don’t worry: you’ll catch on quickly.

14 Hospitality Leadership through Learning

Rick Adie ’75 General Manager The Statler Hotel Ithaca, New York Josh DeBottis ’02

Director of Operations Kelly Scalia ’99 The Statler Hotel Ithaca, New York

“You are the most important part of the standard-setting institution in the hospitality industry. Your most important asset is what guests want to see shine through—your personality. Be professional, of course—but always be yourself!”

Her official title, director of operations, sounds awfully When he’s not teaching “Restaurant Entrepreneurship” and the impersonal. Kelly Scalia, a Class of 1999 graduate who managed guest-chefs series, “Specialty Foods and Beverage Operations,” restaurants at a five-star hotel and an elegant getaway (Philadelphia’s Pezzotti leads executive-education seminars around the world for the Four Seasons and California’s Bacara Resort & Spa, respectively) Hotel School. He and Scalia do have one experience in common: both before returning here for her dream job, is more like the director of waited tables before attending Cornell. Pezzotti served in cafés, good impressions. ristorantes, and trattorias in Italy before landing a job 65 stories above Impressions (good ones or the other kind), she knows, start with Rockefeller Center at the famed Rainbow Room. the airport shuttle driver who asks: “How was your flight? What There Pezzotti was offered a promotion, to assistant maitre brings you to Ithaca?” d’hotel. “No grazie,” he said (politely, of course). “I’ve been accepted Impressions are made by the people who prepare and serve at Cornell.” appealing food—in The Statler’s signature restaurant, Taverna Banfi; Scalia keeps in mind her undergraduate experiences at Cornell and catered banquets; or breakfast-in-bed for guests who prefer sunrise her life-lessons as a professional when she gives student interns the over “America’s most scenic college campus.” day-one pep talk: “You are the most important part of the standard- Director Scalia is in charge of all the impression-makers (the ten setting institution in the hospitality industry. Your most important managers who report to her supervise about 100 professional and asset is what guests want to see shine through—your personality. Be 200 student staffers), “but I can tell you who makes the very best professional, of course—but always be yourself!” impressions,” she says. “Guests tell us again and again that the And who are the most important guests to impress? The many highlight of their stay was their interaction with the students.” VIPs who stay at The Statler, perhaps? Those students are on the front lines at The Statler—working Surprisingly, Scalia sets her sights on a younger demographic: through their required 800-hours of practice credit. “And even if “Prospective students of the School of Hotel Administration who are hands-on management experience were not a requirement,” Scalia visiting campus with their parents and staying in Ithaca’s finest hotel. adds, “our students would be here because they want to learn how We want them to look around and say: ‘So this is what first-rate to take good care of people.” service is all about. This is the industry for me, and Cornell is where I As an undergraduate, Scalia knew from the start that she wanted want to learn to lead.’“ to enhance the fine-dining experience. She reveled in the Hotel When Scalia returned as The Statler’s director of operations, at School’s array of courses in operations and food and beverage first she had one concern: Hotel Ezra Cornell, the annual showcase management—more than two dozen, ranging from “Contemporary event when Hotel School students take over The Statler to host guests Healthy Foods” and “Creating Pleasurable Dining Experiences” to with some very high expectations—returning alumni and industry “Restaurant Entrepreneurship” and “Advanced Hospitality executives. Quantitative Analysis.” The stakes are high. The whole industry is watching. Suppose the For Scalia, one particularly influential teacher was Giuseppe G. B. students mess up? Then Scalia remembered: “These are the students Pezzotti ‘84, M.P.S. ’96, now an internationally recognized expert in I helped to train. Cornell Hotelies are the best. They won’t hospitality service, business etiquette and protocol, and restaurant disappoint.” operations. “He introduced me to other alumni and he was pivotal in She was right. The Hotel Ezra Cornell students made great my return to the Statler Hotel,” Scalia says. “I kept in touch impressions that year. Always have. Always will. throughout my career at the Four Seasons and Bacara, and he continues to be someone I look to for advice and mentorship.” 15 A Management Curriculum

The world’s most sophisticated hospitality-management school is also a part of one of its foremost universities. That’s one of the beauties of the Hotel School: We offer a pre-professional education in a liberal-arts con- text. A typical student at the Hotel School earns the bachelor of science (B.S.) degree by completing required courses in hospitality management, elective courses in hospitality, distributive electives in the liberal arts, and free electives. You learn everything from the planning, design, and construction of properties to their financing, marketing, and operation. Many subjects are similar to any first-rate undergrad- uate business program: accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and information technology. But there are some differences too. • Business administration courses are taught through their application to hospitality and related service industries; • You also learn fundamentals of food-service, lodging, real estate, design, and other subjects that most business majors never see; • The curriculum pulls these subjects together in a way that makes each one more comprehensible, and therefore more useful.

credits credits Operations Facilities Management, Planning and Design HADM 1105 Introduction to Hotel Operations 2 HADM 2255 Hospitality Development and Planning 3 HADM 1106 Introduction to Food Service Operations 2 HADM 3355 Hospitality Facilities Management 3 HADM 2201 Hospitality Quantitative Analysis 3 HADM 3301 Service Operations Management 3 Managerial Communication HADM 1165 Managerial Communication I 3 HADM 3305 Restaurant Management 4 HADM 3365 Managerial Communication II 3 Management and Organizational Behavior First-Year Writing Seminar 3 HADM 1115 Organizational Behavior and Interpersonal Skills 3 Information Systems Human-Resource Management HADM 1174 Microcomputing 3 HADM 2211 Human-Resource Management 3 HADM 2275 Introduction to Information Systems Management 3 Finance/Accounting HADM 1121 Financial Accounting 3 Law HADM 3387 Business and Hospitality Law 3 HADM 2221 Managerial Accounting 3 HADM 2222 Finance 3 Economics HADM 3321 Hospitality Financial Management 3 HADM 1141 Microeconomics for the Service Industry 3 Food and Beverage Management HADM 2236 Culinary Theory and Practice 4 Total Core credits (courses listed above) 69 Hotel School Elective credits 12 Marketing, Tourism, and Strategy Distributive Elective credits 18 HADM 2243 Marketing Management for Services 3 Free Electives 21 HADM 4441 Strategic Management 3 Total Credits 120

16 Real Work Experience Typical Sequence of Core Courses Hotelies are known for arriving at a job and knowing what to do, and the school’s practice-credit requirement is First Year an important reason for this. You will do at least 800 • HADM 1105 Introduction to Hotel Operations hours of fieldwork, known as practice credit, as part of • HADM 1106 Introduction to Food Service Operations your college education. You can work in the summers, in • HADM 1115 Organizational Behavior and Interpersonal an off-campus semester-long internship, or part-time dur- S skills ing the school year. • HADM 1121 Financial Accounting • HADM 1141 Microeconomics for the Service Industry A Note on Elective Courses • HADM 1165 Managerial Communication I You choose 12 elective credits in the Hotel School and 39 • HADM 1174 Microcomputing elective credits in any of Cornell’s undergraduate schools • First Year Writing Seminar and colleges. Electives may be concentrated in a particu- lar area: some students take upper-level, highly specialized Second Year courses. Other students use their elective choices to de- • HADM 2201 Hospitality Quantitative Analysis velop breadth instead of depth. • HADM 2211 Human-Resource Management Students who expect to work abroad often study for- • HADM 2221 Managerial Accounting eign languages in their distributive and free-elective • HADM 2222 Finance courses. Because of the international character of busi- • HADM 2236 Culinary Theory and Practice ness, and of hospitality in particular, all students are re- quired to qualify in a foreign language, either from three • HADM 2243 Marketing Management for Services years of high school courses or two semesters of courses at • HADM 2255 Hospitality Development and Planning Cornell. • HADM 2275 Introduction to Information Systems Distributive electives are liberal-arts courses taken out- Management Whatside the is Hotel ‘Operations’? School. They must include at least one Acourse Brief in N eachote ofon the Terminology following categories: Third Year You’ll• the become humanities, familiar languages, very quickly fine witharts, theor special lan- • HADM 3301 Service Operations Management guage performing of hospitality. arts; Only rarely does anyone around here • HADM 3305 Restaurant Management say •“general social sciences; manager,” for example, to refer to the director • HADM 3321 Hospitality Financial Management of a• hotel;biological we abbreviate or physical the sciences title to or GM, mathematics. and everyone at • HADM 3355 Hospitality Facilities Operations the school knows what we’re talking about. Not familiar • HADM 3365 Managerial Communication II with “operations”? Basically, operations means anything • HADM 3387 Business and Hospitality Law that has to do with customers or guests. The rest is non- ops: corporate-office decision-making, financial services, Fourth Year business development, and so forth. Don’t worry: you’ll • HADM 4441 Strategic Management catch on quickly. For details on courses, see Cornell’s Courses of Study at You take most of your required courses in your first cuinfo.cornell.edu/Academic/Courses/. two years—introductory courses such as HADM 1115 Organizational Behavior and Interpersonal Skills and industry-specific courses such as HADM 1105 Introduc- tion to Hotel Operations. This means that by the end of your first year you know a good deal about the hospitality field, as well as basic elements of management; are well- positioned for a relevant and exciting summer job; form close relationships with other hotelies; and develop ties to professors who know a lot about you, because faculty members who teach core courses meet regularly to com- pare notes.

17 18 A Popular Option Declaring a Concentration: Curriculum concentrations/. academics/ugrad/ www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/ go to each, in offered tracks the and concentrations of For acomplete list right. at consentrations in tracks out of school. foryourself yourposition first aject, and way to prepare sub that teach who professors the to know chance the depth, toa subject learn in portunity op you the gives centration Sciences). Acon Information and (Education concentrations one of university-wide two Communication, Law)and or Management, Organizational and Systems; Information and Strategy, Marketing, Operations;Facilities and Hospitality Estate; Real and Accounting, (Finance, the Hotelwithin School any of four concentrations However, you may choose science (B.S.) field. in this be a bachelor will degree of yourand administration Cornell, your major is hotel a HotelAs School student at Have a look at some of the

-

- - Systems concentration Strategy, in track the Management Marketing, and Marketing Information Services Environment Ambient The Factors: Human 3500 • DEA Elements Sustainable and Materials Interior 3030 • DEA Relations to Human–Environment Introduction 1500 • DEA Methods and Technology, Building Materials, 2602 • ARCH Drawing Freehand I: Drawing 1501 • ARCH Hotel 4457 Development • HADM Courses: Recommended Management and Spa 6602 Development Resort and Hotel Spa and • HADM Introduction 4408 to Operations Casino • HADM Catering 4404 Management Events Special and • HADM Chefs Specialty Guest Operations: 4403 Beverage and Food • HADM 3303 Club Management • HADM Courses: Required of hospitality. area ain specialized a career to who make plan students for those Designed in track the Hospitality Facilities and Operations concentration Specialty Operations: Clubs, Casinos, Catering, and Spas Restaurant 6606 Management Revenue • HADM Foodservice 4453 Design Facilities • HADM 4451 Restaurant Development • HADM Beverage 4436 Management • HADM Wine 4431 Promotion and Principles Pairing Food and • HADM Chefs Specialty Guest Operations: 4403 Beverage and Food • HADM 3303 Club Management • HADM Management Supply and Procurement, Selection, 4435 • HADM Entrepreneurship Restaurant 4401 • HADM Courses: Required operations. hotel small and clubs, private dining, fine management, restaurant general include opportunities career ownership, with Along enterprise. restaurant or independent entrepreneurial of an ownership and operation, management, the for necessary competencies and skills on the Focuses Operations concentration Independent Operations in track the Hospitality, Restaurant Facilities, and • HADM Hospitality 4423 Finance Estate Real • HADM following): ofthe (four Courses Required company. in a hospitality analyst finance as corporate and a firm consulting in a hospitality consultant a financial as a career forseeking students Designed concentration Estate Corporate Finance/Financial Consulting Services Management 6645 Experience Customer and Marketing • HADM Brand 5540 Management • HADM Managing Strategies 4447 Distribution Hospitality • HADM Analysis and Pricing Hospitality 4444 • HADM Strategic 4442 Marketing • HADM 3374 Analysis Data and Management Fundamentals of Database • HADM following): ofthe (two Courses Recommended 3347 Consumer Behavior • HADM 3343 Marketing Makers for Decision Research • HADM Courses: Required research. marketing and/or marketing, sales, distribution, consulting, in career a anyone planning for appropriate is It customers. profitable keep and on how get to Focuses 3352 Hotel or Design Interior and Planning • HADM 3351 Design Facilities Hospitality • HADM Courses: Required management. renovation and assistance, technical corporate design, service include hotel food interiors and Careers facilities. of hospitality of a design variety and planning the with Deals Design 6625 Securitization Products Financial Structured and • HADM 6624 Reporting Statements of Financial Analysis and • HADM Hospitality Management 6622 Asset • HADM Management Investment 4429 Portfolio and Analysis • HADM Multinational 4427 Management Risk International and Finance • HADM (plus any of the following which will yield at least 12 track) the in at least yield will which credits any of following the (plus

track in the Hospitality Facilities and Operations concentration and Facilities Hospitality the in track 4426

Advanced

Corporate

Finance H track in track the Finance, Accounting, and Real A D M 4453 Foodservice Facilities D Facilities Foodservice M 4453

(or both) esign

- In her third year at the Hotel School, Serena Yang discovered hospitality design, and the world opened like a flower.I t was in Professor Richard Penner’s Hospitality Development and Planning course that she realized there is even more to hospitality than operations and finance. As a high school student in Taiwan in 1996, she first considered Cornell after a friend’s sister highly recom- mended the Hotel School and because of a familial rela- tionship to a hotel owner in Taiwan. That, coupled with former President Lee Teng Hui’s visit to Cornell in 1995, his first since earning his Ph.D. at Cornell in 1968, influ- enced Yang’s decision to apply. Because of Lee’s visit, “Cornell was especially popular Serena Yang ’00 among my graduating class,” she said. “Most people at the Hotel School concentrate on Interior Designer finance or food-and-beverage management, and that’s David Howell Design what the school is best known for,” Yang said. “But the New York, New York properties program is great too!” Penner agrees: “This is the only hotel school that teaches design; and many people—certainly hoteliers and restaurateurs—believe that interior design and décor is a very important part of any hotel or restaurant experience.” Penner turned out to be an invaluable mentor. Whenever Yang mentioned his name, heads turned. “The summer after junior year I sent my résumé around looking for a summer internship. You know, the school really drills it into you to follow up on job oppor- tunities, so I called every day until finally the womanI was trying so hard to reach picked up the phone. ‘You want an internship?’ she asked. ‘You’ve got it. If you’re good enough for Professor Penner, you’re good enough for us!’” That was at Wilson and Associates, one of the two biggest hospitality-design firms in the country. After graduating, Yang was offered a job working with M. Arthur Gensler Jr. AAP ’58 in San Francisco— another case of a Cornellian who made her feel “you really belong to a community just because you went to this school”—but instead chose to take a position with Wilson’s New York City office. Among other projects, she was part of a team that designed a 190-room boutique hotel in Boston from “You know, the school really drills it into you start to finish; but soon afterwards the events of Septem- to follow up on job opportunities, so I called ber 11, 2001 put hospitality projects on hold. Some work every day until finally the woman I was try- on residences led to thoughts about retail and residential design, and a certificate program in interior design at ing so hard to reach picked up the phone. Parsons School of Design encouraged Yang to apply for a ‘You want an internship?’ she asked. ‘You’ve new job, with David Howell Design, also in New York. got it. If you’re good enough for Professor “I still enjoy working on hotel interiors but I wanted to branch out, and this seemed like the time to do it,” Penner, you’re good enough for us!’” she said. “In David’s company, there’s more emphasis on interior architectural construction and millwork than on fabrics and furniture. I feel like I’m in my world at last.”

19 Understanding People Is Key

“Life is service. The one who progresses is the one who gives his fellow men a little more, a little better service.” Ellsworth M. Statler

A creative thinker who enjoys serving others and has a head for business—that’s the Hotel School ideal. It’s important that you like people, but it’s not nearly enough to be a “people per- son” who gets along easily with others. To lead, you need to understand people, and that’s lot more challenging. Hospitality is ultimately about providing services, rather than producing products, so it is a labor-intensive industry that requires skilled human-resource management. As soon as you graduate you may be supervising a large number of people, many of them older and more experienced than you are. To be respectful and assertive at the same time does not necessarily come naturally—nor do things like knowing how to train peo- ple to be consistently courteous. Skill in working with others is something that we teach, and that you need to know. Even in activities such as financial analysis you will be a better analyst if you are skillful with people. You cannot appraise a property holed up in an office: you need to go out into the field to collect- in formation, and you won’t get what you need by ordering people to share information with you. So whether you go to work for a restaurant group or a consulting company, you will discover that people skills count. The Hotel School’s Group-Learning Style To prepare for the world of work, we emphasize teamwork and group projects—so much so that after your “nth” assignment someone is likely to say, “Not another group project!” In fact, you cannot get enough of these. They challenge you in ways that working alone does not. Most hotelies come into Cornell with leadership skills. They excelled as sports captains and or- ganizational officers in high school. But getting a group of leaders to work together is another story. It involves sharing leadership, playing to one another’s strengths, and taking responsibility without taking ownership. Even the best students find this a challenge. One of the school’s most popular team projects is part of a required course: HADM 3305 Restaurant Management. In this course student managers run the Statler Hotel’s Taverna Banfi. They plan the menu, order the food, prepare the meals, and supervise their classmates who serve and clean up. If they do well, the proof is literally in the pudding—or whatever they serve. This full-service restaurant is a learning environment where you apply and test a range of managerial principles and operational skills. It’s excellent experience if you want to open a res- taurant or own a property that has one, and it’s good experience in cooperation even if you don’t. Of course, you do get expert advice. A chef instructor and your professor back you up in the kitchen, answering questions, troubleshooting problems, and double-checking cost estimates, revenue projections, and your marketing plan. It’s less about learning to cook than learning to manage—and to deal with the people who help you pull this off.

20 Carl Mittleman ’97

Vice President of Operations, West ARAMARK, Inc. Denver, Colorado

“If you had asked me when I graduated from Just before he transferred up to Alaska he was district manager school if I could have predicted this, the an- of stadiums and arenas for Central California, responsible for ten swer is No, I couldn’t. Even four or five years locations: stadiums, arenas, amphitheatres, and day-use parks. “If you had asked me when I graduated from school if I could ago I couldn’t see all the exciting things that have predicted this, the answer is No, I couldn’t,” he said. “Even I’d be doing—or that I’d go from intern to four or five years agoI couldn’t see all the exciting things that I’d be executive in just ten years.” doing—or that I’d go from intern to executive in just ten years. “I think that says a lot about ARAMARK: They take chances on young people and give them the opportunity to grow. I feel like I keep evolving and growing because this company recognizes and rewards talent.” Mittleman now has multiple district managers reporting to him as he oversees parks destinations from California to Colorado and Arizona to Nevada. “Parks are a matter of environmental stewardship,” he said. “You want to provide people with a delightful food and beverage experience in a way that does not harm the environment.. . . One of the things we’re working to develop are green buildings,” he said. A few times each year he visits Ithaca—to lecture at the Hotel School, recruit employees for ARAMARK, and keep in touch with favorite members of the food and beverage management faculty, including Giuseppe Pezzotti, Rupert Spies, and Therese O’Connor. “We interview between forty and fifty students in two or three “You never know where opportunity will take you,” days when we are recruiting,” he said. “And we do this a couple of said Carl Mittleman ’97. “Sometimes a little risk will reap a huge times a year. That’s because the future of the company depends on reward.” finding the best and brightest recent graduates. A special bond exists Mittleman, who received the Joseph Drown Foundation Prize, between ARAMARK and the Hotel School that helps to make Cornell the school’s highest award, when he graduated from the Hotel School, one of the best places for the company to recruit. went to work straightaway for ARAMARK, a well-established, well- ARAMARK’s company culture supports interns and new hires. diversified company, and he has worked there ever since—in Management teams work to make sure that students succeed, increasingly challenging jobs. Mittleman said. In Alaska, he had the opportunity to hire Katie Levy Now, as head of ARAMARK’s Parks and Resorts Division, West, ’06. He also supervised six students on rotational internships. he oversees lodging and tourism at national and state parks, including “Not a day goes by that I don’t lean on the educational values of Mesa Verde National Park, Lake Tahoe National Forest, Pikes Peak, the Hotel School,” Mittleman said. “I’m sure they made me the kind Muir Woods, Hearst Castle, and Olympic National Park’s Lake Quinault of ethical and professional leader that I am.” Lodge, Kalaloch Lodge, and Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. For one thing, he said, “You can never underestimate the value Prior to this, he served as vice president of operations for of personal relations. They matter personally and professionally, in ARAMARK’s Alaska business and was responsible for lodging, food your life and in your career,” he said. and beverage, retail, transportation, tour, recreation, and support “And back when I was selling hot dogs and beer as fast as I could operations at Denali and Glacier Bay National Parks. at PNC Park I never guessed I’d have the chance to be involved in the His career began with an internship at Coors Field in Denver. kinds of experiences I’ve had since then,” he added. Moving up to general manager of PNC Park in Pittsburgh, he then hopped out to Los Angeles to be resident district manager for operations at Dodger Stadium—with a year in Europe as director of ARAMARK’s international sports and entertainment. 21 Student Life Hotelies tend to be bons vivants. They exhibit a zest for life. They also tend to be confident, engaging people, with an interest in travel and unfamiliar cultures. There are student organizations at the Hotel School for wines and food, international hoteliers, and several others devoted to career choices such as sales and marketing and club management.

Jessica Lee

“Everyone always says how great Cornell’s alumni occupancy drops at the resort, people are actually asked to take network is, and you don’t really believe it. But it turns vacations. Since many people don’t return to work after their time out it’s true!” says Jessica Lee, a hotelie from Australia off, the resort has to hire and train new people, including chefs and who found alumni in Sydney friendly and willing to kitchen assistants. To help maintain the integrity of the menu, I help her get started. worked on standardizing the preparation process for many of the dishes,” she said. “When you take advantage of the school you see that it’s like a The following year in school Lee decided that food-and- family, it’s a unique community; and once you’re part of it, you’re in beverage management was not her chosen area in hospitality, it for life,” she added. and so after completing required courses in finance, she enrolled in Like many other students, Lee entered Cornell thinking that hos- another course with a reputation for rigor, HADM 3323 Hospitality pitality was more or less food and beverages and hotel rooms. Yet Real Estate Finance. she wasn’t a foodie. She didn’t even know how to cook. “This class was one of the most challenging things I have ever “I was terrified by the rumors aboutH ADM 2236 Culinary Theory done,” she said. “Many nights I worked on the assigned cases until and Practice,” she said. “I couldn’t cook to save my life, this was a 4 a.m.! Using Excel software in sophisticated ways, we evaluated required course, and the professor had a reputation for being tough actual cases in hospitality real estate. Normally you need back- and professional. All semester I dreaded the final lab, ‘Copper Chef,’ ground knowledge to do the types of assignments we were given, like the TV show, ‘Iron Chef.’ We were handed ingredients and told but at the Hotel School you learn to do without it.” to prepare a three-course meal. I was absolutely amazed at what I A successful winter externship at Jones Lang LaSalle, the could do by the end of that class.” real-estate and asset-management group, led Lee to arrange for After her freshman year at school, Lee went back to Australia for a summer internship with Ernst and Young’s real-estate advisory her first real-world experience in operations at two properties under and hospitality-feasibility consulting group. the Accor Hotel brand. “I like financial analysis because I can use my operational The following summer, she and her sister Catherine, who is one background together with my skills in finance.Y ou need to know year behind her at the Hotel School, worked at the exclusive five- how a hotel operates to make informed decisions when you star Hayman Island Resort on the Great Barrier Reef. evaluate financial statements and analyze an operation’s efficiency,” Due, no doubt, to her new-found comfort with all things she said. culinary, Lee was assigned a special project in the resort’s food-and- “My biggest goal, as I think about graduating and leaving the beverage department: standardizing menus. Hotel School,” she said, “is to stay involved in things that will let me “You might not think this was important, but it was,” she said. keep on learning—and not to settle down right away.” “Employment practices in Australia require everyone who works to be a full-time employee; they don’t allow part-time workers. So when

22 Hotel School student volunteers set a Guinness World Record by making a giant spring roll—officially measur- ing 435 meters long—as part of an event called “Roll for Relief” that raised more than $20,000 for tsunami relief in Southeast Asia.

Dale Winham

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that’s where hospitality began for Dale Winham. The Mount Rushmore State lets youths work and drive at age 14, and Winham worked for Minerva’s restaurants at its flagship Italian-themed Spezia starting in his freshman year in high-school.

“What really piqued my passion the same people who worked in the mall or came on their lunch for hospitality was the Sunday break. I could remember their orders or carry on running brunch. That was my baby,” conversations like I did with a woman who worked at the Barnes Winham said. “It was famous, & Noble store. voted the best Sunday brunch in Sioux Falls, and I was in charge “I like people. I think it’s more interesting than fine-dining of it as a high school junior. Five hundred people every Sunday restaurants where you are, basically, a servant. So I think that’s from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. I was in there the day before cutting where I’m heading, to something entrepreneurial, a bakery/café, fruit and making task lists, and I was in every Sunday at 7 a.m. where people come in for conversation with their lunch. getting ready. “Long-term I might like to own a number of regional specialty “I am certainly enjoying my classes here at the Hotel School, markets with my bakery/café concept, places where locals hang and I’m doing very well, but I’m a hands-on person and I learn out and chat, and enjoy great food with excellent service.” more by doing, like working at the Statler Hotel, which I’ve done Winham has plenty of experience—and even more honors since freshman year here,” he said. and merit scholarships. He has been a front-of-the-house For college he felt he had to choose between a culinary manager for the Dean’s Awards Dinner at Hotel Ezra Cornell, school and a business school. After visiting Cornell, he applied completed an externship at ARAMARK’s national conference early decision. In his free time he reads Nation’s Restaurant News, center in Landsdowne, Virginia, and worked as a summer the last book he read was Soul of a Chef, and he watches the catering intern for the company in Minneapolis–St. Paul (near Food Network regularly, especially Alton Brown’s Good Eats. For where his girlfriend attends college). He is active in the Cornell distributive electives, he chose French, statistics, sociology, and Hotel Society’s collegiate chapter, Hotel School Ambassadors, the anthropology of food and cuisine. He plans to declare a and The Statler Leadership Development Program. concentration in Hospitality Facilities and Operations. “The single best activity I’ve been involved in is the new But he’s not all F & B. He says he thoroughly enjoyed a hotel program at the Statler,” he said. “I’ve worked bellstand, turn- development and design course that changed his way of thinking down service, receiving, banquet service, bartending, and the about the way hotels are planned—and it was a nice change kitchen, and soon will become student banquet manager. from food to technical engineering. “That should be great experience, being at the top of the “I’m not into the glitz and glamour of five-star dining,” he chain of command and overseeing my fellow students as we run said. “I prefer quick service where you can converse easily with the department. That’s the route I’ve taken. For me, being a customers. Working for Potbelly Sandwich Works at the Eden student manager in the Statler’s banquet’s department is an Prairie Center, in an upscale Minneapolis suburb, you would see experience I would not give up for any other.” 23 Hotel Ezra Cornell Hotel Ezra Cornell is an annual conference hosted by Hotel School students for hospitality industry leaders. HEC, as it is called, dates back to 1925 when Dean Howard Meek took a group of students to New York City to manage the Hotel Astor for a day. After that, students began to hold a “hotel for a day” in Ithaca to invite industry leaders to become acquainted with the school. Now, the weekend strikes a thoughtful balance between interaction, education, and entertainment. For the guests, HEC is a three-day weekend of educational seminars, leisure activities, and food-and- beverage events. For the students, HEC can be a year’s worth of hard work, commitment, and excite- ment culminating in an impressive display of their efforts and talent. HEC is a leadership development experience grounded in experiential learning, with the mission of “Showcasing Hospitality Education through Student Leadership.”

HEC gives students a chance to bring together everything they know about opera- tions and management and showcase their talents to the industry. Hundreds of execu- tives are invited and attend each year. Many HEC direc- tors land their first job after college as the result of the impression they made during HEC weekend.

Student Organizations

Club Managers Association of America Hospitality Finance Society Hotelie Entrepreneurs The Cornell Chapter of CMAA promotes closer The Hospitality Finance Society enhances its mem- Hotelie Entrepreneurs organizes think-tanks, friendly ties between CMAA, professional club bers’ application of classroom-taught hospitality- guest-speaker seminars, and business competi- managers, and Cornell students. finance theory in the real world.I t provides tions, all to help students exercise their creativity opportunities to network, learn from finance to develop successful enterprises. Catering and Special Events Society professionals, and participate in the American The Catering and Special Events Society helps Hotelies Serving Society (HS2) Lodging Investment Summit. educate students about and promotes involvement A Hotel School volunteer organization that encour- in the catering and special-events segment of the Hospitality Law Society ages students to volunteer their time and service hospitality industry. It builds valuable, long-lasting The Hospitality Law Society, the only university to help better the community and to gain recogni- educational and professional relationships with hospitality law organization in the U.S., fosters the tion, certificates, rewards, and scholarships for leading catering and special-events professionals academic, social, and professional growth of its their participation in volunteer projects. through networking events, presentations, work- members by sponsoring legal scholarship activities, National Society of Minorities in Hospitality shops, and field trips. to aid students with the law school admissions NSMH is a national nonprofit organization that process, to educate them about legal issues in Cornell Dinner Club seeks to promote hospitality education, foster hospitality, and to increase the representation of The Cornell Dinner Club seeks to expand students’ professional advancement for minorities, and Hotel School undergraduates in law school and the knowledge of foods and beverages through activi- create awareness of minority diversity in the legal profession. ties that stimulate learning in a social atmosphere. hospitality industry. Hospitality Real Estate Club Cornell Hospitality Advisory School of Hotel Administration Ambassadors The Hospitality Real Estate Club is a group of stu- The Cornell Hospitality Advisory prepares students Ambassadors promote a positive image of the dents who share their passion for all aspects of who wish to pursue a consulting career by present- School of Hotel Administration to visitors, includ- hospitality real estate finance, banking, and devel- ing guest speakers, round-tables with industry ing industry leaders, incoming students, and opment. It fosters an understanding of industry leaders, case studies, and panel discussions with alumni. They act as a support system, in the role and marketplace trends, providing opportunities to alumni. of student advisers, for first-year and transfer network with hospitality professionals. students. Ambassadors also serve as hosts for Cornell Hotel Society Hospitality Students International companies holding receptions in the Hotel School. The Collegiate Chapter of CHS supports Hotel HSI works to increase multicultural and global School students and their special interests through Student Committee for Continuous awareness and promote work opportunities biweekly meetings of student leaders, school-wide Improvement among its members in the Hotel School and other community service events, and regional represen- SCCI’s mission is to utilize the talents of students, hospitality programs worldwide. tation of alumni chapters. faculty, staff members, and the administration to Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association create and facilitate positive change. Cornell University Spa Association International CUSPA fosters education and awareness amongst Ye Hosts Honorary Society HSMAI provides hospitality students with insights students about the global spa industry and serves The Ye Hosts Honorary Society is a group of into the marketing profession as well as opportuni- as a link between professionals and students. selected students who strive to set examples ties to gain valuable marketing experience in the of overall excellence in the Hotel School, to 24 hospitality industry. serve fellow students, and to make charitable contributions to the community. Andrea Kepic ’96 Vice President Tishman Hotel Corporation New York, New York

John Zeltmann ’02

“[How service] applies to business—that’s what I got from the Cornell Hotel School.”

Four years into a career in asset management, John Eventually, Zeltmann enrolled in a course at Farleigh Zeltmann resigned, married classmate Rebecca Ehrlich, and Dickinson University to become a certified financial planner. the two embarked on a three-month honeymoon Two days a week he commuted to New York City to work for backpacking in Chile, Argentina, and Peru. Tishman and train a new employee at the Westin. Ehrlich, Adventurous? Yes. Impulsive? No. Zeltmann and Ehrlich meanwhile, enrolled in the College of Saint Elizabeth to earn a departed without knowing what they would do when they master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. came back, but they had carefully planned and saved for the Are they still hotelies? For sure. “I think you’d be selling the trip for a year or more. Conscientious by nature, Zeltmann had school short if you said that anyone who left the hospitality been managing director of the 77th Hotel Ezra Cornell. industry was no longer part of the group,” Zeltmann said. “A trip like this teaches you things about yourselves that “Both of our new career paths are extensions of our you don’t learn anywhere else,” Zeltmann said. “For one training at the Hotel School. Rebecca has always been thing, it forced us to lean on each another. And we learned interested in food—she has had to be, because she has that we make decisions well together. Living in New York City allergies to wheat and to eggs—and food-and-beverage you don’t have to count on each other for most basic things. courses sparked her interest in making a career in food. In the You do when you are far from home, when you are together field of nutrition she will be building on some of her training at 24/7 for eighty or ninety days . . . and when only one of you the Hotel School.” speaks Spanish.” (Ehrlich does.) As an asset manager, Zeltmann examined daily, monthly, The high point of their journey? Machu Picchu. and annual performance reports of the hotel and met with its “We were camped there for several days,” Zeltmann said. executive team to discuss those results. As a financial planner, “It is beyond words or anything you can imagine. Any he will examine the financial affairs of individuals, instead of comment I could make would be an understatement. It is one properties. of most amazing things I have ever seen. That, and the “Sometimes I think, ‘What would people at the Hotel Peruvian Amazon. I feel so fortunate to have visited these School think of what I’m doing?’” Zeltmann asked aloud. places,” he said. “Sometimes the question feels like it should bring on an Before they left, Zeltmann had been an asset manager for identity crisis. Tishman Hotel and Realty, working in The Westin New York at “But I believe the relationship between a financial planner Times Square. and his or her client depends on service, and that this is the most significant element. “Service permeates all that people do. It may be the single most important thing you learn at the Hotel School. It’s not about how to pour wine into a glass. It’s not about how to do a cash-flow analysis. Anyplace can teach you to add numbers,” he said. “The concept of service and how it applies to business— that’s what I got from the Cornell Hotel School.”

25 After You Graduate

Launching Your Career When you’re a hotelie entering the job market, the issue is not getting a posi- tion, it’s getting the right one. Students who start their searches early invari- ably come up with several offers. Building on previous employment is always a good idea. During four years at school you’ll have ample opportunity to de- velop contacts and assemble a track record, using internships and summer jobs as a springboard to your first permanent position after graduation.

Most hotelies start out in hospitality—about half of them in hotel and restaurant operations, the best-known part of the business. This involves the day-to-day running of hotels, restaurants, and other facilities. These operations can be very sophisticated, requiring knowledge of accounting, cost control, marketing, purchasing, and human resources. Advancing Your Career The more than 11,000 alumni of the Hotel School can be found in every facet of the industry, from hotel operations to multiunit restaurant management. You will also find hotelies in affiliated busi- nesses—such as consulting, e-commerce, food manufacturing, investment banking and venture capital, real-estate finance and development, and stock-market analysis. At last count, some 75 percent of Hotel School graduates were still involved in the industry after ten years or more. Some 50 percent were managers, consultants, or entrepreneurs in the hospitality field, and another 25 percent were employed in affiliated business fields. Some occupations straddle the line between traditional and nontraditional Hotel School careers. Asset managers, for example, work for property owners, watching changes in real-estate values and return on investment—all the financial matters related to a property. Hotelies are particularly well- suited as asset managers in the industry, and can apply their skills to other properties as well. Increas- ingly, the industry needs people to work as brand managers and concern themselves with the retailing implications of disparate ownership. Along with sales, branding is a big chunk of marketing these days, and it, too, can be done both inside and outside the industry.

26 Career Management The Hotel School’s Student Services Office will work with you to devise an individualized job-search strategy. Staff members are on call as early as your freshman year. They organize annual on-campus recruiting—a career fair—and the Management Intern Program and practice credit (required work experience). More than 100 companies send recruiters to the school every year, looking for seniors for permanent employment and for sophomores and juniors eager to prove themselves in summer jobs and internships. The office keeps summer—and permanent—employment lists, files of company literature, and alumni directories to help in your job search. Staff members also offer sessions on career-related topics that include self-assessment, résumé and cover-letter writing, networking, interviewing, and assessing job offers.

Where Do Hotelies Go? by percent of students responding

hotel, resort, convention center, and conference management 26 banking, consulting, and financial services 21 restaurants 14 real estate development, finance, and brokerage 11 gaming and casinos 4 other* 24 * e-commerce/travel distribution, education, entrepreneurial ventures, hotel design, information technology, retail, spas, theme parks, tourism

27 The Faculty

The Hotel School’s almost sixty permanent faculty members and ten to fif- teen visiting professors represent a collective wealth of knowledge about the hospitality field, much of it gained in firsthand industry experience. In the final analysis, the school’s reputation derives from their collective expertise.

The research that Cornell professors conduct influences the way the industry evaluates assets, considers pricing, and carries out other important functions. And they publish more scholarly pa- pers on aspects of hospitality than any other group of scholars. The first industry-wide study of management contracts was produced by a Cornell professor, as was the award-winning study, “Best Practices in the Lodging Industry.” They are well represented in hospitality organizations and asso- ciations and often speak at conferences, serve on advisory boards, and consult on special projects. Still, the primary responsibility of the faculty is to teach students. You can make an appoint- ment to meet a professor during his or her weekly office hours, but those are hardly the only hours professors are accessible. And until your plan of study is firmly fixed, you will probably value your professors as much for their willingness to act as advisors as for their teaching ability. Every student has a faculty advisor to turn to for advice on any topic—from coursework to personal concerns.

Current Hotel School Faculty Research • environmental stewardship • investment values of lodging properties • Internet distribution channels • performance benchmarking • productivity analysis • stock-market pricing mechanisms • tourism development • yield management in restaurants

28 Gracelda Makurah, M.M.H. ’00 (below left) and Vincent Trapenard M.M.H. ’04 (below, second from right) are responsible for the northwest United States and Europe, respectively.

Shaun Stewart ’01

Director, Market Management Expedia, Inc. Sydney, Australia

“Connections help ease the way. At Expedia’s annual Christmas party we see everyone who works for the company and went to From Australia he oversees Australia, Bora Bora, Fiji, Moorea, the Hotel School.” New Zealand, and Tahiti. In 2006 he was made director of the region. India, Singapore, and the parts of the South Asian Pacific If you thrive on hard work, travel, and trips to the beach, region covered from Hong Kong are also his domain. One of his the job Shaun Stewart has with Expedia, Inc. might appeal: The first challenges was to recruit staff for anE xpedia India market young Hotel School alumnus is a market manager for the online office in Mumbai. reservations company, Expedia, based in Australia, where he “In India and China there is an enormous amount of domestic grew up. Australia, New Zealand, and French Polynesia are his travel,” he said. “Expedia was smart to get into Europe when it market. did. We are number-one there in online reservations. I predict we “This is a great company to work for,” Stewart said. “I’ve lived will see enormous growth in China and India and in Japan and in five cities in six years and visited countless others.T he work is Australia. It will be a first for people inI ndia and China to be able fast-paced and the company expects results, but it’s an ideal way to go online and make travel arrangements.” to combine career growth with the fun of nearly constant travel. Stewart and the Hotel School graduates who report to him as “When I met Expedia Vice President Jim Ferguson, on campus, market coordinators and account managers apply to their jobs he was passionate about online business. For the first couple of what they learned in school: how to analyze and investigate a minutes he interviewed me, and then we talked about his com- market, establish relationships with clients, and write and renew pany and how quickly it was growing. I was captivated. contracts. Nearly all of the company’s market managers practice “A job interview can tell you if a company is right for you. If yield management, a technique to maximize profits through flex- you like the person interviewing you—Ferguson, for example, ible pricing. was outgoing, casual, and intelligent—it’s probably an indication “None of us got into this because we wanted to do only rev- of a good match. And Expedia was just right for me: The com- enue and pricing analysis. We all wanted to be sales managers pany is young, energetic, and growing. It’s moving into new re- and to pitch accounts. This job is perfect because you have to do gions of the world. Now that I’m a market manager I basically both,” Stewart said. run my own company within the company. No one is a bigger “Connections help ease the way. At Expedia’s annual Christ- expert than you for your region, so you do things your way,” he mas party we see everyone who works for the company and said. went to the Hotel School. And at Hotel School alumni events Stewart’s career at Expedia began in Las Vegas, one of the we meet hotel general managers and can talk about Expedia,” company’s two offices, the other being inW ashington State. he said. “These connections help you do your job well, especially There he observed Expedia’s informal but intense company cul- in the places where you need them the most, which for me are ture. He liked it. Business was ready to boom. He got on board. the new international markets, such as the South Pacific.” Managing the Washington, D.C., market from an office inL as Vegas was his first assignment.W hen the company opened a New York City office,S tewart transferred there. A few years later he worked in London for several months, returned to New York, and then moved out to Hong Kong where he managed the Hong Kong and Thailand markets. 29 Industry Connections

With so many well-placed alumni, it’s no wonder so many distinguished guests visit the Hotel School each year. Many were hotelies, who enjoy the homecoming and relish the chance to recruit while they are here. Others have studied in Hotel School executive-education seminars or have collaborated with members of the Hotel School faculty for research or consultation. Whatever the connection, a steady stream of industry leaders passes through the school ev- ery year: as many as 250 guests, or about ten each week when school is in session. No, that’s not a misprint. In addition to learning from a stellar resident faculty, you’ll have access to two dis- tinguished visitors a day. The course Distinguished Lectures in Hospitality Management brings guests to the school every week in the fall term. The lectures are a semester-long class for credit (HADM 1110) that students invariably find worthwhile. Distinguished Lecturers in Hospitality Management Pablo Azcarraga ‘85, COO and Member of the Board, Grupo Posadas Brian Canlis ‘01, Director, Department of Adventure, Canlis Restaurant Chris Canlis, Owner, Canlis Restaurant Mark Canlis ‘97, Managing Owner, Canlis Restaurant Andrew Tisch ’71 Jerry Cohen, Vice Chairman & CEO, Canyon Ranch Chair, Executive Catalina D. Ganis ‘85, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Elliot Executive Source Ltd., Committee of the Board, and Senior Vice President, Elliot Associates, Inc., Divisions of the Elliot Group, LLC Loews Corporation Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos ‘85, Principal and Director of Marketing, Flag Luxury Properties Grace Leo ‘77, President & CEO, G.L.A. Hotels Robert J. McCarthy, President, North American Lodging Operations & Global Brand Management, Marriott International Gregory J. Miller ‘84, Co-CEO and President, PM Hospitality Strategies, Inc. David B. Pollin ‘90, President, The Buccini / Pollin Group, Inc. Eric Resnick, Managing Director, KSL Capital Partners, LLC John P. Rijos ‘75, Co-President, Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. David E. Strang ‘82, Board Member, Strang Corporation; President and CEO, Chilgo LLC Donald W. Strang III ‘80, President and CEO, Strang Corporation Peter W. Strang ‘84, Executive Vice President, Strang Corporation Mel Zuckerman, Founder & Chairman, Canyon Ranch

Some Recent Guest Speakers at the Hotel School

We told you that some 250 guests come to the Hotel School every year to speak before classes and meet with students. Here are just a few of the guests who came in a particular year. Some of them addressed a single class, others stayed longer. All of our guests add immeasurably to the school: They bring up-to-the-moment reports on the state of the industry, its issues, its needs, and its opportunities. Arthur Adler ’78, CEO and Managing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle Elaine Fenard, Vice President, International Spa Development and Leslie Anderson ’93, Vice President, Revenue Management Operations, Operations, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Starwood Hotels and Resorts Winnie Fong, CFA, Standard & Poor’s Christine Arnholt, Vice President, Marketing Services, Carnival Cruise Rafael Gonzalez, Sous Chef, The Pierre, A Four Seasons Hotel Line Bjorn Hanson ’73, Global Industry Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers Roy Barnes, Senior Vice President, Customer Strategy, Marriott Vacation Kevin Kearney ’83, Executive Vice President, International Hotel Club International Development, Marriott International Michael R. Beam ’97, Managing Director, HVS International Jeffrey Knapp, Senior Human Resources Director, ARAMARK CTS James Blauvelt, Director of Catering, The Waldorf=Astoria Larry Lewin ’74, President, Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Daniel Boulud (Hon.), Owner, Restaurant Daniel John Livingston, President, Tischman Construction Company Marc Brett ’82, Director of Contract Administration, Hilton Hotels David Meltzer, Director, Global Accounts and Operations, Travelocity Corporation Richard Morgan ’76, Vice President and Managing Director, Grand Hyatt Andre Carrier ’92, COO, Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino New York Jean–Michel Cazes, Winemaker, Chateau Lynch Bages, Conseil des Chris Painter, Customer Service Manager, American Airlines Grands Crus Classes du Medoc Michael Reichartz, Vice President of Lodging, Expedia.com Philip Di Belardino, Vice President of Fine Wines, Banfi Vintners Thomas D. Riegelman ’79, Vice President, Planning and Construction, Alton Doody ’84, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Bravo Development, Yellowstone Club World Inc. Stephen Rushmore ’67, President, HVS International Joe Durocher, Senior Vice President and CIO, Outrigger Enterprises Ingo Schweder, Corporate Director, Mandarin Oriental Spas Zev Eigen, Senior Labor Relations Counsel, Twentieth Century Fox Film Ariane Steinbeck ’87, Senior Vice President, The Gettys Group, Inc. Corporation Victor Tiffany ’85, Senior Vice President, Concept Development, Yallel Eleyssami, Vice President, Ritz Carlton Club, Marriott Vacation The Borgata Club International Andrew Tisch ’71, Chair, Executive Committee of the Board, Loews 30 John Elieson, Vice President, Travelocity Corporation “The hotel business has changed. It’s not as formal as it used to be. I have the chance to work with young alums to help them achieve their goals—whether to be GM of the St. Francis or anything else.”

(below, left to right) William Avitia ’05, manager, human resources; Rosalie Cincotta ’05; and Adam Beer ’03, front-office manager

General Manager Jon Kimball ’84 The Westin St. Francis San Francisco, California

“When people in San Francisco say “Meet you at the clock!” the one “It’s difficult to compare the responsibilities of opening a hotel to they mean is the clock in the lobby of the St. Francis Hotel. trying to improve a hotel’s performance. Opening is great. You are the “There’s so much history and tradition associated with this grand old one who puts together the first team.L eading with passion, being a hotel,” said Jon Kimball, general manager of the 1,195-room Westin St. cheerleader, is a huge part of opening. If you don’t, then the new Francis. product will be just another hotel and lack distinctive identity.” Originally built in 1904, the hotel facing Union Square was the center of As managing director for Starwood’s San Francisco region, a the city’s social and artistic life for two years—until the Great Earthquake of collection of eight hotels, including the Westin St. Francis, Kimball 1906. A year later, the hotel was rebuilt. Today cable cars stop at the front oversees and inspires the regional teams, keeping an eye on the hotels’ door, and it is a short walk to the financial district, Chinatown, and the general managers from a high level. Moscone Convention Center. As one of the last survivors of colorful, turn-of- “Starwood is a good fit for me:I t’s a young company and its the-century San Francisco, The Westin St. Francis has a proud past. management principles are based on basic human truths . . . I like the Hotels of this class have two important requirements, says Kimball: To pay culture. I find thatI ’m not micromanaging. Instead I help people they attention to the details that guests expect, and to be creative offering hired for having strong entrepreneurial skills.” services. A legendary old hotel, especially, has to present a lively atmosphere. The Cornell Hotel Society’s San Francisco chapter is an active one, If it feels stuffy or dated, most people will choose a more modern one. The and Kimball and two young graduates recently hosted an alumni event. trick is keeping it fresh while retaining its dignity and traditions. Both of them work at the St. Francis—William Avitia ’05 manages “We try to cherish the hotel’s history and heritage while providing all the human resources and Adam Beer ’03 runs the front office. new bells and whistles—such as high-speed Internet and the ability to do “I have tremendous contact with both of them,” Kimball said. “The business anywhere in the hotel,” Kimball said. hotel business has changed. It’s not as formal as it used to be. I have “With 1,000 employees I often feel as if I’m the mayor of a small city. the chance to work with young alums to help them achieve their And like a politician, I have a constant need to be on stage,” he said. goals—whether to be GM of the St. Francis or anything else.” Kimball’s aspiration to be on stage found an outlet at the Hotel School during Hotel Ezra Cornell. He and his identical twin brother, Louis, were heavily involved in the weekend in which Hotel School students take over the hotel and stage a banquet and business conference. “Cornell and the Hotel School were everything to us,” he said. “We had a wonderful time. And we are both doing things we learned at Cornell. “My brother took the more entrepreneurial route, and I took the more corporate one, but we play off each other well,” Kimball said. “He went the restaurant route and built eight Pluto’s restaurants in California while I’ve been operating hotels since we left school.” First, Kimball did a year of management training. From there he moved to the Grand Hyatt Hotel, then the Four Seasons Cliff Hotel, and the Park Hyatt San Francisco. Moving to Los Angeles, he was appointed hotel manager of Westin Century Plaza Hotel and Tower. After that, Westin assigned him to its hotel at Los Angeles Airport, which was to undergo renovation. “Renovating a hotel is a phenomenal challenge,” he said, and so is new construction, which was his next challenge at the Charlotte Westin.

31 Hands-On Learning

The Hotel School’s classrooms, laboratories, offices, and instructional centers are located in two adjoining buildings: Statler Hall, which includes the Robert A. and Jan M. Beck Center, and its teaching hotel, the Statler Hotel and J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center. The Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship The Hotel School’s Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship (IHE) complements the opportunities provided through Cornell’s Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise Program (EPE). The center supports students interested in pursuing new business opportunities both during school and after they graduate, including industry roundtables, guest lecturers, funded internships, a business-plan incubator, and individual advising. The center’s director advises a student organization—Hotelie Entrepreneurs—that helps its members to identify developmental opportunities in the hospitality industry and exercise their creativity to develop successful enterprises. Through think tanks, guest-speaker seminars, and business competitions, their goal is to promote entrepreneurship and creative thinking.

The Vance A. Christian Beverage Management Center The Vance A. Christian Beverage Management Center covers everything liquid, from coffee, tea, and sparkling water to beer, wine, and spirits. It has a tasting and demonstration room, a pantry kitchen, a Cruvinet wine system, a wet bar, a research and reference library, and a temperature- and light-controlled wine-storage room that holds 4,000 bottles. Included are some important vin- tage wines—donated to the school by proud vintners and aficionados throughout the world—that few of us will ever have in our own wine cellars. The center’s wine-tasting and demonstration room is used for classes, industry seminars, and experiments in pairing food and wine. The Binenkorb Computer Center The Hotel School enjoys one of the finest computer labs on campus, the use of which is restricted to Hotel School students. The computer center maintains and supports both instructional and stu- dent use from 8 a.m. to midnight during the school year. The “Bin,” as it is commonly called, is used to teach business skills and web-based computer applications. The center is equipped with the very best in overhead-projection equipment and laser and color printers. It is staffed by a team of professional managers and advanced students. When the “Bin” isn’t being used for instructional purposes, students can check in and use the computers to complete homework; prepare papers, projects, and presentations; send and receive e-mail; and surf the web. The “Bin” is a popular gath- ering place for hotelies.

32 Nestlé Library The School of Hotel Administration’s Nestlé Library has the largest collection of hospitality- related materials in the United States—some 23,000 volumes and 1,000 videotapes, numerous ephemera and memorabilia (such as photographs, menus, and rare books), and more than 800 magazine, newsletter, and newspaper subscriptions. Materials on lodging, food service, travel and tourism, and general business topics constitute the core of the collection. Among the library’s special features are numerous computerized infor- mation resources, including NEXIS, Dow Jones, ABI/INFORM, and The International Hospital- ity and Tourism Database, an extensive index to hospitality articles. Students can use any of the other sixteen Cornell University member libraries on the Ithaca campus. Even if a student spent all of his/her time in the facilities of the Cornell University Library system (which no one does), he/she would not have time to peruse the 6.8 million volumes, 63,000 journals and other serial subscriptions, 90,000 sound recordings, and 7.6 million microforms. The Center for Hospitality Research The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) is the leading source for quality research on and for the hospitality industry. CHR faculty fellows collaborate with industry leaders and students to de- velop new ideas, theories, and models that improve strategic, managerial, and operating practices. Students collaborate with faculty members in CHR research, and benefit from post-publication exposure of research results through hundreds of media citations. The CHR also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

The Culinary Institute of America Alliance If you have a passion for baking, pastry, and the culinary arts, you may complement your hospitality-management education with an intensive collaborative degree program between the Hotel School and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. The educational alliance with the CIA is designed to challenge students who want to add depth to their culinary knowledge and skills. Hotel School students can earn their Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from the Hotel School and their Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) in Culinary Arts degree from the CIA during their four years at Cornell, something no other hospitality- management program can boast. Food Laboratories The school’s two food-techniques laboratories include ten kitchen workstations with equipment as professional as can be found in a first-class restaurant. In these labs, students can study both tech- nical and practical subjects: not only food chemistry and microbiology, but also food preparation from soups to desserts, and kitchen management from scheduling to quality control. They can familiarize themselves with the latest food-production technology and explore other aspects of the field. Most hotelies can rattle off the key ingredients and preparation directions for the cuisine of many nations and cultures—from Tex–Mex to tandoori, kosher to creole, Szechuan to soul food.

33 About Ithaca

Ithaca, New York, is a small city with a big-city outlook. With about 29,000 year-round residents, Ithaca is remarkable for the diversity and eru- dition of its population, its commitment to the arts and civic life, and the natural beauty of its environment. Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes region, the city is spread over rolling hills at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake and offers a pleasing study in contrasts between pastoral countryside and urban living, well-preserved nineteenth-century build- ings and modern amenities, tree-lined residential neighborhoods and a lively downtown, tradi- tional sensibilities and cutting-edge experimentation.

Ithaca has much to offer in the form of entertainment and leisure activities. There are restau- rants to suit every taste, occasion, and budget: fast food and French bistro fare, sushi and subma- rine sandwiches, tapas and tacos, as well as Greek gyros, Middle Eastern pitas, and pizza in every shape and size. Shoppers can choose from among the weekend farmers market on the waterfront, specialty stores on the downtown commons, “big box” outlets in the south end of town, or the malls in the northeast. Outdoor enthusiasts can hike miles of state and local park trails, bike the hilly terrain, sail or paddle on the lake, and go skiing, snowboarding, and tubing at the Greek Peak resort in nearby Virgil. Wine connoisseurs will appreciate the Finger Lakes wine trails, which provide access to one of the great wine-making regions in the United States. For more information about visiting and staying in Ithaca, see visitithaca.com. Why Here? How did such a renowned hospitality think-tank come to be part of a university of Cornell’s pres- tige, and why did it happen here? The university was founded in 1865 by a successful inventor, Ezra Cornell—the campus was his farm—and a scholarly patrician, Andrew Dickson White. By 1922, when the School of Home Economics in Cornell’s College of Agriculture started the first of its kind college-level degree program in hotel management, at the request of the American Hotel Association, the university had already developed an international reputation. Cornell’s hospitality-management program began modestly enough, with twenty-one students and a single professor. But it quickly established a standard for excellence in the hospitality in- dustry. In 1948, the Statler Foundation contributed the funds to build the original Statler Hall, which included a fifty-room inn that served as a practice-management laboratory. The university established a full-fledged School of Hotel Administration two years later and in 1986 built the 150-room Statler Hotel and J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center on the site of the original inn.

34 Admissions

What We Consider Your application will be reviewed by a committee of faculty members. The committee will select those candidates judged to be best able to benefit from our program and to add significantly to the school and the industry. The committee looks favorably on a student with a solid academic re- cord, good interpersonal skills, and leadership potential. A demonstrated desire to be part of the hospitality industry is very important. In evaluat- ing candidates, committee members consider: • educational goals • high-school transcript (college records, in the case of transferring students) • Standardized Test Scores (SAT and or ACT with Writing and SAT Subject Test in Mathematics [any level]) • work experience, especially service-industry work • nonacademic leadership activities, hobbies, interests, and community service • recommendations from counselors, Cornell alums, and others • your application essay • your personal interview

Secondary School Coursework You must have completed a sixteen-unit secondary-school curriculum that includes four units of English, three of mathematics, and two of science—one of which must be chemistry. (Food and beverage–management courses cover such topics as microbiology, nutrition, food-service sanitation, and other health-related issues that involve food chemistry.) Additional work in mathematics and science, social studies, history, and writing is desirable. A three-year sequence in a modern foreign language will also put you in a position to meet our second-language requirement. Relevant Work Experience It takes a special kind of person to become a success in hospitality. Not every- one is cut out for it. Therefore, we recommend that you become well-acquainted with some aspect of hospitality through service-related jobs or internships prior to applying. More than 80 percent of Hotel School freshmen, and all transfer students, have relevant work experience. Some worked part-time or summers in restau- rants, clubs, or hotels. Others worked as tour guides, helped in a hospitality- related family business, catered events, or held another service-oriented job. It is important for applicants to illustrate in their statement of interest, as well as their interview, an appreciation of what it means to work in hospitality and to be the kind of leader who is both analytical and personable.

35 International Students About 10 percent of the Hotel School’s undergraduates are from outside the United States. At last count, they represented more than thirty countries. International students are especially appreci- ated for the cultural dimension they bring to the program and are encouraged to apply. Financial-aid resources for international students are scarce. Only a small percentage of interna- tional students receive financial aid. Diversity Both Cornell University and the Hotel School are committed to recruiting, enrolling, and gradu- ating multicultural students who will become leaders in the hospitality industry. Some 25 percent of Hotel School undergraduates are multicultural students. The Hotel School’s Student Services Office administers programs to assist African American, Native American, Latino, and Asian American students. And the very active Cornell Chapter of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality serves as a mechanism to foster professional ad- vancement for minorities in the hospitality industry. For more information, please contact the Hotel School’s Multicultural Programs Coordinator, 180 Statler Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-6901; or phone 607.255.8322. Transferring to Cornell If you have completed at least 12 credit hours at another college or university, you are eligible to apply to the Hotel School as a transfer student. Your prior major need not have been in hospitality management or even a related area. It does not matter if you are applying from a two-year or a four-year program; but if you’re attending a two-year program, you are encouraged to complete your associate’s degree before transferring to Cornell. Transfer students may apply for fall- or spring-term admission. The committee on admissions applies the same standards for transfer applications as it does for freshmen (while paying special at- tention to your college transcript). There is no absolute cumulative grade point average (GPA) cut- off, but at least a 3.0 (out of a possible 4.0) should be your goal. You should also know that transfer students who have been accepted over the past several years have had significant work experience in the hospitality industry. The question of transfer credit is often a major issue in the decision of whether to apply. The Hotel School allows a maximum of 60 hours in transfer credit from other accredited colleges or universities. Courses that closely parallel required Hotel School courses may be transferred, but we want you to take your Hotel School elective courses here. (After all, one of the reasons you are transferring is the opportunity to specialize.) All of the distributive electives may be transferred, as may the full 21 hours of free electives. If you haven’t completed your free or distributive requirements, you will have the opportunity to take courses in Cornell’s six other undergraduate schools and colleges. Final transfer-credit evalua- tions are prepared shortly after the acceptance decisions are made.

36 Application Timetables If you are applying for freshman admission, your application materials are due January 2. Transfer students have until March 15 to submit their materials for fall-semester admission, and may apply for the spring semester by submitting all materials by November 1. If you do not have a copy of Cornell’s undergraduate viewbook, you may request a copy by e-mail from the Undergraduate Admissions Office at admissions.cornell.edu/. Cornell’s policy is to accept freshmen and international students for fall- semester admission only; transfer students may be accepted for either fall or spring enrollment, but only those international transfer students currently studying full-time in the U.S.A. may apply for spring enrollment. Early Decision Contact Information If you are applying for a position in the freshman class and Cornell is your first Admissions Office choice, you might want to consider an early-decision application. This means Cornell University you submit all your application materials early and will be notified of our de- School of Hotel Administration cision in the mail by mid December. If you are accepted you must withdraw 180 Statler Hall any applications you have sent to other colleges and universities and mail to Ithaca, NY 14853-6902 Cornell—by January 2—the acceptance deposit described in the commitment 607.255.6376 letter. If you are not accepted on an early-decision basis, your application may E-mail: [email protected] either be denied at this point or reviewed again later with everyone else’s. Web site: www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/admissions/ Interviews Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office In addition to the rest of your application, we require an interview—preferably 607.255.5241 on campus with a faculty or staff member—or in a major city with a graduate E-mail: [email protected] of the Hotel School. Web site: admissions.cornell.edu An interview gives us a chance to get to know you and gives you a chance to learn about us. We will ask about your goals and work experience and you Cornell Office of Financial Aid and will be able to find out more about the curriculum and the rest of the school. Student Employment If you come to Ithaca you will be able to visit with current students, tour the 607.255.5145 campus, and spend time in Statler Hall. To request an interview, log onto E-mail: [email protected] www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/admissions. Web site: finaid.cornell.edu Cornell International Students and Financial Aid Scholars Office To apply for financial assistance, fill out the Cornell financial aid application, Cornell University a PROFILE packet from the College Scholarship Service, and the Free Appli- B50 Caldwell Hall cation for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). PROFILE data are used to determine Ithaca, NY 14853-2602 your eligibility for Cornell aid, and to estimate your eligibility for federal aid. 607.255.5243 Registration materials are available at your high school guidance office and Web site: www.isso.cornell.edu/ should be filed during the fall semester of your senior year. For more information about financing a Cornell education, contact the Cornell Information and Referral Center Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment, phone 607.255.5145; or Cornell University visit finaid.cornell.edu. Main Lobby, Day Hall Ithaca, NY 14853-2801 607.254.4636 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: civr.cornell.edu

37 Is the Hotel School for You?

Many bright, motivated students believe that the college experience will give them direction, and they do not think seriously about a career before choosing a college. Students who come to the Cornell Hotel School are a little different. They are comfortable about being more focused at an earlier age. They know that the hospitality industry offers a wide array of professional choices. And, over the course of four years, they develop an understanding of which of those options are most interesting to them. Think for a moment about who you are. Do these attributes describe you? Are you ambitious and, at the same time, humble? Are you someone who: • Likes being a leader • Enjoys helping others • Likes to dream BIG Are you creative, visionary, and also a strategic thinker? • Always thinking about how to improve things • Willing to change some of the rules that others seem to simply follow • Focused on what needs to be done to achieve goals And are you a natural organizer? Someone who: • Likes to make decisions and see things done right • Remains so personable and positive that people like to put you in charge of projects and teams • Likes taking charge and being boss, but gives the team recognition Are you globally oriented? Do you: • Enjoy travel and meeting people with other cultures • Relish adventure • Feel stimulated by the prospect of international career options Are you action-oriented? Someone who: • Seeks a career that will not isolate you in a cubicle • Prefers a career that offers many options and a variety of job responsibilities • Enjoys an atmosphere where change and creative improvement are encouraged Finally, are you confident and full of energy? Do you: • Expect to be successful, and are you willing to work for success • Want a fast-track career where you are in charge at a young age • Have an inner belief that your destiny is to be a leader in your field • Have a sense of humor and a dramatic flair If you answered most of these questions with a Yes, then consider the Cornell Hotel School. (Left to right, top to bottom) Students: Avery Cooper ’11, Amanda Warnick ’08, Charlotte Vincent ‘09, Diego Sosa ’10, Molly Southern ’09, Justin Grimes ’09, Sameer Nair ’11, Justin Sun ’08, Daly Guillermo ’10, Cailen Casey ’10, Antoine Wilson ’09, Tessa Crompton ’08, Cathy Popp ‘10

Faculty members: Associate Professor Jordan Le Bel, Assistant Professor Kate Walsh, Professor Michael Lynn, Assistant Professor Robert Kwortnik, Associate Professor Daphne Jameson, Lecturer Preston Clark, Assistant Professor Erica Wagner, Professor Daniel Quan, Lecturer Amy Newman, Associate Professor Mary Tabacchi, 39 Senior Lecturer Giuseppe Pezzotti Cornell University has an enduring commitment to support equality of education and employment opportunity by affirming the value of diversity and by promoting an environment free from discrimination. Association with Cornell, either as a student, faculty, or staff member, involves participation in a free community where all people are recognized and rewarded on the basis of individual performance rather than personal convictions, appearance, preferences (including sexual or affectional orientation), or happenstance of birth. Cornell University’s history of diversity and inclusion encourages all students, faculty, and staff to support a diverse and inclusive university in which to work, study, teach, research, and serve. No person shall be denied admission to any educational program or activity or be denied employment on the basis of any legally prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or veteran status. Cornell University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. Concerns and complaints related to equal opportunity in education and in employment based on aspects of diversity protected under federal, state, and local law, including sexual harassment complaints filed by any member of the Cornell community against an academic or non-academic staff member, as well as complaints arising under Title IX, should be directed to the Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Life Quality, 160 Day Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2081 (telephone: 607-255-3976, fascimile: 607-255-7481, telecommunications device for the deaf: 607-255-7066, e-mail: [email protected]). Cornell University is committed to assisting those persons with disabilities who have special needs related to their educational pursuit or employment. Information on services provided to prospective and current Cornell students with disabilities can be obtained by contacting the Student Disability Services Office, 429 Computing and Information Center, Ithaca, NY 14853-2081 (telephone: 607-254-4545, fascimile: 607-255-1562, telecommunications device for the deaf: 607-255-7665, website: www. clt.cornell.edu). Prospective and current employees in need of a workplace accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act or New York State law should contact Workers Compensation and Disability Services, Surge 3 Facility, Ithaca, NY 14853 (telephone: 607-255-3708, fascimile: 607-255-9649, telecommunications device for the deaf: 607-255-7066).

Photographs by Robert Barker, Lindsay France, and Jason Koski, Cornell University Photography. Additional photography: Page 3, top, page 8, left, Shai Eynav, shaiphoto.com; page 11, Chris Pizzello; page 18, Michael Fraker; page 32, bottom right, Charles Harrington Photography. Printed on recycled paper. Printed by Brodock Press, Utica, N.Y. Brodock Press is a FSC Certified Printer. Brodock Press has completed a “Green Supplier Network Assessment” through Mohawk Valley Applied Technology Corporation. Produced by the School of Hotel Administration and the Office of Publications and Marketing at Cornell University. Coordinator: Neoma Mullens ’98 Writers: Carole Stone, Roger Segelken, Metta Winter Editor: Peter Hoover Designer: Lorraine Heasley 7/08 21M 070379 40 hotelschool.cornell.edu Cornell University School of Hotel Administration Admissions Office 180 Statler Hall Ithaca, New York 14853-6902

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