By Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu
Posted on June 15, 2020
The University of South Carolina’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management is proud to announce its newest hires, including a new director.
Professor Robin DiPietro will begin serving as director of South Carolina’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management effective July 1, 2020.
DiPietro has been part of the school’s faculty for more than a decade and also serves as director of its Ph.D. program and director of the university’s International Institute for Foodservice Research and Education.
“We are poised to advance innovation in hospitality and tourism management as we develop the next generation of leaders and work with external partners to navigate the ‘new normal’ of our global industry,” DiPietro says. “I look forward to working with our faculty, staff and students and am excited to expand the integral role that UofSC plays in the state of South Carolina, the U.S. and the world.”
DiPietro brings a valuable combination of industry and academic experience to the school, including 20 years in restaurant operations, human resources and training. She earned a Ph.D. in community and human resources from the University of Nebraska and worked as director of training and operations at Horizon Foodservice, Inc., dba Burger King, in the development of restaurant leaders and managers.
The school is ranked No. 7 in the U.S. and No. 15 in the world among hospitality and tourism management programs in the 2019 Global Rankings of Academic Subjects by ShanghaiRankings. The school offers undergraduate degrees in hospitality and tourism management, a master’s and Ph.D. program, and a culinary certification program. It is also home to several research centers focused on tourism and hospitality management.
Dr. DiPietro will provide the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management with the leadership to move it to the next level. Her successful records of industry, research, and administrative experiences as well as her passion and energy brings a fresh stream of momentum to our faculty and administrative team. I look forward to working with her.
— Haemoon Oh, dean of the university’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
In addition to DiPietro, the school announced the addition of several new faculty and staff to help lead its academic programs.
George Hendry has been appointed as senior lecturer and director of McCutchen House, the school’s student-run restaurant and experiential learning lab. Hendry previously served as chef lecturer and interim director of McCutchen House, and he begins his new position July 1.
Christopher Knezevich is joining the faculty as an instructor after serving as Palmetto College coordinator at the University of South Carolina Sumter since January 2018.
Ashley Richardson, who has worked with the college since 2015, will move into a new role as the HRTM internship coordinator. Richardson is an alumna of South Carolina and earned her master’s degree in higher education administration from Columbia College.
More information about the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management can be found here.