Mar 29, 2024  
2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

About the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management


Colleges  > Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management  > About the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management

 


 

Contact Information
 Office of the Dean  713-743-2607
 Academic Services 713-743-2492
 Internet Address www.hrm.uh.edu


Dean: John T. Bowen, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Interim Associate Dean of Academics: Mary Dawson, Ed.D., University of Houston

Assistant Dean for Business Development: Jon C. Schultz, B.S., Cornell University

General Manager, Hilton University of Houston: Fernando Cuéllar, B.S., Oklahoma State University

Director- Career Development & Placement: Lori Osborn, M.S., New Mexico State University

Mission Statement

The mission of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston is to prepare individuals for industry management and leadership by providing a quality hospitality education and ongoing professional development, as well as to be recognized globally as a premier learning environment through teaching, research and service excellence.

The College and Facilities

The Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston was established in 1969 by one of the most iconic names in the hospitality industry, Conrad N. Hilton. Consistently ranked one of the top hospitality programs in the world, our students benefit in countless ways from industry connections more than 40 years in the making, including twice yearly job fairs, a wide range of internship opportunities, and a well-placed alumni network. Hilton College offers a specialized business degree that prepares students for careers in the world’s top hotels, restaurants, resorts, casinos and clubs. Upon graduation, Hilton College students typically have their choice of job opportunities in the United States and abroad and always have a solid foundation for post-graduate work.

Hilton College, which shares the same building as its teaching hotel, houses three hospitality related industry institutes, numerous classrooms, three computer labs and the Massad Family Library Research Center and Hospitality Industry Archives. There is a student-run restaurant (Barron’s), demo kitchen and several food science labs including a beverage lab and product evaluation lab. The College is also home to a popular student-run coffeehouse (Cougar Grounds) and its student lounge areas, give students a “home away from home” to study and hang out with friends.

In addition to the Hilton University of Houston being a learning laboratory where students apply theoretical learning to practical hands-on experiences, students have experiential learning opportunities in the production of important annual College events such as Gourmet Night, Hospitality Hall of Honor Week and the Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair.

Hall Of Honor

The Conrad N. Hilton College houses the Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor, which recognizes those leaders in the hospitality industry who have made extraordinary contributions to American business, international business and society. Rotating displays in the Hall of Honor Gallery and the Hospitality Industry Archives memorialize the inductees’ achievements and leadership providing a lasting tribute to the companies they conceived and built during their lifetimes. Each October, an industry recognition event brings hospitality leaders to the College for an annual induction ceremony and dinner that is produced and managed by a student board of directors.

Fred Parks Wine Cellar

The Fred Parks Wine Cellar is a state-of-the-art wine cellar and teaching laboratory dedicated to promoting knowledge of the wine industry among hospitality management students. The wine cellar contains an impressive collection of rare and collectible wines featuring more than 1,000 bottles from the early 1900s to contemporary vintages.

One of the goals of the wine cellar is to become an international resource center and a world repository for research, education and training in the study of wine and spirits.

In the spring of 2007, the Fred Parks Boardroom opened to extend this mission. In addition to displaying some of these wines, this room serves as the fine-dining venue for the University and provides our students another opportunity to exhibit their skills and creativity.

Massad Family Library Research Center And Hospitality Industry Archives

The Conrad N. Hilton College maintains the largest hospitality industry archives in the world. Built in 1989 through a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the space underwent a $1.5 million renovation in 2009 thanks to Nick (‘73) and Vicki Massad (Hon. ‘03) of Houston-based American Liberty Hospitality. The Massads’ donation was the largest gift ever presented to the College from a source other than the Hilton Foundation. In addition to a complete remodeling of the library, the $2.5 million project also includes a major investment in new technology and an improvement to the library’s extensive hospitality industry archives.

Designed by Fernando Brave of Houston-based Brave Architecture, the new 4,000-square-foot Massad Family Library Research Center and Hospitality Archives, opened in February 2010. It contains more than 7,000 resources and references for students and visitors, including books, cookbooks, magazines, journals, graduate papers and corporate-communications materials. The collection covers numerous hospitality fields, including food and beverage management, catering, facilities management, gaming, lodging, nutrition, travel and tourism and industry-leader biographies. The library also has three private study rooms with projectors, four computer kiosks with access to numerous research databases, wireless Internet and an adjacent computer lab. A copy machine and scanner also is available. In addition, students and faculty can access hospitality-specific electronic collections on and off campus.

The Hospitality Industry Archives is a unique and wide-ranging collection of corporate papers, historical documents, photographs, film and memorabilia that attracts scholars, educators, hospitality-industry professionals and media outlets from around the world. The archives, prominently displayed within the Massad Family Library Research Center, are the official repository of the hospitality industry and offer a telling glimpse into the industry’s history and growth.

Today, the College’s Hospitality Industry Archives include more than 3,000 linear feet of material. Collections include Hilton Hotels, Brinker International, Marriott International, Howard Johnson, Walt Disney and Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, along with several smaller collections from individual hospitality leaders.

News outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, as well as historians, authors and scholars, all have relied on these archives to provide a rich, thorough history of the industry. The archives have contributed to books on hotel history, scholarly articles and news reports - even producers of the Emmy-winning television show “Mad Men,” which is set in the 1960s, and the Ron Howard movie “Rush”, have turned to the College’s archives for research.

Computer Labs

The Conrad N. Hilton College has two open computer labs and one computer lab adjacent to the Massad Family Library Research Center and Hospitality Archives. Two of the labs have 20 computers each, and one lab has 18. The computers have Microsoft Office, computer-based training courses, statistical software and nutritional-analysis applications. The labs also offer wireless Internet access.

These facilities, coupled with systems used by the Hilton University of Houston give our students the opportunity to gain a high degree of technical expertise that is germane to the hospitality industry.

Institutes And Centers

The College is home to two national research and information centers and one university institute that meet the needs of both students and the hospitality industry. Housed at the College are: The American Hotel & Lodging Association Information Center, the Hospitality Financial and Technical Professionals Research Institute, and the Wine & Spirits Management Institute.

 

Hilton University of Houston

Built in 1975, the Hilton University of Houston completed a $12.5 million renovation to its facilities in 2010. The transformed contemporary, stylish “new” property serves as the training hotel for students attending the top-ranked Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Here, hospitality students work with hotel professionals to gain hands-on experience in guest service, hotel operations and banquet service. The hotel offers 86 hotel guest rooms. And with 25,000 square feet of flexible banquet space - including seven meeting rooms and three ballrooms with capacities ranging from 10 to 600 people - it’s the ideal on-campus destination for meetings, banquets, receptions, video conferencing and special events. Wedding receptions are also popular here. The Fred Parks Boardroom, on the second floor of the hotel, offers a stylish alternative venue for breakfast, lunch or dinner meetings and features a remarkable wine collection. This boardroom can also accommodate customized menus with wine pairing for up to 28 people. Accommodations can be made at any level and underground parking is available to guests.

For current room rates and/or to make a reservation at the Hilton University of Houston visit www.Hilton.com or call 866-327-1161.

To book an event, call the Sales Office at 832-531-6303 or 832-531- 6304.

Eric’s Restaurant, located just off the lobby of the Hilton University of Houston, is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Featuring casual dining with a Mediterranean flair. Eric’s is also a popular spot to meet for happy hour. Bar service is available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations, please call 713-743-2512.

Barron’s Restaurant is a lunch operation managed and staffed entirely by Hilton College students. Starting in the fall of 2014, Barron’s will also be open for dinner during the fall semesters. Located on the first floor of the South Wing of the Hilton College, lunch hours are 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters. Barron’s features a bistro-inspired menu that are made in-house from scratch for the ultimate in freshness. The food is fresh, tasty and inexpensive and service is quick, making it a favorite lunch spot among students, faculty and staff. Call 713-743-2558 for more information.

Cougar Grounds, located next to Barron’s Restaurant, is a student-run coffee shop and a campus hotspot for gourmet coffee. The gourmet coffee brewed here is second to none. Menu items include a variety of hot and cold gourmet coffees and deluxe teas, fair-trade coffees and signature coffee-blend drinks, including delicious macchiatos, mochas, chai lattes, caramel lattes and more, along with breakfast muffins and pastries, chocolate desserts and sandwiches. Of note, Cougar Grounds is the first university coffee shop in the country managed and staffed by students as part of an educational experience. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday during the fall and spring semesters, and from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday during the summer semesters. Call 713-743-2882 for more information.
 

Scholarships and Awards

A number of competitive scholarships and awards are funded by the College and hospitality industry. Applications are available each year from November 1 through March 1 for the following academic year. Applications are only available online.

For information, write:

University of Houston
Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management
Attn: Scholarships
229 C.N. Hilton Hotel & College
Houston, Texas 77204-3028
713-743-2492

Student Organizations

There are 15 student organizations in which students can become involved. These include:

  • Club Managers Association of America (CMAA)
  • Conrad N. Hilton Ambassadors
  • Disney College Program
  • Eta Sigma Delta
  • Graduate Student Association (GSA)
  • Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals-Cougar Chapter (HFTP-CC)
  • Hotel Management Society (HMS)
  • Houston Spa Association - Student Chapter
  • International Association of Exhibitions & Events
  • National Association for Catering and Events (NACE).
  • National Society of Minorities in Hospitality-Cougar Chapter (NSMH-CC)
  • Par Excellence
  • Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)
  • Texas Restaurant Association - Cougar Chapter (TRACC)
  • Wine & Spirits Management Association (WSMA)

For more information on these organizations, visit www.hrm.uh.edu.

Faculty

Professors
JéAnna L. Abbott, Ki-Joon Back, Stephen C. Barth, Carl A. Boger Jr., Agnes L. DeFranco, Clinton L. Rappole (Emeritus)

Associate Professors
William N. Chernish (Emeritus), Nancy S. Graves, Juan M. Madera, Jay Neal, Ronald A. Nykiel (Emeritus), Karl Titz

Assistant Professors
Glenn Cordúa y Cruz (Visiting), Jason Draper, Priyanko Guchait, Yoon Koh, Thomas W. Lattin (Visiting), Cristian Morosan, Sujata Sirsat (Research), D. Christopher Taylor, Mark Young (Archivist)

Lecturers
Kristi Baker, Anthony Caterina, Cathy Cheatham, Anthony Chevalier, Aaron Corsi, Simone Doudna, Alexis Hoey, Camille Kapoor, Ken Kaser, Erin Oeser Goodell, Lori Osborn, Arlene Ramirez, Gloryvee Ramos, Kevin S. Simon, Elizabeth Ann Whalen

Adjunct Lecturers
Steve Abbott, Joe Bendy, Su Gibson, Wade Morehead, Dirk Smith, Laura Sutherland