FIA reaches out to three hospitality programs

Foodservice Institute of America (FIA) members recently visited three hospitality programs—the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston, the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University and the International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Pleasantville, N.J.—to introduce FIA to students, staff and faculty, and to offer insights into the opportunities in the industry.

Addressing a large crowd at each school, professional members of FIA discussed the diversity of the hospitality/foodservice industry and shared personal stories about developing leadership in such areas as technology, sales, distribution and consulting. The presentation of these careers only scratched the surface of the potential futures waiting for students who are working towards various degrees, the FIA members said.

Dr. Gong-Soog Hong, department chair for Consumer Sciences at the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, felt that FIA's mission was a mirror image of his department's own mission and the overall mission of the University. FIA and Ohio State will be developing an opportunity to conduct an on campus symposium in 2010.

FIA also will be engaging in translational research that is meaningful for the industry in the next year and partnering with these three programs is a first step. Student membership in FIA is free to those enrolled in a related program. If a program would like to have FIA members speak to classes, faculty and/or staff, call their offices at 609.645.3131 or e-mail Executive Director Marsha Diamond at marsha@fia-us.org.