Health and Human Development

      Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society honors 10 hospitality management alumni

      Penn State School of Hospitality Management alumni at the 2023 Alumni Awards Reception. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society (PSHRS) and Penn State School of Hospitality Management will honor 10 alumni during the 2024 Alumni Awards Reception, held in conjunction with the school’s 19th annual "Alumni in the Classroom" event, on Oct. 9.

      This year’s award ceremony will take place in the Marriott Foundation Building, the school’s Collaboratory for Inclusion and Innovation, on the University Park campus.

      “The vitality of the hospitality industry is matched by the engagement and success of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management alumni – who span the diverse segments and geographies globally — and who are shaping their thriving organizations,” said Donna Quadri-Felitti, Marvin Ashner Endowed Director of the school. “These Penn Staters represent the best of what it means to have the 'We Are' spirit demonstrated by their hospitality careers and how they give back to 'Dear Old State.'"

      PSHRS Alumni Award recipients for 2024 are:

      Alumni of the Year 

      • Adam Golomb, class of 1999 in hotel, restaurant and institutional management (HRIM); chief executive officer, Primanti Brothers 

      Entrepreneur of the Year 

      • Bruce Herold, class of 1995 in HRIM; owner, Chick-fil-A Happy Valley 

      Alumni Industry Achievement  

      • Jessica Bush Aslanian, class of 1989 in HRIM; vice president, Flip.to 

      • Jennifer Phillips, class of 1996 in HRIM; senior director, revenue management operations support, Marriott International  

      Emerging Professionals — Graduate 

      • Michael Lin, class of 2021, doctorate in hospitality management (HM); assistant professor, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University 

      Emerging Professionals — Undergraduate 

      • Adrien Aloi, class of 2015 in HRIM; senior events experience manager, Hilton Hotels and Resorts  

      • Greg Butto, class of 2015 in HRIM; director of table games, Hollywood Casinos  

      • Matt Caric, class of 2016 in HM; franchise business consultant, Wingstop  

      • Ian Crines, class of 2015 in HRIM; general manager, Hotel Hive, Modus Hotels 

      • Puneet Kumar, class of 2015 in HRIM; senior assistant director of finance and accounting, Marriott International 

      “It is an honor to recognize the 2024 PSHRS Alumni Award winners who individually and collectively reflect the continued impact Penn Staters have on the hospitality industry and will continue to do so in the future,” said Tom Neely, class of 1987 in HRIM, president of PSHRS and chief executive officer of Thomas E. Strauss Inc. “These professionals exemplify the high caliber of excellence, ethics and leadership through community engagement that remain hallmarks of our alma mater.”

      For event sponsorship opportunities and information about the School of Hospitality Management, contact Ben Jellison, director of industry and alumni relations, at bdj101@psu.edu or 814-865-6728.

      Learn more about selection criteria and previous award recipients.

      About PSHRS  

      The Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society was founded to strengthen all hospitality professions and enhance the reputation of the Hospitality Management program. PSHRS is an affiliate program group of the Penn State Alumni Association and the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society. PSHRS provides a means for achieving closer fellowship among alumni, faculty and students. PSHRS serves those who are currently attending Penn State in HM or who are graduates of the program, as well as those who work within the HM industries and have attended Penn State or are friends of the program.

      About the School of Hospitality Management  

      Established in 1937, Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected schools of hospitality management. Its top-ranked undergraduate and doctoral programs prepare global leaders with a rigorous, diverse curriculum focused, since its inception, on engaged scholarship, featuring partnerships with Penn State's Hospitality Services, Housing and Food Services, and top global hospitality brands. It is also home to the oldest Penn State alumni program group, the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society. New to the school’s portfolio is an innovative and focused Master of Professional Studies in Hospitality Management graduate degree program.

      Last Updated August 15, 2024

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