HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—STR’s SHARE Center presented two awards during the July ICHRIE conference in Baltimore, while celebrating the five-year anniversary of the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) program.
The STR SHARE Center Founders Award for visionary leadership and inspiration in hospitality education was presented to Cynthia and Robert O’Halloran from East Carolina University. The O’Hallorans were instrumental in the creation and launch of the CHIA.
The STR SHARE Center Impact Award for unparalleled support of and contribution to hospitality education was presented to Reneta McCarthy and Cornell University, which has certified more than 1,100 students.
“In just a relatively short time we have seen phenomenal interest in the SHARE Center from hospitality and tourism programs around the world. It has become such an important source of information and data for so many schools,” said Duane Vinson, vice president of STR and assistant director of the SHARE Center. “We are also thrilled with how the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics has become an integral part of the training received by the next generation of young hoteliers, as well as its acceptance as an important learning opportunity by seasoned industry professionals.”
The following professors and universities were recognized for their significant contribution to industry relevant hospitality education:
- Dan Mount, Pennsylvania State University
- Brian Ferguson Johnson, and Wales University
- Lea Dopson, California State Polytechnic University Pomona
- Brian Miller, University of Delaware
- Eric Beckman, Florida International University
- Robert O'Halloran, East Carolina University
- Stuart Pallister, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne
- Leonard Jackson, Georgia State University
- Baker Ayoun, Auburn University
- Amrik Singh, University of Denver
- Yoon Koh, University of Houston
There are approximately 9,000 CHIA-certified students, professors and industry professionals. Approximately 200 schools offer the CHIA program, and 200 hotel and tourism companies use it.
“STR is delighted to be able to support hospitality and tourism students, professors and professionals when it comes to industry relevant education focused on analyzing and using data,” said Steve Hood, STR’s senior vice president of research and director of the SHARE Education Center.
More than $400,000 has been contributed toward academia related to the CHIA. Currently 750 schools in 65 countries are members of the STR SHARE Center.
About the SHARE Center
The SHARE (Supporting Hotel-related Academic Research and Education) Center supports schools around the globe by providing large volumes of hotel and tourism data, as well as related resources to professors and students for research, student projects and use in the classroom. The SHARE Center’s objective is to help improve the quality and increase the industry relevance of hospitality and tourism research and education. Launched in 2011, there are more than 750 member schools from 65 countries.
About STR
STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 16 countries with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com.
North America Media Contacts:
Jeff Higley
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jhigley@str.com
+1 (615) 824-8664 ext. 3318
Nick Minerd
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nminerd@str.com
+1 (615) 824-8664 ext. 3305
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