2025 Award Winners

International CHRIE wishes to thank the many individuals who took the time to nominate a deserving colleague. All of this year's winners were recognized at the 2025 ICHRIE Global Conference. 

Howard B. Meek Award

The Howard B. Meek Award is the highest individual recognition a member of International CHRIE may receive. It recognizes an International CHRIE member’s lifetime contributions and outstanding service both to hospitality education and to International CHRIE. This award serves as a living memorial to the late Howard B. Meek, a pioneer in American hospitality education, the first Dean of the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, and an Executive Vice President of ICHRIE.

Congratulations to this year's recipient: Joy P. Dickerson, Ed.D.

Stevenson W. Fletcher Achievement Award

The Stevenson W. Fletcher Achievement Award recognizes an individual educator or trainer for outstanding achievement in contributing innovative ideas, methods or programs that have advanced teaching, learning or practice in the field of hospitality and tourism education.

Congratulations to this year's recipient: H.G. Parsa, Ph.D., CHIA, FMP, Barron Hilton Chair

Lifetime Research Achievement Award

The Lifetime Research Achievement Award recognizes an ICHRIE member for lifetime contributions to outstanding scholarship and research in hospitality and tourism. The award is given to an International CHRIE member who has made and continues to make significant contributions to the field of hospitality and tourism through scholarly research published in hospitality and non-hospitality journals over an extended period. It serves as a tribute for a distinguished individual who has demonstrated both leadership in a specialized field of study and high standards in the systematic and objective analysis of data that has led to a significant contribution to the body of knowledge.

Congratulations to this year's recipient: Dr. Jenny Kim

Raphael Kavanaugh Champion of Education Award

This unique award honors a corporation, organization, or individual who has made a long- standing commitment to and shown a pattern of support for special initiatives that advance the mission of ICHRIE.

Congratulations to this year's recipient: Dipra Jha

Faculty Collegiality Award

The Faculty Collegiality Award is an individual award given to a faculty member who has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to fostering collegiality amongst peers. The ICHRIE member who receives this award displays a high level of team building characteristics in support of peers in their teaching, scholarship, and service both on their campus and externally. The spirit of collegiality is expressed through collaborative and constructive support of others to advance the quality of hospitality education, scholarship of value to the field, and selfless service.

Congratulations to this year's recipient: Dr. Henri Kuokkanen & Eric Brown, Ph.D.

Industry Recognition Award

Congratulations to this year's recipient: Steve Hood

Research Award

Congratulations to this year's recipient: Dr. Alei Fan

Excellence in Teaching Award

Congratulations to this year's recipient: Birgitte Hvingel Jørgensen 

McCool Breakthrough Award

Congratulations to this year's recipient: White Lodging – J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management

Dr. Lea R. Dopson Eta Sigma Delta Chapter of Distinction Award (previously the ESD Chapters of Distinction Award)

Congratulations to this year's recipient: 

University of the Philippines, Diliman
Lilibeth J. Baylosis, Advisor
Academic Year 24/25

Outstanding Journal Reviewer Recognition

Congratulations to this year's recipients:

JHTC Reviewer: Elena Cavagnaro & Dr. Lisa N Cain

JHTE Reviewers: Zhuo Li & Dr. Yao-Chin Wang

JHTR Reviewers: Dr. Lu Zhang & Dr. Dan Zhu

ICHRIE Research Reports Reviewer: Bongkosh Rittichainuwat, Ph.D. EMD, CIS, CEM

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education (JHTE) - Article of the Year

Congratulations to this year's JHTE Article of the Year Award authors: 

The Digital Skills Gap – Is it Time to Rethink the Needs of Tourism and Hospitality Organizations in the UK?
Katarzyna Minor, PhD, Emmet McLoughlin, PhD and Sheena Carlisle, PhD

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education (JHTE) - Highly Commended Paper

Congratulations to this year's JHTE Article of the Year Award authors: 

Does an Attendance Policy Positively Impact Staff and Student Wellbeing? A Case Study Exploring Attitudes Toward a University of Surrey Attendance Policy
Dr. Emma Delaney and Mark Ashton

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research (JHTR) - Article of the Year/Best Paper

Congratulations to this year's JHTR Article of the Year Award authors: 

Family Tourist Emotional Experience: Emotion-Generative and Regulatory Process
Nan Chen and Cathy H.C. Hsu, Ph.D.

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research (JHTR) - Highly Commended Paper

ICHRIE Research Reports - Article of the Year

Congratulations to this year's ICHRIE Research Reports Article of the Year Award authors: 

Tech-Savvy Hospitality: A Strategic Approach to Overcoming Labor Shortages
Donna Haywood & Dr. Smita Singh

Recognition for Outstanding Service

Appreciation to: Donald Schoffstall, 2016-2024 ICHRIE Conference Paper Review Chair

Outstanding Conference Reviewer Recognition

Congratulations to this year's recipients: Anni Ding, Ph.D., Dr. Agnes L. DeFranco and Elizabeth M. Ineson

Best Conference Papers 

Congratulations to this year's authors: 

Enhancing Guest Participation in Hotel Sustainability: The Role of Combined Communication Strategies
Jieyu (Jade) Shi, Ph.D. and Chang Ma, Ph.D.

Faculty Preparedness for AI integration in Business and Hospitality education: A systematic review
Cho Tin Tun Kirkpatrick, Laura De La Cruz and Wendy Kaaki

Restaurant Revenue Management: Demand-Based Rewards and Locus of Control
Dr. Cindy Yoonjoung Heo

ICHRIE Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Case Competition
Award Sponsored by Johnson & Wales University

Congratulations to this year's winners:

First Place: Burcin Turkkan Zencirli, M.B.A. and Cynthia Mejia

AI-driven recruitment in hospitality: Balancing efficiency and human touch

Second Place: Taryn Claassen and Cynthia S. Deale

Conservation and tourism: A study of dinosaur ridge

Third Place: Sarala Morrow and Eric Brown, Ph.D.

Avoiding retention issues due to policies in the HR hospitality industry

Honorable Mention: Dr. Yue Teng Vaughan, Dr. Vijaya L. Zinnoury, Ruoyan Wang and Cynthia (Cindy) Lerick

Brewing a new beginning: Leadership transitions and strategic challenges at Starbucks

ICHRIE Research Reports Competition
Sponsored by DePaul University

Congratulations to this year's winners:

First Place: Hyun-Woo (David) Joung, PhD., Dr. Hayeon (Hailey) Choi and Eun-Kyong (Cindy) Choi

Fair or Unfair? Customer Reactions to Restaurant Pricing and Disclosure

Second Place: Eulanda A. Sanders, Nikol K. Lopez Llantuy and Dr. Li Jiang

AI Avatars in Hospitality Employee Training: Transforming Learning Through Innovation

Third Place: Faizan Ali, Usman Khan, and Kashif Ali Khan

Generative Artificial Intelligence in Hospitality and Tourism Marketing: Exploring Perceptions, Risks, Benefits from Managerial Standpoint

ICHRIE Hotel Simulation Competition
Sponsored by Knowledge Matters

Congratulations to this year's winners:

First Place: Emily Zirbes
Second Place: Taylor Parker
Third Place: Yestin Cruzada

ICHRIE Level Up! Revenue Management Competition
Sponsored by Russell Partnership Technologies

Congratulations to this year's winners:

First Place: Brooke Meyer

Second Place: Abraham Terrah

Third Place: Sienna Lawson

CHRIE FutureFund™ Dissertation Proposal Competition

Congratulations to this year's Best Dissertation Proposal winners: 

Jae Eun Park
Customer Journey in the AI Era: Touchpoints with Digital Platforms Across the Pre-, During-, and Post-Travel Stages

Sung W. Lee
Unpacking Hotel Barometric Price Leadership: Insights into Hotel-Level Attribute

Congratulations to this year's Best Dissertation winners: 

Araceli Hernandez
The Role of Corporate Digital Responsibility in Hospitality: Driving Enhanced Firm Performance and Perceptions of Justice

Yun-Na Park
How Message Framing and Activating Constructs Reduce Psychological Distance

Past Winners