ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

The ISHTM family is proud of our alumni, and we are pleased to showcase their accomplishments.  We are always looking for successful alumni to feature on our website, if you or someone you know would like to nominate a fellow alumnus to be featured please email shealine@fdu.edu.

The current featured alumnus is:

International Alumni Network

The International School of Hospitality and  Tourism Management has approximately 3,000 alumni working in the United States and abroad in virtually every area of the hospitality industry. 

FDU's Hospitality alumni offer students a valuable network of contacts in the hospitality industry that extends world-wide. They work closely with students, forging mentor relationships that form the foundation for lasting professional contacts. 

Great News for our 1980's Graduates

Marsha Diamond, who many of you I'm sure will remember as a member of our faculty from the 1980's, is rejoining our faculty and is actively trying to touch base with all of you in order to renew your acquaintance and hear about your career accomplishments.  Please feel free to contact her at marshadiamond@gmail.com or 732-616-7220.  Check out what she has been up to at www.linkedin.com/in/marshadiamond.

Alumni Insights

“. . . Fairleigh Dickinson gave me the skills and practical
experience to launch my career in the Hospitality Industry. The
professors are all exceptional people who not only provide students with a solid academic foundation, but truly care about them and their success.”

Rosemary Trinkle Baran
Class of 1983
Hyatt University Director
Hyatt Hotels and Resorts

“Upon graduating from FDU's Hotel School I found myself presented with several worthwhile career options. I chose Hyatt's Management Training Program at the Grand Hyatt New York and definitely feel that I was prepared for the challenges that I faced. Fairleigh's mix of theory, practical experience and European studies make the educational process fun, interesting and worthwhile. FDU opened up my mind and doorways of opportunity.”

Phil Tufano
Class of 1985
General Manager
Hyatt Regency Bethesda

“Fairleigh Dickinson provided me with the foundation I needed to achieve the position of Managing Director at the nation's highest-grossing restaurant, Tavern on the Green. I thoroughly enjoy my ongoing relationship with the University and its students.”

Bruce Allan Kurtz
Class of 1983
Managing Director, Tavern on the Green,
New York City

“My best impressions involve the instructors and the intimacy of the classes. I knew my instructors and had respect for their abilities and felt they knew us and treated us with equal respect. I came to college as a working adult student so the support of the faculty was critical to me.”

Susan Wilner
Class of 1990 
Senior Associate 
The Alfus Group - New York City

“Fairleigh Dickinson University provided me with a solid and meaningful education which prepared me for a career in the hospitality industry. I truly enjoyed the social and academic environment I experienced during my years at the University.”

Joseph Cozza
Class of 1974 
Vice President
Sales and Marketing
Cipriani

“FDU's hospitality program requires students to gain hands-on experience while in college.  That kind of experience is really important -- if you're just sitting at a desk in the classroom, you can't know if you can cut it.” 

Michael Heller
Class of 1980 
Vice President of Sales and Marketing 
Trump Plaza - Atlantic City, New Jersey

“FDU isn't a place you come to just get a degree; it's a place you come to change your life. It changed my life. I came from a small town in Cyprus to the hospitality center of the world: New York. Due to the proximity, FDU is the only university I know that was well connected with these major New York hospitality corporations. Today I work for a foreign investment bank that manages over $1 billion of investments in the hospitality field. Well ... I say 'that's a change'.” 

Chris Droussiotis
B.S. 1985, MBA 1987
Vice President
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi