Bryan Alexander, Ph.D.
The Future of Higher Education
How might colleges and universities change? In this presentation we examine the powerful forces reshaping higher education. We begin with macro trends outside of campuses, including demographics, macroeconomics, and geopolitics. Next we examine forces within academia, from enrollment to finance. We move on to explore technologies and their impact, including virtual reality and artificial intelligence, before discussing the many ways the climate crisis can influence our sector. This session conclude by connecting these trends to glimpse emerging factors that will impact colleges and universities for the next generation.
About Bryan: Award-winning futurist Bryan Alexander is an acclaimed author, speaker, and consultant in the U.S. and abroad, Alexander is a senior research scholar at Georgetown University and teaches graduate seminars in Learning, Design, and Technology. Alexander has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Pew Research Center, among other publications. He has published four books, including Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education, which won an Association of Professional Futurists award.
Greg Offner
The Tip Jar Culture™️: Creating an Engaging Workplace
In our constantly evolving and often challenging professional landscape, finding joy in our work can seem like a tall order. With global job satisfaction and engagement metrics at historic lows, identifying the ingredients that draw out the morsels of joy in every job is a competitive advantage. In this deliciously captivating session, dueling pianist (and former university food service worker) Gregory Offner shares his recipe for employee engagement, and reveals the three ingredients you can use to flavor your workplace experience and rediscover joy in your work. You’ll hear stories that inspire you, and leave with actionable steps you can take to create a community that is engaged, purpose-driven, and finding joy in everyday opportunities. Don’t forget to leave room for a healthy dose of the piano bar magic (yes, he’ll be bringing a piano with him) as Gregory won’t just talk about these three ingredients, he’ll perform them for us right before our eyes!
About Greg: Gregory Offner is an author, workforce strategist, and award-winning keynote speaker. He is the founding partner of the Global Performance Institute, a boutique consulting firm supporting organizations and executives seeking to get the most out of their workforce. Gregory previously held leadership roles in the outsourced services and risk management industries, developing future leaders and advising some of the most recognizable names in business.
Super Session Speakers
Imran Ahmed, Ph.D.
Imran Ahmad, is a Research Assistant Professor at the Food & Agriculture Biotechnology Innovation Lab., at Florida International University (Miami, FL). He earned his doctorate in Management Technology from SIIT (Thailand). He researches in the area of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering. Before joining FIU, Dr. Ahmad served as an affiliated faculty member at the Biosystems Engineering Program Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), where he lectured and developed new food, agriculture, and bio-system engineering courses. He has a keen interest in applying modeling and simulation techniques to biological systems. He has authored a number of papers on the application of the evolutionary algorithm in quality prediction and simulation of fresh produce quality. He is a professional member of the Research Chef Association (RCA) and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
Lisa Cain, Ph.D.
Lisa Cain, is an Associate Professor in the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University. Dr. Cain currently serves as the Immediate Past-President for the SECSA-ICHRIE and serves as an Associate Editor for both the International Journal of Consumer Studies and International Hospitality Review. Her research interests fall within the broad topics of organizational behavior and marketing, with an emphasis on understanding internal and external customer experiences. She was recently awarded a $300,000 grant on Hospitality and the IoT and a $265,000 grant on Foodservice 2030 and beyond. She has published in the areas of work-life balance, substance abuse among hospitality workers, gender issues, technology, and loyalty in the hospitality industry, and continues to develop research in these topics.
Chef Edward Lee
Edward Lee is the Chef/Owner of 610 Magnolia and Nami in Louisville, KY. He is the Culinary Director for Succotash Prime in Washington DC and Succotash in National Harbor, MD. He is also the Co-Founder of The LEE Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to diversity and equality in the restaurant industry. Chef Lee was the recipient of the 2019 James Beard Foundation Award for his book, Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting Pot Cuisine. His first book, Smoke & Pickles (Artisan Books, May 2013) was a national bestseller. Lee has been a six-time finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast. In 2018, Food & Wine Magazine named 610 Magnolia one of the country’s most important restaurants of the past 40 years. The Michelin Guide DC awarded Succotash a Bib Gourmand in 2019. Nami was recently named one of the country’s Top Restaurants in 2023 by USA Today. Chef Lee appears frequently in print and television and his writing has been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, Food & Wine and many other national publications. He was nominated for a daytime Emmy for his role as host of the Emmy-winning series, Mind of Chef on PBS. He has hosted and written a feature documentary called Fermented.
Andrew Moreo, Ph.D.
Andrew Moreo, is an Associate Professor and Director of Research for Florida International University’s (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (CSHTM), where they have been a member of the faculty since August 2016. During their tenure at FIU, Dr. Moreo has taught undergraduate courses face to face, hybrid, and online. These courses include: Senior Seminar in Hospitality Management, Restaurant Management, and graduate level Strategic Management, Restaurant Development, and Internship. Dr. Moreo’s primary research area involves employee and consumer behavior in the food and beverage segment of the hospitality industry. Specifically, the impacts of emotional labor on customer perception of delivered service, as well as the impacts of individual employee characteristics and organizational culture on employee behavior. Their efforts seek to understand and provide practical suggestions to help food and beverage organizations make their culture more positive to improve the employee experience. Such solutions serve to benefit both the employees and patrons of the hospitality industry, as well as society as a whole.
Taji Torrilhon
Taji Marie Torrilhon is a writer, speaker, educator & the founder of Resilient Storytelling. Taji holds a BA in Journalism, is a certified Mindset Coach, and two-time Moth Story winner. Her goal is to help people unravel their personal narratives and create stories that shine a light on their resilience and shared humanity. As a trauma-informed Mindset Coach and Story Guide, she holds workshops and events that bring together the science of mindset and proven storytelling techniques to help people show up as their whole selves in their life and business.
Learning Session Speakers
Grayson Crabtree, program director, Duke Dining
Grayson Crabtree currently is the program director for Duke Dining’s and has developed multiple training programs for the department. One of Grayson’s greatest professional accomplishments is creating and implementing the “Ask Me” Food Allergy Awareness Program on campus. When not working Grayson enjoys working out and spending time with her family. Her favorite quote is, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
Sommer Dunlevy, assistant director, university housing and culinary services, Kent State University
Sommer Dunlevy, originally from Pennsylvania, received her Bachelor of Science degree from Clarion University with a tri concentration in Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations as well as a minor in Graphic Design. Right out of college Sommer moved to Ohio and worked as a Graphic Designer for Record Publishing Company for almost three years. Wanting to expand her knowledge, she took a job as a Public Information Specialist at the Ohio Department of Transportation for a little over three years. Reaching new areas of interest, she and her husband moved to Salisbury Maryland where she became a Recreation Program Manager (6+ years) where she oversaw marketing programs, design publications, displays and ran programming. Staying in the Maryland area, Sommer then moved into higher education and began a job as a Marketing Specialist at Salisbury University under Auxiliary Services. During her 8+ years with SU, she expanded her marketing skills not only as the graphic designer and event planner on staff, but she also earned a Management Master’s Degree with Marketing Specialization in 2020 from the University of Maryland Global Campus. In July 2021 Sommer moved back to the mid-west and joined the Kent State team as the Assistant Director of Marketing, University Housing and Culinary Services. In this role she has spoken at numerous events, won awards, and continues to grow the UHCS Marketing area.
Amanda Ewing, director of diversity & inclusion, University of Michigan Dining
Amanda Ewing (she/her/hers) is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion educator and facilitator. She has a range of experience in DE&I programming and specializes in creating and delivering a curriculum that uses storytelling and creative skills for engaging in memorable learning experiences. In her role as Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Michigan Dining, Amanda’s work falls into three major categories: education, consultation, and coaching. Amanda provides professional development opportunities to staff and leadership, advises on DE&I incidents and strategy, and provides individual guidance to leadership and management.
Malorie Garbe, housing sustainability coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Malorie received her MS in Environmental Conservation from UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and has worked in the field of higher education sustainability and campus farms for 10 years. She currently serves as the Sustainability Coordinator for University Housing where she works to lead operational and educational sustainability initiatives in the campus residence halls and dining facilities, including surplus donation and recycling efforts, an electric food truck, the Dining & Culinary Services Campus Farm, and resident sustainability outreach programs.
Jon Garrett, director of business development, Leanpath
Jon brings over 24 years of foodservice experience to his role at Leanpath. Jon and his team engage with customers to build successful food waste prevention programs in multiple foodservice settings. His previous experience includes a variety of positions in sales, sales management and operations in foodservice distribution and group purchasing. Jon has been involved and engaged with NACUFS for over 15 years and is a past recipient of the Daryl Van Hook Industry Award for his commitment to the association.
Steve Giardini, senior director of Michigan Dining, University of Michigan
Steve has a 20+ year career in foodservice including private restaurants, hotels, and over 15 years in contract foodservice. During his time in contract foodservice, Steve worked in Corporate Dining, Higher Education, and Leisure as well as headquarters based roles leading and supporting field operations. In his current role with Michigan Dining, Steve and his team oversee a dining program consisting of 9 dining halls, more than 20 retail locations, 4 catering kitchens and the campus Bakeshop. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel, Restaurant Management as well as his MBA from the University of Delaware.
Bouakhanh Greene, CEC, executive chef, University of Michigan Dining
Chef Bouakhanh Greene C.E.C.or AKA Chef Bou has loved cooking since her mom put a chefs knife in her hand at the age 5. (she has the picture to prove it) She has always been surrounded by chefs growing up and naturally that lead her career path to want to become one. Her parents opened the first S.E. Asian grocery store in Traverse City and that helped her better hone her skills in S.E. Asian cuisine. Making connections to locals, local restaurants, and an instructor at NWMC (S.E. Asian recipes)that were in need of knowledge to specific cuisine. Chef Bou decided to move down to Detroit area and enrolled in Schoolcraft College Culinary school. Learning from 3 CMC's at the time also helped her hone in on learning culinary techniques and the foundations of cooking. Chef Bou has been with University of Michigan for 6 years and has loved every single minute of it. It has taught her how to grow and pivot with the challenges of dining and the food service industries constant changes. She loves seeing the new trends of food and the evolution of food. Her biggest take away from the industry is never stop learning, always be kind, and meet new chefs, and help others in the process.
Jaime Herrera, executive chef, Oregon State University
Chef Jaime Herrera currently serves as the Assistant Director of Culinary – Executive Chef at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Developing his love for cooking at his aunt’s restaurant in West Seattle while working the family business. He earned his culinary degree from South Seattle Community College. He spent 17 years in the Pacific Northwest focused on fine dining and global cuisine working in several small bistros, catering companies, and restaurants. Chef Jaime discovered his passion for catering through the constant change in menus, variety of food, and rigors of event planning. The experience served him when, in 2005, he transitioned to a university dining setting, enticed by the challenge of changing the dining program at Washington State University. Chef Jaime brought a focus on restaurant quality food and making as much food from scratch wherever possible. In 2009, he moved to University of California Santa Barbara and became their first Executive Chef. There, he placed an even greater emphasis on purchasing local, organic, sustainably and seasonally for a large university. Through his dedication, positive influence, and passion for good food, he helped change the culture and quality of dining services at UCSB. In his current position at OSU, Chef Jaime is working to support dining’s mission of becoming one of the top progressive dining programs, promoting nutrition, public health and sustainability and doing so while delivering an affordable and exceptional culinary experience for customers. Chef Jaime values the importance of a strong culinary culture to coach and challenge in a positive environment to achieve these goals.
Abby Hertzfeld, interim senior director, The Ohio State University
Abby is an Associate Director of Operations for Dining Services at The Ohio State University. She guides people development from recruitment to training to evaluation and labor relations. She serves as a liaison with the Department of Education and Human Ecology’s Hospitality Management program and oversees approximately 18 locations on campus including Retail, All You Care to Eat Dining, and Convenience stores. Abby also takes the lead on all reusable sustainability programs within dining services. Abby received her B.S and M.S degrees in Hospitality Management at Ohio State and has been applying her passion of the business in dining services since 1997.
Sarah Korzan, MS, RDN, LD, assistant director, registered dietitian, Kent State University
Sarah Korzan (she/her) is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian and is a dedicated professional with a multifaceted career in health education and promotion, clinical dietetics, and food service management. She is currently finishing a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Education and Promotion and holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, both from Kent State University. In her role as the Assistant Director and Registered Dietitian for Kent State Culinary Services, Sarah plays a pivotal role in advocating for food security programs and food-inclusive practices within food service. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Professor at Kent State University, inspiring future professionals. Sarah’s commitment to promoting health and nutrition continues to shape her career.
Ambarish Lulay, executive chef, Cornell University
Chef Ambarish Lulay, a Culinary Olympic Silver Medalist, embarked on his culinary journey in India before honing his skills in classical French cuisine with Mediterranean influences. Working at esteemed establishments like Leela Beach and Taj Mahal Hotel, Chef Lulay's expertise expanded further during his tenure at Auberge du Moulin de Lisogne in Belgium and the renowned American Club in Wisconsin. At Kendall College, he spearheaded culinary education initiatives and excelled as a Chef Instructor. Under mentorship, he showcased his talents at Yosemite National Park's Ahwahnee Hotel, winning a silver medal at the 2008 Culinary Olympics. Transitioning to California, he championed California cuisine at Asilomar Conference Grounds and later led culinary operations at Petco Park in San Diego. His journey continued at Purdue University, where he oversaw hospitality operations and fostered sustainable initiatives. Joining Cornell University in 2021, Chef Lulay now heads culinary operations, wellness, and innovation, residing in Ithaca with his family. He is grateful for the opportunity to cook in various segments of the industry such as academia, hotels and resorts, conference centers, restaurant groups, sportservice, and colleges and universities.
Joe Mehring, unit manager: Rheta's Market, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Joe Mehring is the Unit Manager of Rheta’s Market at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has worked with University Housing Dining & Culinary Services for over 20 years, spending about 15 years overseeing the Catering Operation and the last 5 as a unit manager. Rheta’s is named after one of Housing’s most influential Food Service Directors and has served as a test operation many times over the years. It was University Housing’s first Market concept dining hall, and Joe oversaw the transition to it being the first All You Care To Eat dining hall in the fall of 2019.
Ryan Moore, executive director of hospitality, Harvest Table Culinary Group
In 25+ years in campus dining, Ryan has been an “operator’s operator". Before serving as the Director of Hospitality at Elon University, Ryan supported all of Harvest Table in the critical role of Transition Manager, providing essential opening leadership and supporting operations across the Country. Prior to joining the Harvest Table team, he served as Resident District Manager at East Carolina University. Under his oversight, East Carolina University was recognized as the “Best Dining Hall” in the nation by USA Today for the largest operation within direct oversight. Previous roles included Regional Operations Excellence Manager and Director of Operations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ryan earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Dee Nguyen, unit manager, Texas Tech University Hospitality Services
Dee Nguyen is the Unit Manager of Recruitment with Texas Tech University Hospitality Services. Starting as a student, she has been with the department for 13 years. She oversees student hiring, retention, and presents about campus dining. After attending the Customer Service Institute in 2019, Dee has expanded her involvement with NACUFS on the Learning Committee, writing an article for Campus Dining Today, and 2022 Mobile Regional Conference Planning Committee as a MC and case study presenter. She enjoys her free time golfing and spending time with her wife and two-year-old daughter.
Suzanne Paltz, director panther dining, Georgia State University
Originally from New Jersey and having graduated from Rutgers University in 1993 with a BA in Communications, Suzanne Paltz currently oversees PantherDining at Georgia State University to include 3 dining halls, retail, catering and training table. Initially, on joining PantherDining at Georgia State, she was the manager at Freshman Dining Hall from July 2009 and then moved over to aid Piedmont North’s opening in August 2011 and then helped oversee the opening of Piedmont Central in 2016. Since that time, she has overseen its expansion and influence on Georgia State’s campus not only just on the dining hall side but also in retail and concessions. With an appetite for open communication and customer service, Suzanne has seasoned her staff to serve up quality meals with a 4 week menu cycle while also leading the campus dining halls in using “eco-friendly” alternatives when it comes to the reduction and composting of food waste and recycling. Never one to forget where she came from, Suzanne incorporates the experience she gained from Rutgers to aid in her current management. Starting as a student worker and eventually making her way to becoming the Rutgers' Dining Hall Manager for a further 13 years, she has carried over and introduced special meal themes to the Georgia State community, such as Intermezzo, King Neptune Night, and the formidable “Fat Darrell” Sandwich. Suzanne currently lives in Madison with her husband, two children and many pets.
Lexie Raczka, sustainability director, Boston University Dining Services, Aramark
Lexie Raczka is the Sustainability Director for Boston University Dining Services. She manages BU Dining’s sustainability initiatives including local and sustainable sourcing, waste reduction and diversion, low impact menu programming, a campus farmers’ market, and more. Lexie designed BU’s Choose to Reuse program, which won the Gold Award for Sustainability – Waste Management from NACUFS last year. She is involved in the development and adherence of Boston University’s Zero Waste Plan. Lexie has an M.A. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment and an M.S. in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, both from Tufts University.
Caroline Ryan, assistant vice president for auxiliary services, Elon University
Carrie has provided over 20 years of service to the Elon community with roles in Finance & Administration and Student Life. Carrie is currently serving as the Assistant Vice President for Auxiliary Services. Her responsibilities include providing innovative, strategic leadership and financial oversight for a diverse group of auxiliary services, including Barnes & Noble at Elon University, Elon Dining (Harvest Table Culinary Group), The Inn at Elon, Laundry Services, Mail Services, Print Services, Vending and Licensing/Trademarks. She has a successful record of achieving goals through leadership, attention to detail and the development of long-term partnerships with key stakeholders on and off campus
Aimee Sales, unit manager, Texas Tech University Hospitality Services
As a Marketing & Merchandising unit manager for Hospitality Services at Texas Tech, Aimee is responsible for producing and maintaining all menu content, department info and advertising space on 105 digital TVs in 12 different buildings including the Student Union Building. She works closely with managers and supervisors at 20+ locations to coordinate all digital and printed signage. She is a graduate of Texas Tech with a degree in Advertising and a minor in Marketing. Aimee has worked in Hospitality Services for 12 years. She is married with two sons and two cats.
Tarah Schroeder, vice president, Ricca Design Studios
As a foodservice designer and consultant, Tarah is heavily involved in planning, concept and schematic design, and oversees the design process thru documentation and construction administration. Her designs fit within the vision and financial goals of the team, with a focus on sustainable approaches to operations. Tarah started her career at Whole Foods Market developing their Rocky Mountain presence and Green Mission program. Now at Ricca Design Studios for almost 15 years, she has deep project experience in public assembly, hotels, resorts, colleges, universities, healthcare, B&I, and restaurants. She is a sought after expert of sustainability in the foodservice industry and has presented at numerous conferences. She has a BA in Business and Environmental Science from the University of Southern California and a MBA from University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.
Peter Testory, director of dining & culinary services, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Peter Testory is the Director of Dining and Culinary Services-Housing Division at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Testory has been in this role for 6 years, and has been in the foodservice industry for the past 30 years with 20 of those years in College/University Foodservice. Dining and Culinary Services has within its portfolio 6 AYCTE dining locations, 1 self branded full service coffee shop, 1 self branded smoothie concept, 1 full service Starbucks franchise, 1 franchise Shake Smart location, 3 convenient stores, autonomous vehicle delivery program, cook/chill and central bakery.
Kate Williams, director of guest experience, Harvest Table Culinary Group
Kate draws on more than 18 years of professional expertise in higher education guest engagement, hospitality, marketing and sales. Her personal philosophy is that we are all “mission extenders”. Kate helped to create the role of Guest Experience Manager (GEM). She leads a team of onsite GEMs and Digital Specialists in the development, implementation and measurement of guest engagement strategies aligned to each campus, while supporting brand development and revenue growth. Kate is Harvest Table’s resident generational expert. She provides insight on current and future higher education students to understand their expectations for their collegiate experience and translates that into services and engagement strategies to meet students where they as they evolve along their student journey. Kate holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and a Master of Business Administration from Elon University.
Evan Wilson, unit manager, Texas Tech University Hospitality Services
As the Content Manager for Hospitality Services at Texas Tech, Evan is responsible for photographing, filming, and coordinating all content creation for the department. These duties include providing content for print, web, digital menus, TV advertisements, training collateral and managing social media platforms. Outside of Texas Tech Evan runs a production company and enjoys time with his wife and animals.