Statler News
September 24, 2025
Lexi Ding ’22
Strategic Finance
DoorDash
HADM 1361 | Aaron Adalja
Principles of Food and Beverage Operations
September 25, 2025
Amber Sherman ’05
VP and Managing Partner
Galleon Advisors
HADM 4070/6070 | Vince Slaugh
Hospitality Operations and Consulting
Centers & Institutes
Centers & Institutes wishes a warm “welcome back to campus” to all students and staff in the Cornell community! Check our Events Calendar for upcoming engagement opportunities.
Center for Hospitality Research
Call for Proposals: 2026 Grailer Faculty Fellows Program
The Grailer Faculty Fellow Program, offered by the Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), is designed to support tenure-track faculty at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration in conducting impactful, industry-relevant research that benefits the broader hospitality and travel industry.
Eligibility
- Tenure-track faculty at the Nolan Hotel School
- Assistant or Associate Professor rank
Award Details
- One TU teaching relief (or, in exceptional cases, funding for a research assistant)
- Three fellowships awarded annually
- One fellowship reserved for research focused on Asian Hospitality Studies
- Fellows will be announced mid-November.
Project Requirements
Research projects should:
- leverage hospitality industry data, foster collaborations with key industry partners, or develop models with direct applicability to the hospitality sector.
- address critical challenges in the hospitality industry—encompassing hotels, restaurants, airlines, cruise lines, amusement parks, and related sectors.
- aim for top-tier publications while generating actionable insights for professionals.
Application Process
Applicants will fill out the online proposal submission form with information about their project, detailing: the research idea and its industry value, research design, data needs and contingency plan, expected outputs and outcomes, and timeline. Applicants must also upload their CV.
To receive the proposal submission form link, please email hosp_research@cornell.edu
Deadline: September 30, 2025
For full details on requirements, application process, and deliverables, visit the CHR’s Current Funding Opportunities webpage.
Cornell at Climate Week: Sustainability in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Roundtable & Reception
Faculty can email the CHR for a registration link!
September 22-23, 2025
NYC
Co-organized by the Center for Hospitality Research and the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise (CSGE), this four-session roundtable will explore the critical importance of climate change and sustainability and its impacts on the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Faculty whose research touches on any of these themes—ranging from supply chains, food and beverage innovation, sustainable construction, environmental economics, energy and transportation, consumer behavior, or global development—are invited to contribute their expertise. Your perspectives and insights can help shape the dialogue, spark collaborations with industry leaders, and ensure that Cornell scholarship continues to inform and advance solutions for one of the world’s most urgent challenges. Industry attendees include IHG Hotels & Resorts, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Canouan Group, Copake Wine Works, Trestle Glen Group, and more!
September 22
Roundtable 1: Sips of Sustainability – Tackling Climate Costs from Farm to Bottle
Chaired by: Douglass Miller, Cheryl Stanley, and Jeanne Varney
- Globally, the beverage industry, including beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic drinks, is a multibillion-dollar industry that continues to grow. Climate impacts are extensive, affecting everything from agricultural inputs to the consumer. Because the beverage industry is so large and dynamic, developing and implementing innovative processes and technologies can be challenging. How can commercial innovations in beverage production and distribution reduce environmental impacts, and how could these potentially be scaled? How might these changes impact the hospitality industry and consumers?
Roundtable 2: A Knotty Opportunity – Mass Timber Construction in Travel & Tourism
Chaired by: Mark Milstein and Jeanne Varney
- Mass timber construction, the use of large, prefabricated wood panels and beams, is a growing market segment that promises more sustainable and efficient construction that is stronger than steel and lighter than concrete. Designers, architects, structural engineers, building owners and operators laud mass timber construction for its efficiency, aesthetics, strength and stability, in addition to the advantages of carbon sequestration and a reduced carbon footprint. To date, transportation hubs/terminals (e.g., bus, rail, and air) and museums have been popular mass timber projects – could the travel and tourism industry be a catalyst for the next generation of mass timber buildings and contribute to decarbonization of the sector?
Roundtable 3: Turning the Tide – Hospitality and Tourism for Sustainable Development in Small Islands
Chaired by: Aaron Adalja and O’Shannon Burns
- Tourism is the economic lifeblood of many small island destinations, providing livelihoods and supporting local development. At the same time, these islands’ natural ecosystems are both the foundation of their tourism appeal and essential providers of ecosystem services that sustain all productive activities. How can tourism actively support conservation rather than deplete it? What policies and practices can create a true virtuous circle between economic growth and environmental stewardship? And how can the hospitality industry help build climate resilience and sustainable prosperity for small island communities?
September 23
Roundtable 4: Can We Clear the Air? Decarbonizing Aviation and Cruise in Travel & Tourism
Chaired by: O’Shannon Burns and Mark Milstein
- Aviation and cruise are key segments driving the travel and tourism industry, with much of global tourism dependent on long-haul air travel and marine and coastal tourism. Electrification of aviation and shipping also present two of the most complex decarbonization challenges in transportation today. Key barriers – including upfront costs, power/range limitations, technology limitations, infrastructure, and regulatory issues – continue to impede climate progress in those sectors. As consumers and governments demand sustainable and eco-friendly transportation options, the need for progress is growing. How could travel and tourism stakeholders collaborate to accelerate decarbonization in these industry segments?
Panel: From Ideas to Action – Future Directions in Sustainable Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality
- Join us for a forward-looking panel that builds on the insights and discussions from yesterday’s and today’s roundtable sessions on sustainability in travel, tourism, and hospitality. Our expert panelists will reflect on the key themes and challenges identified in the sessions, exploring actionable strategies and research directions that can drive the industry toward a more sustainable and resilient future. From the beverage industry and timber construction to island tourism and decarbonization in aviation and cruise travel, we’ll discuss where the industry should focus its efforts next, how academic research can support these critical initiatives, and take audience questions. This panel is open to the public but pre-registration is required and space is limited.
Networking Reception
- Following the panel, we invite you to a reception where attendees can continue the conversation in a more informal setting.
Destination AI
September 30, 2025
Washington, D.C.
The premier AI-focused conference for the hospitality industry is back! Join us for a one-day summit where top hospitality and tech leaders come together to explore how AI is reshaping the industry. Designed for hotel owners, operators, brand executives, tech innovators, VCs, and more, the Destination AI Hospitality Summit delivers practical insights and real-world examples of what’s driving impact today.
Sessions will cover:
- Real-world use cases from hotel chains deploying AI today
- Operator insights on solving real hotel challenges
- Emerging technologies that impact your bottom line
- Governing the rise of AI: privacy, policy, and regulation
Don’t miss this full day of learning, discussion, and high-impact networking with the people leading AI adoption in hospitality. Please stop by our booth to connect with our team!
Special offer: Use promo code CHR for 15% off registration.
Advisory Board Meeting
Friday, October 24, 2025
Washington, D.C.
QUESTIONS about CHR?
Faculty members and students interested in attending CHR events should email Shana Claar, CHR Coordinator at skc223@cornell.edu.
Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor & Employment Relations
23rd Annual Labor and Employment Law Roundtable
By invitation only.
Friday, November 7, 2025 | 9:00 – 5:00 PM
New York City, NY
CIHLER Board Members, Industry Experts, and Cornell Faculty will come together to discuss the most pressing issues in Hospitality HR, such as Union Organizing and Negotiations, and Alternative Dispute Resolution—reception to follow.
NYC Class Arbitration Trip
Friday, November 13, 2025
With support from The Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, (CIHLER), students from the Cornell Nolan School and ILR School will travel to New York City to observe an actual arbitration hearing. An understanding of the arbitration process is important for students, as alternative dispute resolution is becoming increasingly popular.
*Must be enrolled in HADM 4810/ILRGL 4810 to attend*
Club HR Director’s Roundtable
By invitation only.
Friday, November 14, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Boynton Beach, FL
Traditional Labor Roundtable
By Invitation only.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Hollywood, FL
20th Annual Cornell University’s HR in Hospitality Conference
April 30 – May 1, 2026
Hollywood, FL
We are pleased to announce that the 20th Annual Cornell University’s HR in Hospitality Conference will be held at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida!
Cornell University’s HR in Hospitality Conference is the industry’s premier HR conference, bringing together the legal and practical aspects of human resources within the hospitality industry.
6th Annual Big Sky Labor and Employment Conference
August 4 – 6, 2026
Big Sky, MT
This premier event convenes leading voices from across the labor and employment community—including employee, employer, and neutral perspectives—for high-level discussions on today’s most pressing workplace challenges. The conference is designed to spark meaningful dialogue and generate innovative solutions in a truly inspiring setting.
Cornell faculty member Dave Sherwyn will join an outstanding lineup of speakers, including current and former NLRB members, EEOC commissioners, solicitor generals, federal judges, union presidents, and top labor and management attorneys.
QUESTIONS about CIHLER?
Please email Natalie Oldfield, CIHLER Assistant Director at nco9@cornell.edu.
Center for Real Estate and Finance
CREF is excited to bring back the Real Estate Professionals in Residence program (REP) for AY ’25 – ’26!
This program’s REPs engage in personalized one-on-one sessions with students, assisting with navigating internship inquiries, building professional networks, and formulating effective career plans. Schedule your meeting now!
September 25, 2025
David Mei ’94, Vice President, Global Capital Investments & Transactions, IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Lending
- CMBS
- Brand launches
- Integration
- M&A
- Partnerships
- Meet with David
October 23, 2025
Baron Ah Moo ’93, Senior Vice President, Asset Management, Indochina Kajima
- Asset Management
- Capital Markets
- Financing & Investment Transaction Support
- Meet with Baron
October 31, 2025
Tony Charles, Head of Research & Strategy, Morgan Stanley
- Global Real Estate trends
- Implications for different Real Estate sectors and countries
- Meet with Tony
November 6, 2025
Becca Green, Founder, Kaleidoscope Projects
- Hospitality & Commercial Real Estate Development
- Sales Strategy & Demand Generation
- Revenue Forecasting & Management
- Partner Selection & Negotiation
- Cross-Functional Engagement & Team Leadership
- Meet with Becca
November 14, 2025
Scott Singer ’94, Principal, Co-Lead of Tri-State (NYC) Debt & Equity Finance, Avison Young
- Debt & equity financing for both development and existing properties
- NYC asset of all types and sizes
- Meet with Scott
November 20, 2025
Robert Kline ’84, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, The Chartres Lodging Group
- Hospitality and Real Estate Investment
- Hospitality Asset Management
- Self-proprietorship
- Meet with Rob
Distinguished Speaker Seminar Series
October 30, 2025
Tony Charles
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
November 13, 2025
Scott Singer
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
QUESTIONS about CREF?
Please email Deborah Ward, CREF Assistant Director at dtd49@cornell.edu
Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship
October 7 & 8
Kim Hehir ’94, Co-Founder & President, Brutus Broth
- Entrepreneurship
- Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
- Sales & Marketing
- Brand Strategy
- Fundraising
- Meet with Kim
- Social Impact
- Finance & Asset Management
- Values-Based Leadership & Culture
- Partnerships & Growth
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Meet with Jen
Stay connected with PIHE by subscribing to our newsletter.
QUESTIONS about PIHE?
Please email Michelle Mahool, PIHE Assistant Director, at MLC296@cornell.edu.
Zotero is a freemium, powerful, easy-to-use research tool that helps you gather and organize citations and sources such as PDFs. This hands-on workshop will cover the basics of adding citations and PDFs and creating properly formatted citations in your writing as well as tips and strategies for incorporating Zotero into your research workflow. Additional library workshops are available throughout the semester, including Introduction to Data Visualization and Establishing a Researcher Profile.
Opening Celebration: Our Stories in Motion, A Migrations Exhibit
Mann Library Lobby and Room 102
Friday, September 19, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
The Cornell community is warmly invited to a celebration of the interactive exhibit opening at Mann Library on September 19. Please join us to view the winners of the Migrations Program’s art, media, and writing competition of Cornell students and staff who share the ways that migration shapes their lives. The exhibit, a collaboration between the Migrations Program, the Research Data and Open Scholarship Department, and the Science and Agriculture Libraries of Cornell University Library, showcases the winning submissions from the Migrations Program’s creative writing and art competition and includes an interactive digital space where you can share your own migration story. The celebration’s keynote speaker, writer and multidisciplinary artist Cathy Linh Che, will screen a short film, read poetry, and political cartoonist Pedro Molina will present his work. A Q&A session and reception will follow. All are welcome!
About the Speakers:
Cathy Linh Che is the author of Becoming Ghost (Washington Square Press, 2025), Split (Alice James Books), and co-author, with Kyle Lucia Wu, of the children’s book An Asian American A to Z: a Children’s Guide to Our History (Haymarket Books). Her video installation Appocalips is an Open Call commission with The Shed NY, and her film “We Were the Scenery” won the Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction at the Sundance Film Festival.
Pedro X. Molina is an award-winning Nicaraguan political cartoonist known for his sharp critiques of authoritarianism and human rights abuses. Forced into exile in 2018 after government reprisals against independent media, he now lives and works in the United States, creating cartoons for outlets including Confidencial, Counterpoint, the Washington Post, and Politico.
For more details, click here
For questions or more information, please contact migrations@einaudi.cornell.edu
Annual Fall Real Estate Conference
Friday, October 17, 8am-5pm
The NY Times Center, 242 West 41st Street NYC
Pre-reception: Thursday, October 16, 6pm-8pm
Lever Club at Lever House, 390 Park Avenue NYC
The conference brings together alumni, industry professionals, and current students from several real estate-adjacent fields, including the hospitality industry. It will feature a series of one-on-one interviews, keynote speakers, and panel discussions with some of the industry’s most highly regarded visionaries, along with networking opportunities and a pre-conference reception the night before.
To read more about the conference visit: https://www.comm.business.cornell.edu/e/296062/ornell-real-estate-conference-/9knqqv/897905167/h/YShF8a87vTS_q3Dtfh_IQ-bRP0lTW03ETIR4WLuJt6Q and see a list of our confirmed speakers at https://www.comm.business.cornell.edu/e/296062/Invitation-2025-Wave-2-v1-pdf-/9knqqy/897905167/h/YShF8a87vTS_q3Dtfh_IQ-bRP0lTW03ETIR4WLuJt6Q
Friday, October 17, 2025 | 4:00-5:00 pm
Klarman Hall, Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium
Cornell University’s Behavioral Economics and Decision Research Center (BEDR),the SC Johnson College of Business, and the College of Arts & Sciences invite you to:
A Conversation with Richard H. Thaler
Richard Thaler is a former professor at the Johnson School of Management and received the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to behavioral economics, much of which occurred during his tenure at Cornell. We welcome him back to campus for a Q&A on the occasion of publication of his new book Winner’s Curse: Paradoxes and Anomalies of Economic Life.
Additional details and registration information to follow.
If you have any questions, please contact EREvents@cornell.edu
Chekitan Dev, IMHI ’85 P ’24 Singapore Tourism Distinguished Professor and Professor of Services Marketing, was mentioned in a CNN article titled “Cracker Barrel isn’t doomed just yet”, which can be accessed here.