Founded to reach the moon, we 麻豆精品 S檙e already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America 麻豆精品 S檚 Space University celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space

As Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Premier University for Engineering, Technology and Innovation, UCF continues to lead the way in preparing students for the industries of tomorrow 麻豆精品 S� including those that reach beyond Earth.

UCF students are participating in the 麻豆精品 S疭tudent Spaceflight Experiments Program (Mission 21), a national competition that provides students with the opportunity to design experiments for launch to the 麻豆精品 S疘nternational Space Station. The initiative is co-directed by 麻豆精品 S�Phil Metzger 麻豆精品 S�00MS 麻豆精品 S�05PhD, planetary scientist and director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 participation in the program, and Amy Gregory 麻豆精品 S�11笔丑顿, associate professor and Faculty Fellow for Space Tourism at the 麻豆精品 S�Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e been encouraging students to think beyond science and engineering, 麻豆精品 S� Metzger says. 麻豆精品 S淲orking with Rosen College helps make this a true UCF collaboration 麻豆精品 S� one that shows space can connect to every discipline. 麻豆精品 S�

Each campus brings a unique perspective to the challenge. On the main campus, students are developing experiments ranging from 麻豆精品 S渟pace laundry 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� testing whether clothes can be cleaned in zero gravity 麻豆精品 S� to studying crystal and yeast growth in microgravity. At Rosen College, students are exploring how 麻豆精品 S痜ood and beverage preparation can adapt to long-duration space travel, experimenting with tofu coagulation, texture and preservation techniques to help define what future astronauts 麻豆精品 S� and eventually space tourists 麻豆精品 S� might eat in orbit.

麻豆精品 S淯p to this point, space research has focused on getting there, 麻豆精品 S� Gregory says. 麻豆精品 S淥ur students are asking what comes next 麻豆精品 S� what happens when people live and work in space? Food is at the heart of that conversation because it 麻豆精品 S檚 nourishment, medicine and community all in one. 麻豆精品 S�

Rosen 麻豆精品 S檚 efforts are also being integrated into the classroom through a new 麻豆精品 S痜ood and beverage in space 麻豆精品 S痬odule within the Techniques of Food Preparation course led by 麻豆精品 S疌hef C茅sar Rivera Cruzado, allowing hospitality students to connect research with coursework while learning how their field intersects with science, technology and human experience beyond Earth.

麻豆精品 S淭his is an area that 麻豆精品 S檚 growing fast, 麻豆精品 S� Rivera-Cruzado says. 麻豆精品 S淪pace tourism is coming in less than 10 years 麻豆精品 S� maybe even five 麻豆精品 S� and every sector will have an opportunity to contribute. For us, that means learning what food and hospitality look like off the planet. 麻豆精品 S�

Rosen College has also connected with 麻豆精品 S痵pace industry figures, including engineers, astronauts and chefs, such as 麻豆精品 S疛os茅 Andr茅s 麻豆精品 S� as well as 麻豆精品 S痳epresentatives from 麻豆精品 S疊lue Origin 麻豆精品 S痑nd 麻豆精品 S疉xiom Space 麻豆精品 S� to explore future opportunities in 麻豆精品 S�space hospitality and culinary equipment development.

Together, these initiatives highlight how UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 collaborative spirit continues to propel discovery 麻豆精品 S� preparing students to help define what hospitality, comfort and daily life might look like as they reach for the stars.

ARDA, the trade organization for the timeshare industry, has launched several initiatives emphasizing resales as an important industry component and a significant organizational priority. This largely unregulated market is plagued with resale scams, which tarnishes the image of the entire industry.

Using her knowledge and previous research in the timeshare industry, will update existing research to identify active resale organizations, estimate sales volumes and determine the composition of the United States timeshare secondary market.

Learn more about at Rosen College.

To better understand the product and process, WVO invited the students to their Bonnet Creek property and provided a tour of their corporate offices and contact center, allowing the students to “double jack” and observe actual customer interactions with WVO associates. Students worked in teams throughout the semester to identify viable solutions to the business challenge and presented their projects to Wyndham executives during their final class meeting.聽On Thursday, Dec. 4, the winners and scholarship amounts were announced at an awards dinner celebration.

麻豆精品 S淚t was a great experience to work with a real company and a real problem, 麻豆精品 S� said Megan Hawk, a graduate student at Rosen College. 麻豆精品 S淲e go through all of these classes learning different aspects of the industry and being able to actually put some of the techniques to the test is a great way to analyze what we have learned. 麻豆精品 S�

Sponsored by the UCF Timeshare Advisory Board, this project is a collaborative effort between the timeshare industry and Dr. Amy Gregory. Each year, companies are invited to participate by identifying a business issue or opportunity for Rosen College students to solve. This learning experience helps graduate students gain a deeper understanding of the timeshare industry through visits to the sponsoring company’s offices and locations, guest lectures and valuable feedback on their ideas before submitting their final proposals.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be included in this project with UCF and Wyndham Vacation Ownership, 麻豆精品 S� said John Wheeler, vice president at WVO. 麻豆精品 S淭he level of detail and research the students put into the development of their presentations and the passion with which they all delivered the material was truly remarkable. It is great for the students to learn more about the timeshare industry as the product truly changes lives.”

Congratulations to the following students for their successful participation in the Fall 2014 Masters Level Immersive Learning Project:

First Place: Ms. Darline Dondl, Ms. Ondine Feldman, Ms. Megan Hawk & Mr. Fabio Souza

Proposal: Integrated Pre-Arrival Communications Strategies

Second Place: Mr. David Santos, Mr. Francisco Branco Cercas, Ms. Joana Coelho & Ms. Marta Martins

Proposal: Building Trust & Happiness Through Engagement

Third Place: Mr. Christopher Garcia, Ms. Stefania Piccinelli & Ms. Natalie Starr

Proposal: An Interactive Mobile Campaign Using SnapTag Technology

Honorable Mention: Mr. Sebastian Muller & Mr. Miguel Fernandez

Proposal: Scavenger Hunt

Honorable Mention: Ms. Zane Abolina, Ms. Lindsey Lee & Ms. Catarina Morais

Proposal: Exclusive Events

The advisory board, comprised of 18 industry-leading executives that meet nine times per year, recently approved the establishment of a fund in support of timeshare education and research. Their contributions will provide financial support for student conference attendance, educational scholarships, research initiatives, campus events and board administration.

In addition, the advisory board hosted the 5th Timeshare Industry Forum & Career Expo at UCF’s Rosen College on Aug. 28.聽Approximately 95 attendees, including students, faculty and staff, participated in a 75-minute interactive presentation and Q&A session with locally-based, senior level executives. Held the second week of every semester, the Forum is followed by a Career Expo in the Rosen College courtyard where students can meet company representatives to learn more about their organizations and employment opportunities.

This event was made possible through the support of the UCF Timeshare Advisory Board and included members of Interval International, RCI, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Starwood Vacation Ownership, Marriott Vacations Worldwide and Hilton Grand Vacations.

For more information about the Timeshare Advisory Board or the Forum and Career Expo, please contact .

麻豆精品 S淓very year, we recognize two individuals who go above and beyond in their roles at Rosen College, 麻豆精品 S� said Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management. 麻豆精品 S淒r. Gregory and Chef Coupland truly embody Rosen College’s values of professionalism, leadership and service, which makes them both very deserving of this special recognition. 麻豆精品 S�

For more information about Rosen College, please visit .

The Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) is being offered globally to undergraduate and graduate students through a joint effort between the American Hotel & Lodging Association 麻豆精品 S檚 Educational Institute (EI), the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE), and Smith Travel Research (STR).聽 EI, ICHRIE and STR describe this certification as the leading hotel-related certi铿乧ation for university students graduating from hospitality and tourism programs throughout the world.

In 2012, UCF’s Rosen College partnered with STR to join its SHARE Center.聽 Through this partnership, Rosen College students can earn a CHIA and take HFT4468 Revenue Management for the Hospitality Industry to prepare for the exam.

CHIA recipients can 麻豆精品 S渄o the math 麻豆精品 S� and interpret the results, as well as analyze various types of hotel industry data and make strategic recommendations. Certi铿乧ation also con铿乺ms a comprehensive understanding of benchmarking and performance reports, in addition to the current landscape of the global hotel industry.

The CHIA is based upon four core content areas:

1. Hotel Industry Analytical Foundations,

2. Hotel Math Fundamentals 麻豆精品 S� the metrics used by the hotel industry,

3. Property Level Benchmarking (STAR Reports),

4. Hotel Industry Performance Reports (Trends, P&L, Pipeline and Destination Reports)

According to , a Rosen College assistant professor in the Department of Foodservice & Lodging Management, hiring companies value CHIA and ask for students with these qualifications, which is why it has been incorporated into coursework.聽 In today’s progressively dynamic and competitive environment, all segments of the hospitality industry are increasingly reliant on revenue management strategies to improve profitability in multiple business areas.聽 The ability to obtain this in-demand certification provides Rosen College students with an opportunity to further differentiate themselves in a saturated job market.

麻豆精品 S淚 chose to get the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics not only because it shows prospective employers that I’m able to understand and grasp important industry-related data, but also because聽 麻豆精品 S媔t makes me more confident in my skills knowing that I have a foundation of knowledge in one of the most important sources of information in the hotel industry, 麻豆精品 S� said Michael Skinner, a senior majoring in hospitality management.

The CHIA will continue to be offered as part of HFT 4468 Revenue Management in the Hospitality Industry at Rosen College.

For more information about hospitality management education at Rosen College, please visit .

Teams of students from universities around the world were asked to submit a Resort Crisis Communication Plan in response to a case study, which was judged by a panel of industry experts, including representatives from the HR Council and the AIF Education and ARDA Communications Committees. Members of the top three teams each received the AIF Academic Outreach Scholarship and presented their proposal to the Communications Committee at the convention.

Taking on the challenge of the competition demonstrates a strong level of commitment to learning more about the industry, 麻豆精品 S� said Darla Zanini, executive vice president of the ARDA International Foundation. 麻豆精品 S淚t also gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to work effectively in a team environment. Additionally students are asked to think outside the box to develop solutions to issues our industry faces every day and if they do a good job, they will be remembered. 麻豆精品 S�

The students credit their experiences and education at Rosen College for their success in the competition, emphasizing the value of networking opportunities with the timeshare industry.

One of the biggest keys to our success with this scholarship is Rosen’s placement in the heart of the timeshare industry and its carefully crafted relationships with industry, 麻豆精品 S� said senior Donald Warren, a hospitality management major and member of the Rosen College team that presented at the ARDA World Convention. 麻豆精品 S淎dditionally the outreach and involvement of the timeshare industry at our campus, like the CFHLA Meet and Greets and the Timeshare Executive Panel, have given us valuable face-to-face interactions that many other programs and universities simply do not have access to. This gave our team a competitive advantage in learning and developing our knowledge about the timeshare industry. 麻豆精品 S�

In addition to the scholarship competition team, a group of Rosen College students attended the ARDA World Convention with : Brendan Hawkins, Kyle Patterson (Futures in Vacation Ownership Student Club Officer), Jacqueline Hogston, Madelyn Arias, Zachary Egloff, Yanique Bryan, Alexa Levin and Shelby Brandt (Futures in Vacation Ownership Student Club Officer).

For more information about timeshare education at UCF, please visit .

It all started with Bob Kobek, president of , a company that services the timeshare industry. Kobek initiated the idea of the Masters Level Immersive Learning Project and chose to bring it to Rosen College based on its momentum in the area of timeshare education. Through his vision and partnership with Assistant Professor Dr. Amy Gregory, RRP, the venture became a reality when RCI agreed to sponsor the inaugural project.

麻豆精品 S淩CI is proud to sponsor and join Rosen College and Customer Count in this inaugural and hopefully annual research competition, 麻豆精品 S� said Kris Jamtaas, project lead and vice president of RCI. 麻豆精品 S淲e hope that through their real world challenge, these grad students learned why the timeshare industry is such an interesting, exciting and rewarding business model and profession. 麻豆精品 S�

Six students divided into teams of two spent the fall 2013 semester working on business proposals to help remedy the long-term effects of increasing inventory in the vacation ownership secondary market, which were then submitted to industry executives for review.

“I really enjoyed working on a practical real life problem, 麻豆精品 S� said Nikki Cole, a graduate student at Rosen College. 麻豆精品 S淩eceiving feedback from RCI executives was a rare and wonderful opportunity for myself and fellow classmates. I look forward to seeing the benefits from this project in years to come.”

Not only was this a valuable opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in class to a real-world business problem, it helped students better understand the complex timeshare industry.

麻豆精品 S淎s students, we were able to use both our professional experience and academic knowledge to potentially solve this multidimensional issue, 麻豆精品 S� said Aris Marton, a graduate student at Rosen College who won the competition and received a $1,000 scholarship. 聽 麻豆精品 S淚 am very thankful that in my last semester I had one of the most intensive learning programs of my graduate degree. 麻豆精品 S�

The winners were announced at an awards dinner held on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013 at Capital Grille in Orlando, FL. Each student received a cash scholarship in varying amounts according to their performance and contributions to the project:

First Place:
Aris Marton & Brittany Johnson

Proposal: Valuation of the inventory based on the CarMax business model

Second Place:
Alex Feoli & Michael Mays

Proposal: Solution to address negative images via a brokerage opportunity

Third Place:
Nikki Cole & Dior George

Proposal: Co-op business solution uniting HOAs, owners and industry service providers

For more information about the Masters Level Immersive Learning Project at Rosen College, please contact Assistant Director of Public Relations Kathy Dorf at katherine.dorf@ucf.edu or 407-903-8151.

As finalists, Harp and Tanner receive free admission, plus transportation and hotel accommodations, to attend the 2013 ARDA World Global Timeshare Event in Hollywood, Fla., April 7-11, where the overall winner will be announced. Additionally, the duo is invited to attend the convention 麻豆精品 S檚 Breakfast of Champions and awards gala, and will receive an industry聽mentor for the convention and the coming year, plus a profile in ARDA 麻豆精品 S檚 Developments magazine.

麻豆精品 S淐ongratulations to Ms. Harp and Ms. Tanner; this is an amazing opportunity for them both, 麻豆精品 S� said Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College. 麻豆精品 S淭heir insightful business proposal clearly made an impression on the competition 麻豆精品 S檚 panel of industry experts, which is a testament to the caliber of students, faculty and education, here, at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. 麻豆精品 S�

The annual competition lets students vie for scholarships and other great academic- and career-related prizes by submitting proposals that address specific issues facing the timeshare industry. If named the overall winners, Harp and Tanner will formally present their business proposal to members of the convention.

Harp and Tanner 麻豆精品 S檚 proposal, 麻豆精品 S淰acation with Friends, 麻豆精品 S� capitalizes on the proven successes of affinity marketing through social organizations to address occupancy, attrition, and funding issues of a legacy timeshare resort. Their five-year business plan incorporates the repurposing of unused space, low-cost, high energy on-site experience improvements, and quantified, specific marketing efforts that improve the timeshare owners 麻豆精品 S� association bottom line.

UCF Rosen College 麻豆精品 S檚 timeshare expert Dr. Amy Gregory will also attend the convention to lead a group a student volunteers. Students interested in volunteering and attending the annual timeshare industry conference should contact Gregory at amy.gregory@ucf.edu by Friday, March 15.聽Students volunteering for the conference receive complimentary conference registration, as well as some meals. Transportation will also be available for students on a first come-first served basis.

Over the past year, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management has developed into one of the leading academic institutions for timeshare education and research. The college is currently just one of ten academic institutions in the nation to be a member of ARDA, and has established a timeshare advisory board, along with scholarship opportunities, and聽corporate internships聽with industry-leading organizations.

The U.S. timeshare business has grown to become a significant component of the hospitality industry, generating over $70 billion in economic output and employing 493,000 workers, with $23 billion in salaries, according to a 2011 Ernst & Young study. With over 20,000 vacation ownership units in the area; Orlando, Fla. is home the greatest concentration of timeshare resorts and corporations, which provides many exciting opportunities to UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management and its students.

Harp and Tanner 麻豆精品 S檚 proposal “Vacation with Friends” capitalizes on the proven successes of affinity marketing through social organizations to address occupancy, attrition, and funding issues of a legacy timeshare resort. Their five-year business plan incorporates the repurposing of unused space, low-cost, high energy on-site experience improvements, and quantified, specific marketing efforts that improve the timeshare owners’ association bottom line.

麻豆精品 S淲e chose Ms. Harp 麻豆精品 S檚 and Ms. Tanner’s submission to represent UCF based upon the comprehensiveness and practical viability of the proposal,” said Dr. Amy Gregory, one of the five UCF Rosen College faculty members who judged the college 麻豆精品 S檚 submissions for the competition. 麻豆精品 S淥ur decision wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 easy, as we received several outstanding submissions from our students, but the judges ultimately chose their proposal. We wish Ms. Harp and Ms. Tanner the best of luck. 麻豆精品 S�

The UCF Rosen College proposal will be competing against those from nine other academic institutions, including the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Florida International University, Johnson & Wales University, University of Memphis, New Mexico State University, Bethune-Cookman University, DePaul University, University of Wisconsin-Stout, and Lynn University.

The entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts, including representatives from the ARDA’s HR Council and Education Committee. The top three teams will receive the AIF Academic Outreach Scholarship for each member of the team, which is comprised of registration to the 2013 ARDA Convention, including tickets to the Breakfast of Champions and Awards Gala, in addition to transportation, room and board; an industry mentor with whom to consult throughout the year; and a profile in Developments magazine and on ARDA.org. The winning teams will also present their proposal as part of a concurrent educational session at the convention.

Winners will be notified by ARDA on March 11, 2013. The conference will be held April 7-11 at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Fla.

Students who are interested in attending or volunteering for the annual timeshare industry conference should reach out to their instructors and/or Dr. Amy Gregory (amy.gregory@ucf.edu) for more information.聽 Students volunteering for the conference receive complimentary conference registration, as well as some meals. Transportation will be available for students on a first come-first served basis.

Over the past year, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management has developed into one of the leading academic institutions for timeshare education and research. The college is currently just one of ten academic institutions in the nation to be a member of ARDA, and has established a timeshare advisory board, along with scholarship opportunities, and聽corporate internships聽with industry-leading organizations.

The U.S. timeshare business has grown to become a significant component of the hospitality industry, generating over $70 billion in economic output in 2011, and employing 493,000 workers, with $23 billion in salaries, according to an Ernst & Young study. With over 20,000 vacation ownership units in the area; Orlando, Fla. is home the greatest concentration of timeshare resorts and corporations, which provides many exciting opportunities to UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management and its students.