Bosselman named chair of apparel, educational studies and hospitality management at Iowa State University

April 24, 2007

Bosselman named chair of apparel, educational studies and hospitality management at Iowa State University

Robert Bosselman

An academic administrator with strong ties to industry will lead the Department of Apparel, Educational Studies and Hospitality Management at Iowa State University. Robert Bosselman, the Dedman Distinguished Professor of Hospitality Administration at Florida State University, will become professor and chair of apparel, educational studies and hospitality management at Iowa State, effective July 9.

Since 2006, Bosselman has served as director of the International Center for Hospitality Research and Development in the College of Business at Florida State University, where he directed the Dedman School of Hospitality from 2000 until 2006. Under his leadership, the hospitality school's undergraduate enrollment more than doubled as did the number of faculty publications and external grant funding.

Bosselman's research concentrates on academic programming to prepare professionals in the hospitality management industry. He is the co-author of two books, "Hospitality management education" and "Advances in hospitality and tourism research."

He received a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1976, a master's in hotel and foodservice administration from Florida International University in 1982, and a Ph.D. in food systems administration from Oklahoma State University in 1985.

From 1982 until 1985, he served as a graduate teaching associate in food, nutrition and institution administration at Oklahoma State University. He joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1985, and served as acting chair of hotel, restaurant and travel administration there in 1993.

He became an associate professor in food and beverage management at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas in 1993. At UNLV he was promoted to professor in 1998 and served there until 2000. He served as chair of the food and beverage management department (1994), associate director of graduate studies and research (1993-1999), and assistant dean for research in the College of Hotel Administration (1999-2000).

With 730 undergraduate students, the Department of Apparel, Educational Studies and Hospitality Management is among the 10 largest academic departments at Iowa State. The program also has 100 graduate students studying in the areas of foodservice and lodging management, textiles and clothing, and family and consumer sciences.

Grace Kunz has served as interim director of the department since 2006. Mary Gregoire served as chair of the department from 2001 until 2006. The department was formed in 2001, by combining the former departments of textiles and clothing; hotel, restaurant and institution management; and family and consumer sciences education and studies.

Contacts:

Cheryl Achterberg, Dean, College of Human Sciences, (515) 294-7800

JaneAnn Stout, Search Committee Chair and Associate Dean, College of Human Sciences, (515) 294-0863

Cathy Curtis, Communications Specialist, College of Human Sciences, (