DEBORAH BREITER TERRY, PH.D

Adjunct Faculty
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management

Ph.D. University of South Carolina

M.P.S. Cornell University

B.A. Bennington College

Biography

Professor Deborah Breiter Terry has spent a lifetime in the hospitality and event industries, either as a practitioner or educator. She started out in the restaurant business and then moved into the world of hotels. She eventually became the general manager of a boutique hotel in San Francisco. Then she was recruited by City College of San Francisco to teach in their Hotel & Restaurant Management program. Over the course of 30 years in higher education she taught at UNLV, New Mexico State University, and the University of Central Florida. Her accomplishments and contributions have been recognized by the Professional Convention Management Association, the Greater Orlando Area chapter of MPI, and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education. She retired from UCF in 2020 and was awarded Professor Emerita status in honor of her work in teaching, research, and service for the University.

Courses: LEI 6336 Tourism Planning & Development

Special Topics: Branding Strategies in Hospitality & Tourism

GARY L. DEEL, PhD, JD, CHSE, CHIA, CHE, SHRM-CP, CFE, APP

Adjunct Faculty
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management

Address: PO Box 117001, Gainesville, FL 32611
Mobile phone: (845)220-8284
Email: garyleedeel@ufl.edu

Biography

Dr. Gary Deel is an accomplished polymath with a talent for higher education and a drive for intellectual challenge.

With respect to education, Gary holds AS Degrees in Hospitality and Culinary Arts from Valencia College, AS, BS, and MS Degrees in Space Studies from American Public University (APUS), BS and MS Degrees in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida (UCF), a JD in Law from Florida A&M University (FAMU), and a PhD in Hotel Administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). He is currently pursuing a BA Degree in Psychology from APUS.

Gary developed his professional career in the hospitality industry over a period of about 10 years. He worked for the Walt Disney World Company in both theme parks and hotels. He worked for Rosen Hotels & Resorts in several management roles, including Guest Relations Manager, Hotel Manager, Investigations Manager, Assistant Security Director, and Sales Manager for the company's seven hotels. He worked as North American Operations Manager for Picsolve, Inc., a UK-based entertainment photography company that manages photo operations for more than 350 different theme parks, aquariums, zoos, and other attractions all around the world. He worked for Merlin Entertainments Group, the world’s second-largest entertainment company (behind Disney), as Head of Operations at the Madame Tussaud’s Las Vegas Interactive Wax Museum. Finally, Gary also worked as Manager of Training and Administration for Wynn Resorts at the iconic Wynn and Encore luxury Las Vegas resorts. He currently serves as Senior Vice President of Operations for G&G Fleet Service and Supply in Kissimmee, Florida.

Gary also works in the legal field. He previously spent a brief period working as a practicing attorney, and currently he manages a consulting firm through which he provides attorneys with expert witness services in cases involving hospitality or hotel safety and security issues, standards of care, negligence and liability, and other areas.

In addition to Gary's industry and legal experience, he has spent ten years working in higher education at various institutions, including Valencia College, UNLV, Colorado Technical University, Kaplan University, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, UCF, APUS, CSU Global, and UFL. Gary has developed and taught courses in business, management, hospitality, leadership and ethics, sales and marketing, professionalism, law, human resources, engineering, and other areas. He currently serves as Faculty Director for the APUS School of Business where he oversees a team of 100+ faculty teaching courses in transportation and logistics, supply chain dynamics, defense contract management, finance, accounting, analytics, and entrepreneurship. He also serves as an adjunct professor for UCF, CSU, and UFL.

Over the course of Gary's career, he has earned several professional licenses and credentials. Gary is licensed to practice law in Florida and Nevada. He has also been credentialed as a Certified Lodging Security Director (CLSD)*, Certified Hospitality Sales Professional (CHSP)*, Certified Hotel Sales Executive (CHSE), Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), Certified Hospitality Industry Analyst (CHIA), Society of Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Associate Protection Professional (APP).

Gary is a devoted husband and a father to two wonderful little boys. He lives in Windermere, Florida with his family. They enjoy cruising with Royal Caribbean, and usually sail on several cruises each year.

Courses

LEI5188 Trends and Issues in Tourism Management
HMG6747 Hospitality & Tourism Marketing
LEI6931 Tourism & Hospitality Business Perspectives

RACHEL J.C. FU, PH.D., CHE

Chair, Professor
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management
Director, Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute

Office: FLG 242
P.O. Box 118209
Gainesville, FL 32611-8209
Phone: (352) 294-1694
Email: racheljuichifu@ufl.edu

Ph.D. North Carolina State University, USA
M.S. North Carolina State University, USA
B.A. National Cheng-Chi University, Taiwan

Biography

Dr. Rachel J.C. Fu has many years of experience in the tourism and hospitality business. Rachel is the Chair and Professor of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management (THEM) at the University of Florida, where she is also the Director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute (EFTI).

Rachel was the founding Director (2010-2018) of the Center for Sustainable Business and Development (CSBD) that provided a mechanism for building an interdisciplinary research program that combines business and sustainability science at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (UTK), where she was also a Professor in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management. Rachel was named as TnHTA Educator of the Year (Stars of the Industry Awards) for her excellence in research and development of workforce for the industry and was honored at 2019 Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism. She was the Chair elect/Chair/Past Chair (2017-2019) of UTK’s Undergraduate Council and was the Chair (2018-2020) of UTK Chancellor’s Commission for Women. She was also an active member and leader in the community. She was a member of the Board of Directors (2018-2020) for Visit Knoxville and a District Chair (2019 & 2020) of the Boy Scouts of America for the East Tennessee Council.

Rachel was promoted to full professor in 2012 and has served as the graduate program director for 5 years (2005-2010) at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (UTK). She was appointed as a visiting professor at Yale University during 2009-2010.

In the past decade, through serving as guest editor, associate editor, editorial board member (for 14 leading and well respected international journals), reviewer (for 9 leading international journals), and chair/reviewer (for 4 major international associations), Rachel has provided leadership in academic and professional organizations.

Rachel has published more than 200 papers, includingrefereed journal articles, refereed conference papers, a magazine article, newsletters, technical reports, and book chapters. Rachel's work has been featured in various media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveler, U.S. News and World Report, Carnival Cruise Line, NBC, BBC, Bottom Line Personal, CNBC, ABC News, the Philadelphia Inquirer, AARC, KCBS, Recommend Magazine, and UF News.

Primary Fields of interest

AI and Data Science in THEM, Business, and Transportation
Economic Impact Assessments
Forecasting Methods and Applications
Hospitality and Tourism Analytics
Strategic Management and Marketing in THEM and Business
Sustainable Business and Community Development
Impacts of Climate Change on Business and communities
Consumer/Visitor Behavior Studies
Geographic Information Systems Applications

other research interests

Strategic Management, Sustainability, and Marketing
Strategic Management
Sustainable Business and Development
Marketing for Businesses
Impacts of Climate Change on Business and Services
Consumer Behavior Studies
Geographic Information Systems Applications
Environmental Impact Assessment
Analyses of Tourism, Recreation, and Sports
Statistics and Economics
Forecasting Methods and Applications
AI and Data Science in THEM
Hospitality and Tourism Analytics
Economic Impact Assessments
Input-Output Models and Applications
Statistic for Behavior Sciences

Courses

JOHN GOODMAN, JD.

Adjunct Professor
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management

Phone: (407)-501-4291
Email: john.goodman@ufl.edu

B.S. in Hospitality Management, New Hampshire College
J.D. in Law, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School

Biography

John is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for ICON Park, a $300 million dollar, 20-acre, walkable entertainment destination in the heart of Orlando’s International Drive. Named #1 Attraction in Orlando for families by USA Today, and one of 7 Best Attractions in Orlando by Forbes Magazine. ICON Park has more than 50 restaurants, bars, shops and attractions including The Wheel which is the tallest observation wheel on the east coast of the United States.

John’s previous hospitality experience includes executive leadership experience with Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Hyatt Residence Club, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.

While working for these world-class brands, John demonstrated a proven ability to coach and develop successful teams. He is also skilled at formulating business plans, establishing a proactive approach to growing market share, improving metrics, and leading projects to completion.

During the course of his professional career, John has improved the productivity of a customer service organization while directing Customer Advocacy efforts for a Fortune 250 company. As a pioneer of new business initiatives, John directed an award-winning Revenue Management team that was recognized for successfully launching Total Hotel Revenue Management for a cluster of five Marriott branded hotels in the Atlanta market before being rolled out to Marriott’s entire southeast region. John has also been recognized globally by Marriott International as Sales Director of the Year.

John has served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida since 2019, teaching Revenue Management. John has also served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Central Florida, Rosen College of Hospitality Management from 2015 to 2020, teaching Hospitality and Tourism Marketing

RON GROMOLL, CHA, CHE

Adjunct Faculty
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management

Office: FLG 190A
P.O. Box 118208, Gainesville, FL 32611-8208
Phone: (352) 303-9452
Email: rgromoll@hhp.ufl.edu

B.S. in Business, Phoenix University
A.A.S. in Hotel & Restaurant Management, Luzerne County Community College

Biography

Ron Gromoll is a dedicated educator who has been teaching college-level hospitality courses since 1996. He has been a Certified Hotel Administrator from the American Hotel and Lodging Association since 1990 and a Certified Hotel Educator from the American Hotel and Lodging Association since 2000.

For over 30 years, Gromoll served as the general manager of four hotels, including the Intercontinental Hotel Group, Best Western International Inc., Choice Hotels and LaQuinta Inns and Suites. He is currently the marketing and event coordinator for Alachua County and is assisting with plans for the new multi-purpose Event and Expo Hall for Alachua County.

He is a member of the International Association of Venue Managers, on the board of Visit Natural North Florida and president emeritus of the Gainesville Sports Commission.

Gromoll earned an A.A.S. in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Luzerne County College and a B.S. in Business from the University of Phoenix. He also has a Master’s Certification in the Essentials of Hospitality Management from Cornell University.

JOE NORSWORTHY, MS

Adjunct Faculty
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event ManagementEmail: JNorsworthy@ufl.edu

MS Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University, Krannert Scholar honors

BS University of Central Florida, Magna Cum Laude

Biography

Joe Norsworthy is a former executive at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. In his last role at Disney, Joe was Vice President of Strategy and Planning, and his work included developing and enhancing strategy for destinations in Florida, California, and Asia. Prior to leading this strategy group, Joe held executive positions in finance, destination marketing, brand management, pricing, and travel operations/reservations. Joe was also a founding executive of Walt Disney Parts and Resorts Online (WDPRO), a new team he and another executive proposed that integrated all Internet strategy, development, and operations across the entire parks division.

After leaving Disney, Joe became a real estate entrepreneur, originally focusing on new developments in southeast Florida. Once other real estate investors became aware of his background, Joe became an independent strategy consultant, helping both developers and land owners in the Caribbean, the USA, and Mexico formulate realistic development strategies for their properties. Eventually, his consulting engagements expanded beyond real estate; Joe led business strategy overhauls for a professional sports franchise, a troubled US destination resort, and a hotel-focused REIT.

Joe began his hospitality career in his hometown of Lakeland, Florida as a 15-year-old busboy at an upscale, independent seafood restaurant. He began working in the Resorts Division at Walt Disney World when Epcot was under construction, and he has been connected to the hospitality and tourism industry ever since. Prior to enrolling in his MBA program, Joe held numerous supervisory and middle management positions at Disney World in recreation, F&B, front office, and custodial operations, and he was frequently the night duty manager at the Grand Floridian Resort in the months just after its grand opening.

Joe began his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, where he performed as a trombonist with the top UF Jazz Band under Professor Gary Langford. Joe’s wife Alice is a UF alum and past chair of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute Advisory Board. Their daughter Jackie is currently a UF student and member of the university lacrosse team. Joe and his family live in Orlando, where they are helping grow the game of girls lacrosse in central Florida via Sol Blazers Lacrosse, a charity Joe founded in 2019 that provides free instruction to beginners in grades K-8.

Courses

LEI 6931 Strategic Hospitality Business Management

BOB SCHALOW

Adjunct Professor
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management

Email: bobschalow94@ufl.edu

B.S. in Recreation, Parks, & Tourism, University of Florida

Biography

Bob Schalow is a restaurant executive whose most recent role was serving as the Vice President of Franchise Operations for Jack in the Box Restaurants. In this role Schalow oversaw a division of approximately 1000 restaurants with sales exceeding a billion dollars. Schalow graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida in Recreation, Parks and Tourism in 1994 and joined Taco Bell/Yum Brands as a restaurant manager before being promoted into numerous leadership roles overseeing both field and support center operations in multiple regions across the country. Schalow then became the Senior Director of National Franchise Operations for Einstein Bros. Bagels and Bruegger’s Bagels while also holding the position of Brand Leader for the Manhattan Bagel Company. Besides his restaurant industry experience, Schalow has also served as President and Board Member for the Owl Creek Country Club as well as being a Board Director for the Louisville Library Foundation.

Schalow is currently the Chair of the Industry Advisory Board for the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute at the University of Florida which he has been serving on since 2020.

Course

LEI 6931 Tourism & Hospitality Business Perspectives

SVETLANA STEPCHENKOVA, PH.D.

Associate Professor
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management

Office: FLG 312
P.O. Box 118208
Gainesville, FL 32611-8208
Phone: (352) 294-1652
Email: svetlana.step@hhp.ufl.edu

Ph.D. in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University
M.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University
B.S. in Applied Mathematics, Moscow State University

Biography

Svetlana Stepchenkova, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at The Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management at the University of Florida. Her research interests lie in the area of destination marketing, branding, and positive image building. She studies tourism behavior and the effectiveness of destination promotion efforts in situations of strained bilateral relations between nations. She is also interested in usability of user-generated content for managerial decision-making in destination marketing and promotion.

In 2010-2014, Svetlana coordinated efforts of the UF team within the framework of the international project “Capacity Building Partnership to Improve Tourism Education, Research, and Industry Outreach: University of Florida, USA and the State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Russian Federation.” The project was funded (US$400,000) by the U.S. Department of Education, Funds for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), with the matching funds provided by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. The activities focused on curriculum development, course delivery, student mobility programs, faculty training programs, seminars to disseminate best practices, and collaborative research initiatives. In 2014-2016, Svetlana led several research projects in collaboration with the State University of Nizhni Novgorod. They focused on decision-making of Russian tourists with respect to visiting the United States in the situation of conflict between the two countries.

Dr. Stepchenkova serves as an Editorial Board member for Journal of Travel Research, International Journal of Tourism Cities, and Tourism Management Perspectives and on the Executive Committee of the International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA).

Research Interests

Destination image as a competitive factor in destination management, marketing, and branding
Computer-assisted analysis of qualitative data. Methodologies for statistical analysis of textual and pictorial data
Effects of media messages and user-generated content on tourism behavior and destination demand
Websites and online communities as a marketing tool for Destination Marketing Organizations
Cultural issues in tourism research

Courses

LEI 3836 Hospitality Management
HLP 6515 Evaluation Procedures
HLP 6535 Research Methods