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PULLMAN, Wash. – The School of Hospitality Business Management (SHBM) at the Washington State University College of Business has received a $1.5 million donation from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, enabling the school to undergo renovations of their dining room and kitchen facilities in Todd Hall.

The new J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Hospitality Teaching Center will be located on the second floor of Todd Hall and will provide the real-world setting for WSU’s SHBM students to absorb and apply what they are taught.  With a capacity for 120 seated diners, the private dining area will meet event and catering needs for university events such as the Feast of the Arts series.

Once completed, the teaching kitchen will enhance instruction as stations will allow for small group work with state-of-the-art, restaurant-grade equipment. The new culinary lab facilities will enable more efficient and effective teaching, preparing students to comprehend the culinary component of hospitality. The planned teaching kitchen will allow instructors to properly lecture and demonstrate techniques at the same time. The redesign will ensure successful skills training with enough room for all students and will help eliminate dangerous physical situations.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to support the School of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University as they continue to provide young people with educational opportunities that will enhance their future employability,” said J.W. Marriott Jr., trustee of the Marriott Foundation, and chairman of the Board and chief executive officer of Marriott International. “Together, the Marriott Foundation and WSU hope to create a positive, winning environment for the students in this truly world-class program.”

“This gift from the Marriott Foundation will be a great boon to our hospitality program and will bring a new level of excellence to events such as the Feast of the Arts,” said Jim Harbour, SHBM culinary educator. “These new state-of-the-art facilities will prepare our students to be leaders in the hospitality industry throughout world.”

In addition to renovations on the second floor of Todd Hall for the Hospitality Teaching Center, the WSU College of Business will begin construction on the new Center for Behavior Business Research on the third floor. Both floors are expected to be completed in 2009.

The WSU College of Business is accredited at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The college spans the four campuses of WSU with the largest campus in Pullman and urban campuses located in Spokane, Vancouver and the Tri-Cities area. The college conducts scholarly and applied research, and offers degree programs in a variety of business disciplines and in hospitality business management, supplementing face-to-face offerings through innovative online learning and international programs. For more information, visit the college’s Web site at http://www.business.wsu.edu.  

The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation was established in 1965 with the purpose of giving back to the community. Under the current direction of J.W. Marriott Jr. and Richard E. Marriott, the Marriott Foundation is dedicated to helping youth secure a promising future, especially through education on the secondary and higher education levels, mentoring and youth leadership programs.  Equally important are organizations that help provide relief from hunger and disasters; support people with disabilities; and create gainful employment opportunities for vulnerable youth and adults.

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