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In line with its vision to be recognized as the nation’s leading hospitality management program, Head of the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management in the College of Human Sciences Dr. Martin O’Neill was recently honored on a national scale earning the ICHRIE McCool Breakthrough Award on Friday, July 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Head of the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management Dr. Martin O’Neill, left, was recently honored on a national scale earning the ICHRIE McCool Breakthrough Award on Friday, July 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Head of the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management Dr. Martin O’Neill, left, was recently honored on a national scale earning the ICHRIE McCool Breakthrough Award on Friday, July 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

O’Neill was recognized and celebrated as an individual that introduces a significant breakthrough, innovative idea, or unique approach that advances hospitality and tourism education in the spirit of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education's (ICHRIE's) mission.

“I am honored and honestly a bit surprised to receive the ICHRIE McCool Breakthrough Award,” said O’Neill. “Because this award celebrates innovation and transformative thinking in hospitality education, the recognition is especially meaningful to me. Innovation never happens in isolation and recognizes much more than an individual achievement.”

The award honors the spirit of Willie McCool, the NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle Columbia pilot. The McCool family has longstanding ties to hospitality education through Audrey and Barry McCool, who were faculty members at UNLV. Recipients are recognized for demonstrating a breakthrough mindset consistent with McCool's legacy of innovation and achievement. The McCool Breakthrough Award is considered one of ICHRIE's leading innovation-focused honors. While awards such as the Howard B. Meek Award recognize lifetime achievement and service, the McCool Breakthrough Award specifically celebrates transformative ideas, programs and initiatives that move hospitality education forward.

“The progress we have made at Auburn has been driven by a faculty and staff team that consistently challenges convention, embraces new opportunities and remains focused on creating exceptional experiences for our students and Ithaka Hospitality Partners. This award is a testament to their creativity, dedication and hard work, and I am honored to pick it up on their behalf.”

Head of the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management Dr. Martin O’Neill

The award recognizes innovation that challenges traditional approaches and creates new opportunities for things such as student learning and experiential education, industry-academic collaboration, program development, technology and educational innovation and hospitality and tourism scholarship and practice.

“The progress we have made at Auburn has been driven by a faculty and staff team that consistently challenges convention, embraces new opportunities and remains focused on creating exceptional experiences for our students and Ithaka Hospitality Partners,” said O’Neill. “This award is a testament to their creativity, dedication and hard work, and I am honored to pick it up on their behalf.”

O’Neill joined Auburn in 2002 and has taught a range of undergraduate and graduate courses in the hospitality field. Prior to becoming Head of School, he served as Department Head for Nutrition, Dietetics and Hospitality Management for almost 13 years.

For more information on the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, visit the link.

Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management