Meet the Chair, Karen Goodlad

"May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears."
–Nelson Mandela

As chairperson of the Department of Hospitality Management, I seek to establish standards and practices that motivate and elevate tomorrow's leaders. To do this I lean on my teaching philosophy, which includes three guiding words:

Engage ~ Reflect ~ Innovate

I believe that I am a catalyst of sorts, engaging faculty, students, staff, alumni, and industry partners in the teaching and learning process. I find it important to be deliberate as I direct the department through practices designed to enhance competencies, build confidence, and encourage ethical behavior and innovation.

Beverage education and wine analysis are my areas of interest in both teaching and research. I find student development in beverage analysis fascinating; it takes technique, skill, and a keen attention to one's senses to evaluate wine properly, and after one semester, many students are prepared to take on the challenge of continuing their beverage education. Other teaching and research interests include the first-year student experience.

I am a proud member of Les Dames d'Escoffier New York (LDNY) and currently serve as First Vice President. LDNY is the premier international organization of women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality. I work to uphold the organization's mission, which is to advance and support aspiring professionals in food and beverage, as well as to champion critical industry issues.

As a well-established member of the hospitality industry, I was named by Total Food Service as a Top Woman in Metro New York Foodservice & Hospitality in 2019 and 2020, and I am a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators.

Find Prof. Goodlad on social media:

Instagram: ProfGoodvino

Facebook: Karen Goodlad

Linkedin: Karen Goodlad