FIU Instructor/Alumna Receives Top Travel and Tourism Honor

MIAMI, Fla. (May 10, 2001) - Cheryl Carter, Florida International University instructor and coordinator of the Travel and Tourism Management Program in the School of Hospitality Management, has received the Tourism Professional of the Year Award. Given by the Miami-based Academy of Travel and Tourism Advisory Committee, the award honors industry leaders for their long-term commitment to the South Florida tourism community, industry and education.

"Cheryl has an exemplary record in the tourism industry," said FIU Hospitality Management Associate Dean Lee Dickson. "Her hard work, knowledge and dedication are indicative of the caliber of the professionals who lead our program."

Carter, who holds both a bachelor's degree in Travel Services Management and a master's degree in Parks and Recreation Administration from FIU, is a seasoned industry professional. She brings more than 20 years of industry management experience to her classroom.

She previously managed a travel agency in Colorado and served as national sales manager for SeaEscape Cruises. Locally, she has worked with the Marriott Corporation in both the hotel and in-flight catering divisions, with the Florida Restaurant Association as meeting and seminar management coordinator and with Super Bowl XXIX as restaurant program coordinator for South Florida.

Carter is currently authoring a textbook titled "Behind the Scenes: Blueprint for the Modern Cruise Line Industry."

For more information on FIU's School of Hospitality Management call 305-919-4500 or visit www.fiu.edu/~hospman.

The FIU School of Hospitality Management has become recognized by industry leaders as one of the nation's top-rated hospitality management programs. Located at the FIU-Biscayne Bay in North Miami, the school has an enrollment of approximately 900.

Media contacts: Aileen Izquierdo 305-348-6999.