Hospitality professor receives lifetime achievement award

As an educator in hospitality and tourism management, one of the highest honors one may earn is the Howard B. Meek Award – think lifetime achievement Oscar.

Michael Johnson (second from right), dean of Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, presented Rocco Angelo with the Meek Award at the ICHRIE conference. Pictured with them are ICHRIE President Susan Fournier (left) and ICHRIE Vice President Josette Katz.

FIU’s  Rocco Angelo, an FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Statler professor, received the award at the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) conference in Denver, Colo., in July. A member of the FIU family since 1974, Angelo was honored for his lifelong contribution to hospitality and tourism management education.

“It was rather overwhelming,” he said. “I was standing in front of an audience of about 500 educators from around the world.”

Angelo is an alumnus of Fordham, Cornell and UM. He says he was especially honored to receive the distinction from the council since he knew the late Howard Meek from his days at Cornell.

“He’s the one who convinced me to go to Cornell for my bachelor’s in the ’50s,” he said. “He steered me toward the right scholarships when I needed them and offered me guidance when I needed it as well, at and after school. He was an extraordinary man…very encouraging.”

“I can think of nobody finer to win this award than Rocco. It’s long overdue,” said Biscayne Bay Campus Vice Provost Steven Moll ’76, MS ’77. “I’ve known him since I came to FIU as a student in ’74 and he was starting as a faculty member. He feels strongly and is passionate about all of his universities, higher education and the hospitality industry. I am so proud of him.”

Although Angelo, a 1997 FIU Distinguished Service Award recipient and 2009 Torch Award winner, retired from full-time service about 13 years ago, he retains the title of associate dean of FIU’s SHTM. His colleagues, he said, will not let him vacate it. He remains an active educator and school ambassador and is a Lifetime Member of the FIU Alumni Association.

He still lectures occasionally and helps organize hospitality alumni receptions at national industry events, as well as encourage alumni to guest lecture and participate in the school’s outreach programs.