Hospitality and Tourism Management- Purdue University Northwest

05/31/2026

More from PNW 10th Anniversary Gala 😍

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) celebrated 10 years of transformative education,accomplishments and community impact with a gala at Hard Rock Casino NorthernIndiana on Friday, May 29. The gala served the dual purpose of recognizing the livesPurdue Northwest has changed over the past decade, as wel...

05/30/2026

🌟Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence at Purdue University Northwest 🌟

Last evening, Our PNW community gathered to mark a landmark occasion--the 10th Anniversary of Purdue University Northwest--a milestone that reflects a decade of academic achievement, community partnership, and transformative student success.

A highlight of the evening was the induction of Deno Yiankes, HTM'88, into the PNW Alumni Hall of Fame. As a proud alumnus of our Hospitality & Tourism Management program, Deno exemplifies the dedication, talent, and character that define the PNW spirit. His recognition is well-deserved, and we are honored to celebrate his outstanding contributions.

The evening was made even more special by the incredible community of friends, faculty, alumni and supporters who filled the room...people who have helped shape PNW into the institution it is today!

05/29/2026

🎈MAY BIRTHDAYS--THIS ONE'S FOR YOU🎈

Students │Alumni │Community Partners │Supporters

If May is your month, we see you and we're celebrating you TODAY! 🎂

From the beginning of the month to the very last day--every single one of you born in May deserves to feel the love from this incredible community.

👇Comment your birthday below and let's make some noise for our May crew

05/28/2026

We took a few days off. But today? We had no choice. Because today is his birthday -- and you literally cannot have fun without Hennessy 🍪

HTM'26 Digital Yearbook, Grad #16. Meet John Vincent Hennessy IV--Cape Coral native, COB Spring 2026 Student of the Year, cookie baker, gym rat, karaoke headliner, brutal one-liner machine, Italy Study Abroad Alumni, and the only person in recorded history to advertise a study abroad trip by taping flyers all over his body and walking around campus on crutches with a busted knee. Nobody asked him to do this. That's the point!

He came to HTM by referral. He arrived with a crowd. he baked cookies before class and hit the gym after. His personal brand is 5'6" and fully justified. His most used phrase is "Thank you." His toxic trait is a one-liner so fast you did not see it coming. His meme is SpongeBob saying "Oh Brother This Guy Stinks!" — which, given the man's résumé, is deeply funny.

He won Student of the Year. He's quoting Robert Frost about friendship. He has a dream job in financial and data analytics for HTM operations. He is Karaoke Man: The Musical and also somehow a scholar. He contains multitudes. He always did.

HTM'26 walks with you, John. Cape Coral raised you. We just got to witness it. Happy Birthday 🥳 and Congrats! 🎓




Say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to John in the comments! Drop a 🍪if he's ever made you laugh, fed you a cookie, or one-linered you into the ground. Today we celebrate. 👇

05/20/2026

HTM'26 Digital Yearbook--Grad #15. Same energy in. Same energy out. Better Cologne by graduation 👔

Meet Connor Stone--Dyer native, 80's music trivia legend, collector of 40+ high-end colognes, and the man who turned a capstone restaurant simulation into a full Excel projection model covering every possible price increase in $0.25 increments because he wanted to know all the outcomes. For FUN! Because that's just Connor.

Don't let the personality fool you. He walks in unfiltered, full energy, sharing cologne with the whole class — and the second it's time to get serious, he pivots without warning and runs the room. Kitchen line. Boardroom. Doesn't matter. He calls it the Instant Pivot. We call it unfair.

His senior year meme is Everything is Fine — but he's perfectly tailored, mathematically cologned, and the vanilla notes are optimized for room temperature while everything burns behind him. He is fine. He will always be fine.

He survived a cruise, conquered every roller coaster at Universal, outlasted Manager Week on no sleep, and never once left the house before the cologne ratio was mathematically perfect. Dyer, Indiana — your guy is walking. 🎓




Drop a 👔for Connor! if he ever shared a cologne with you, named a fragrance you'd never heard of, or you were there when he pulled out that simulation spreadsheet--the comments are open. 👇

05/18/2026

HTM'26 Digital Yearbook--Grad #14. Ask Cooper. The answer is always yes! 🌍

Meet Cooper Deabel--HTM's most willing volunteer, two-time cruise class alumni, Italy Agriturismo veteran, HTM Club leader, tap dancer on request, and the only person in the history of international travel to get held up in Immigration for having too many passports. The Passport Incident. If you know, you know...

He took full course loads and still ran the HTM Club. He worked odd kitchen hours and still showed up for the Spoon. He made hundreds of mini waffles with a single waffle maker and did not quit. Someone told him he might like a data management class--he took it. Someone asked if he could tap dance--apparently yes to that too 🕺

His Hospitality Superpower is making memorable connections. His most used phrase is "I'm living the Dream." His soundtrack is Stevie Wonder. And his dream job--crafting experiences that make a memorable impact on people--is something he's been quietly building toward with every single yes he's ever said.

"Ginger???" is his friends one word. Four question marks included. We kept them all.

Cooper, the world is your itinerary. Go live it! 🎓




Drop a 🌍 for Cooper! And if you were there for The Passport Incident, the waffles, the tap dance, OR if he every said yes when you needed him--the comments are yours. 👇

05/17/2026

HTM'26 Digital Yearbook--Grad #13. He doesn't say much. He doesn't need to. The soup speaks for itself! 🍲

Meet Matt Szabo--St. John's finest, HTM Kitchen Master, and the man who became the unofficial rescuer of every lab course: you need it done, you give it to Matt. Bread? Matt. Lamb? Matt. Veggies? Also Matt. Three tasks while everyone else had one? Still Matt. Still go-with-the-flow. Still "Bro."

His Hospitality Superpower? Soup. He wrote it without hesitation. And then--just once, with full confidence and zero apology--he looked at the room and said: "People don't need to adjust seasoning for the soup I made." 😂

He procrastinates EVERYTHING, except in that kitchen. In HTM kitchen, he is someone else entirely--focused, precise, legendary. Three of Dr. Bauman's classes in one day nearly ended him. The 492 Dinner Labs gave him his greatest memories. And what will he miss most? Cooking with his classmates.

Kitchen Management is calling. It already knows your name, Matt. Go get it! 🎓




Drop a 🍲for Matt! And if you ever tasted his soup or if you were one of the people who handed him a third task, speak up in the comments. 👇

05/16/2026

HTM'26 Digital Yearbook--Grad #12. She's from Chicago, kept us entertained, on our toes, and occasionally wondering how she was functioning before sunrise. 🎤

Meet Jenna Zivat. If there’s one thing everyone in HTM knew about Jenna, it’s this: she is NOT a morning person. So when it came time for HTM 291 lab — meaning showing up before 7 AM — there was definitely some concern from all of us. But Jenna surprised everyone and made it a priority to be there every single time. Whether she arrived at 100% energy or running purely on caffeine and determination… she showed up.

Jenna is a hard worker who knows how to step up when needed and take charge of the situation. She brings personality, humor, and confidence into every space she enters, making guests feel comfortable while still getting the job done.

Jenna hopes to work with Live Nation as a Production Runner and in Operations — and honestly, that high-energy environment sounds perfect for her! Jenna's toxic trait is Procrastinating. And she will never recovered from all "beverages" she consumed during her college years! Congratulations, Jenna! 🎓




Drop a 🎤for Jenna. If you've ever ran in at 6:59 am to HTM 291 lab like Jenna, you know what to do in the comments 👇

05/16/2026

HTM Study Away Educational Cruise experienced one of the Seven Wonders of the World--Chichén Itzá, Yucatán Peninsula


PNW Study Away