Fred DeMicco, currently associate director of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Recreation Management at Pennsylvania State University, will become chairperson of the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, effective Jan. 1, 2001, replacing Paul Wise, who established the program in 1988 and announced his retirement this year.

DeMicco holds a doctorate in hotel, restaurant and institutional management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His research spans the life cycle from children to older employees and mature customers in the hospitality industry, and he also focuses on management solutions to labor and food issues in hospitality.

"The HRIM program at UD is poised to be a leader in several prominent areas, including hospitality information technology, distance learning, global lodging and food service leadership," DeMicco said. "The faculty are outstanding, and with their focus, commitment and dedication to be world class, we can be a major contributor to the hospitality and tourism world stage.

"UD also is geographically situated on the 'backbone of hospitality management,' located near major hospitality management companies, including Marriott International in Washington, D.C., and Aramark in Philadelphia, plus two major hospitality technology firms, Micros and Cyntergy in Maryland. Present and future relationships with these companies will lead to research opportunities and internships for students and faculty.

"Under Paul Wise's leadership the HRIM program is outstanding, and I am looking forward to working with faculty, staff and students to achieve our goal of excellence," DeMicco added.

A member of the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (CHRIE), DeMicco founded the organization's special interest section on institutional/contract food service management.

He currently chairs the Research Committee for the American School Food Service Association and is a member of the Society for Food Service Management.

He serves on the editorial boards of the Hospitality Research Journal and other journals. The author of more than 75 articles in the field of hospitality, DeMicco is ranked 13th among the 119 most cited international hospitality faculty from 1989-1996 and is tied for seventh place for most cited research works. He is the coauthor with James Keiser and Robert N. Grimes of a textbook, Contemporary Management Theory: Controlling and Analyzing Costs in Foodservice Operations, which is used at approximately 100 CHRIE-affiliated universities and has been translated into Japanese.

DeMicco has taught and conducted research in Europe, Scandinavia and the Caribbean, as well as on cruise ships.

–Sue Moncure