<p>Donna M. Kelly, PhD, is a clinical associate professor at the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, where she currently teaches <i>Customer Relationship Management and Loyalty, Event Marketing Strategies</i>, and <i>Tourism Planning &amp; Policy.&nbsp;</i></p> <p>As a Tisch Center alum, Dr. Kelly knows the ins and outs of the program and was thrilled to join us again as a professor. She is also a member of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) - New York Chapter, a member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP), and has been trained and certified as a tour guide trainer by the World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and HEART/NSTA Trust.&nbsp;</p> <p>Dr. Kelly joined us to discuss trends and changes impacting the meetings and events industry, her passion for teaching, and how she leverages her vast professional experience to empower students.</p>

<p>The constant advance of technology warrants a continuous evolution of meeting and event management, customer relations, and more. &quot;Because the world is now effectively a 'global village,' everything can be available, viewed, scrutinized, and even criticized in nanoseconds. Meeting professionals and event organizers must put their best foot forward every time. This pushes meetings and event practitioners to be accountable and to make excellence a hallmark of their executions,&quot; Kelly reflects.</p> <p>According to Dr. Kelly, we must also consider the cataclysmic shift in the industry post-pandemic. She says, &quot;How we conducted business had to be reimagined at great speed, with immense creativity, to ensure the survival of the meeting and event sectors.&quot;</p> <p>With these changes in the field, Dr. Kelly emphasizes the necessity of utilizing the Tisch Center's resources. &quot;The Tisch Center of Hospitality is highly resourced, providing innovation labs, demonstrative tools, and technologies that augment student learning and engagement. Thus, our curriculum, faculty, and facilities make the Center uniquely equipped to address changes and trends within the hospitality and tourism field,&quot; she adds.</p> <p>Applied learning methodologies are at the forefront of the BS in Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism Management program, working to connect complex theories to real-world situations and ensuring students have the ability to test their understanding in a safe learning space. Additionally, the center's close ties to industry partners provide invaluable experiential learning, such as their work with Sophisticated Weddings for New York Bridal Fashion Week (NYBFW).</p> <p>For students who thrive in a less formal environment, co-curricular groups, such as the Tourism and Travel Research Collaboratory (TTRC), and student-led groups, such as the Hospitality, Tourism &amp; Events Society (HTES), offer a space to discuss topical issues relevant to the HTE sector.</p>

<p>As Dr. Kelly's career has taken her across the globe, she has gained valuable insight from various global stakeholders. She brings her experiences to the classroom to offer students a global perspective. &quot;I often include stories from my real-life experiences in my lectures, and my students say they find these anecdotes to be powerful teaching tools,&quot; she reflects.</p> <p>One of Dr. Kelly's strengths as a professor is crafting class assignments that apply to the real world, allowing students to grasp complex theories and concepts. &quot;I also learn from my students, who come from diverse ethnic, academic, and professional backgrounds—I often say in class that we are the United Nations!,&quot; she adds.</p> <p>There's nowhere else that Dr. Kelly would rather be imparting her wisdom than at NYU SPS, and she says that having &quot;an academic qualification from a leading top-tier university such as NYU, specifically the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, is game-changing.&quot; But what makes Tisch special, exactly?</p>

<p>As an alumna of the Center, she can vouch for the quality of the education and the opportunities that NYU SPS has created for me. &quot;Anyone who decides to pursue a degree program with us will not regret that decision,&quot; she adds.</p> <p>Are you ready to see where a <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/bs-in-hotel-and-tourism-management.html" title="BS in Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism Management">BS in Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism Management</a> at NYU SPS can take you?</p>