Rhoads Moves From HESC Staff to Hospitality Management Faculty Position

submitted

Suzanne Rhoads is teaching several classes in the hospitality management program and will work with students for SMASH (Students Mastering the Art of Southern Hospitality), the program's annual dining and networking fundraiser event.

Suzanne Rhoads, who has been a member of the School of Human Environmental Sciences staff since fall 2023, is joining the faculty as an instructor of hospitality management.

Rhoads joined the School of Human Environmental Sciences, which is housed in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, as student relations coordinator and adjunct instructor. In that role, she educated prospective students and families about the opportunities at the U of A, specifically within the school, and taught Foodservice Sanitation and Hospitality, Dietetics Management and Human Resources. 

"I am thrilled to teach the industry that has fueled my passion for over 30 years," Rhoads says. "The hospitality industry offers far more than just careers in restaurants and hotels — its opportunities are endless. I love sharing my experiences with students and their families, showing just how dynamic and ever-evolving this field truly is."

Rhoads has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, and is teaching Meeting and Event Management, Food Service Sanitation, and Hospitality, Dietetics Management and Human Resources classes this fall. She will also apply her event management skills to mentor students for SMASH (Students Mastering the Art of Southern Hospitality), the annual dining and networking fundraising event of the hospitality management program.

"Suzanne's passion for service and dedication to excellence promises to inspire and elevate the next generation of industry leaders," says Donna L. Graham, director of HESC. "She brings excitement to the classroom, sparking a curiosity that motivates students to learn."

She has worked as a managing partner, general manager and training manager for Chili's Grill & Bar (1996-06), which included several company awards; assistant director of beverage at the Wynn Las Vegas (2006-09), where responsibilities included interviewing, hiring, training and scheduling 300-plus beverage staff; manager of Tommy Bahama restaurant (2009-11), including managing $5 million in revenue; F&B centralized scheduling manager, multi-unit manager and beverage manager at Ameristar Casino Resort & Spa in St. Charles, Missouri (2011-14), where she managed the scheduling program and planned for departmental staffing and scheduling needs; as talent acquisition manager at River City Casino & Hotel in St. Louis, where she managed the entire interview process and developed candidate experience programs; and beverage manager at Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma, where she interviewed, hired, trained and scheduled 150-plus beverage staff and management, and improved customer experiences in several areas.

"I am incredibly excited to join the HESC family and contribute to shaping the future of hospitality management," Rhoads says. "It's a privilege to contribute to the education and growth of future leaders in the industry that I am so passionate about. I'm eager to collaborate and learn from my fellow hospitality program instructors, whose exceptional industry and teaching experience inspire me. I look forward to growing together as we shape the future of hospitality leadership."

Rhoads was an owner and partner of Goodwin Recruiting (2021-23) and is owner and operator of Rhoads Consulting Group since 2017.

With Goodwin Recruiting, she has sourced and attracted candidates, conducted interviews, and sourced and maintained clients through partnerships. With Rhoads Consulting Group, she has specialized in research-based training material development, created supporting materials for playbooks and manuals, and guided the development for leadership functions of managers and executives.

Rhoads will earn her Ph.D. in philosophy from Iowa State University in 2025 after earning a master's degree in hospitality management from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 2015 and a bachelor's in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Houston in 2006.

 About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.