Jha receives hospitality teaching award

08 Aug 2018    

In recognition of his contributions to hospitality education, Dipra Jha, associate professor of practice in Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management, has received the John Wiley & Sons Innovation in Teaching Award from the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (ICHRIE). The prestigious award was conferred during the ICHRIE annual conference in Palm Springs, California on July 27. The conference is the largest professional gathering of hospitality educators, researchers and industry partners from around the world.

“Dipra is an outstanding and innovative instructor who is globally engaged,” said Anders Justenlund, president of EuroCHRIE and associate professor, University College of Northern Denmark. “He has taken experiential learning to a new level by establishing programs and partnerships around the world and his work is the very essence of what ICHRIE stands for, when it comes to high-quality teaching.”

Jha is widely recognized as an expert is luxury hospitality and tourism strategy. He frequently collaborates with communities, government entities and private sector organizations in the United States and overseas on training and outreach projects and brings that knowledge back into the classroom. Within Nebraska, he has worked with the Nebraska Tourism Commission, the Center for Rural Affairs, Nebraska Association of Bed and Breakfast and communities such as Columbus and Nebraska City. His international collaborations include the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Dubai-based Jumeirah Group, and Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, one of the best known luxury brands in the world.

At Nebraska, Jha teaches courses in lodging operations, guest services management and business planning. He is a recipient of multiple awards from the university including the CEHS Outstanding Teaching Award in 2016 and the University Distinguished Teaching Award in 2017. Jha is also part of Nebraska’s Stevens Initiative faculty cohort. The Stevens Initiative is an international effort to build career and global competencies for young people in the United States, Middle East and North Africa by growing and enhancing the field of virtual exchange. It is supported by the U.S. Department of State and the Bezos Family Foundation. Jha will be teaching a COIL (collaborative online international learning) course this fall in which students from Oman and the United Arab Emirates will join their Nebraska peers via distance learning.

“The John Wiley & Sons award recognizes outstanding teaching in tourism and hospitality and I am delighted to see Dipra receiving it this year,” said Nick Thomas, director and associate professor, School of Hospitality Leadership at DePaul University in Chicago. “I look forward to following Dipra’s continued contributions to our academy.”

 Tourism is Nebraska's third largest earner of revenue from outside the state after agriculture and manufacturing; bringing in excess of $4.9 billion annually and supporting 47,449 jobs. According to the U.S. Travel Association, tax revenues generated by domestic and international travelers in Nebraska in 2016 totaled over $731.5 million. Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management is one of the fastest growing majors at Nebraska and resides jointly in the College of Education and Human Sciences and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Students have the opportunity to choose among several emphasis areas within the major: club management, event planning, food and beverage, human resources, lodging and tourism.