RHTM - Key Persons
Biography
Andrew White has had 40 years in the Restaurant / Hospitality industry as a Chef / Food Service Director working in casual dining, resort, hospital, independent/assisted living, high school, country club, in Ontario Canada, North Carolina and Knoxville. Enjoys working with food, has prepared meals for groups over 1,000 people. Started working for UT at the Culinary Institute on Feb. 2022 and is actively involved in the FOOD4VOLS program on campus, where food is harvested on campus and made into to meals for students and faculty available at the BIG ORANGE PANTRY at not cost. The remainder of food collected is donated to Local non profits to help the local community.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Support Staff
Job Titles:
- Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Team
- Senior Coordinator
- Senior Coordinator / Retail and Merchandising Management
Job Titles:
- Vice President, ECommerce
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Team
Job Titles:
- Branch General Manager / Safety
Job Titles:
- Department Head, Professor
- Professor and the Department Head
Dr. Junehee Kwon is a professor and the Department Head for Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). She joined the UTK in August 2022. Previously, Junehee was a professor and graduate program director in the Department of Hospitality Management at Kansas State University and an assistant/associate professor and the director of the didactic program in dietetics in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Texas Woman's University. She was conferred Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition in 1991 from Seoul National University, Korea, and Master's and PhD degrees in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management from Iowa State University in 1995 and 1999, respectively.
Job Titles:
- Career Cluster Consultant
Job Titles:
- Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Team
- Clinical Assistant Professor
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Merchandising, Retired
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Team
Job Titles:
- Customer Service Research
Job Titles:
- Practice & Associate Department Head of Academic Affairs
- RMM Internship Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Team
Biography
Kai-Sean Lee is an assistant professor who previously pursued a career in pastry, culinary, and specialty coffee. His research interests lie in the intersection among aesthetics, gastronomy, and culinary narratives. Known primarily as a qualitative methodologist, Kai-Sean specializes in interpretivist and impressionist qualitative methodologies including autoethnography, narrative inquiries, conceptual inquiry, and non-positivist research designs. He is also an adamant advocate for "slow scholarship" which stresses for a more deliberate and immersive orientation to research, thinking, and learning.
As a teacher, Kai-Sean enjoys teaching culinary fundamentals, principles of baking and pastry, gastronomy, and beverage studies. His teaching philosophy draws heavily on a pedagogy of care, which prioritizes human empathy and a safe learning environment. Students in Kai-Sean's classroom can expect to learn a lot about themselves, their classmates, and the many nuances that sustain them. Most importantly, Kai-Sean is profoundly known as someone who knows a lot about nothing, and nothing about a lot of things. He too, looks forward to growing with you amid this journey.
On a fun note, Kai-Sean identifies as a (wh)ine enthusiast, meaning he loves to drink wine and whine about life.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Specialist II
- Graduate Secretary
Biography
Assists current and prospective Retail and Hospitality and Tourism Management graduate students with finishing applications, HR functions, comprehensive exams, office and GTA assignments. Manage reservations and payments for Ready for the World Café and other cooking classes offered. Take all in coming payments and make deposits accordingly. Marcia has been with the University for 23 years, her accomplishments within the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences include:
Job Titles:
- Customs Operations Manager
Job Titles:
- Director of Graduate Studies
Job Titles:
- Practice and Rocky Top Institute Director
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Marketing
Job Titles:
- Regional Vice President, Operations
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Team
Job Titles:
- Director of Lynchburg Homeplace
Job Titles:
- Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Team
- Assistant Professor of Practice and Director of the Culinary Institute
- Practice and Director of the Culinary Institute
Biography
Tyler White is an Alumni of the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and has been teaching at the UT Culinary Institute since graduating with his masters in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management in 2010. His industry experience includes working and managing numerous kitchens in private clubs, hotels, resorts, and restaurants in North Carolina and Tennessee. White serves as the State of Tennessee's ProStart Lead judge, and serves on multiple educational boards that oversee culinary arts training in the state. White created the food4VOLS program that he created to reduce food waste and food insecurity on UTK campus, and currently teaches multiple culinary classes, oversees the UT Culinary Club, and is the official caterer of the UT Chancellors Tailgate at football games.
Education
M.S. - The University of Tennessee in Retail Hospitality and Tourism
B.S. - Western Carolina University in Hospitality Management
Job Titles:
- Director, Revenue Systems Training / Learning & Delivery
Job Titles:
- Member of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Team
- Professor