Mike Rogers (holding the scissors) and his wife Lisa (wearing all orange) cut the ribbon on the newly renovated bar at the Wayne Hirst Center for Beverage Education.

Experiential opportunities await OSU students following bar renovations at the Wayne Hirst Center for Beverage Education

Friday, November 21, 2025

Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405-744-4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu

Thanks to a generous donation from Mike and Lisa Rogers, the Wayne Hirst Center for Beverage Education at Oklahoma State University received a substantial upgrade to its bar that will keep students in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the forefront of experiential education opportunities.

The upgrades include a new marble bar top, new equipment and beer taps from Stillwater-based breweries Iron Monk and Stonecloud Brewing Co. Also included in the Rogers’ donation were new chef uniforms for the HTM lab students.

“This renovation transforms our educational environment,” said Ashley Peterson, interim director of the Wayne Hirst Center for Beverage Education. “It allows us to take everything students learn in the classroom and bring it to life through hands-on, professional experiences that truly mirror the real industry.

“We are proud to partner with Trenton Inselman from Iron Monk and Matt Sullins from Stonecloud to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world. It’s a meaningful way for us to support local businesses while giving students authentic, relevant education and opening the door for future collaborations and experiential learning that strengthens our industry relationships.”

Since 2019, the Wayne Hirst Center for Beverage Education has been a part of the Spears School of Business, and it seeks to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the culture, history, production, consumption and societal impact of beverages. The center explores trends and challenges in the beverage world while providing students with an integrated, collaborative and interdisciplinary curriculum.

Founded in 1937, the OSU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in Spears Business has evolved into a business-focused academic program that educates students and conducts research for the food and beverage, lodging, event planning, and tourism management industries. According to ShanghaiRanking.com, the program currently ranks OSU No. 8 in the U.S. and No. 22 in the world among hospitality and tourism management programs.