Spears HTM duo brings home top honors from the ICHRIE Undergraduate Research Symposium
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405.744.4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu
Two students from Oklahoma State University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management earned top awards at the 2025 International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Eta Sigma Delta Undergraduate Research Symposium held Feb. 20-21 in Tampa, Florida.
Under the research mentorship of associate professor Dr. Willie Tao, senior Mikayla Herrera received the Best Paper Award for her research on authentic Native American tourism, while junior Emily Howe earned the Meritorious Award for her study on event inclusivity for attendees with disabilities. Their research highlights impactful topics in hospitality and tourism and reflects their dedication to academic excellence.
"I had an amazing experience presenting my research ‘Beyond the Stereotypes: Examining the Challenges and Opportunities for Authentic Native American Tourism’ at the ICHRIE Research Conference,” Herrera said. “It was a great opportunity to network and connect with both students and faculty. I highly encourage other students to get involved in incredible research programs like this one!"
Herrera and Howe stood out among competitors from leading programs at Pennsylvania State University, Texas A&M University, Michigan State University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The symposium was hosted by the University of Central Florida’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Muma College of Business. In addition to the competition, attendees heard from several guest speakers spanning the hospitality and tourism industry.
“I highly recommend participating in a research opportunity like this,” Howe said. “At the ICHRIE conference, I had a great time presenting my research ‘Enhancing Event Inclusivity: Applying Immersive Technology for People with Disabilities’ and I learned so much from other incredible presenters. Dr. Willie Tao was such a great mentor, and I am so thankful for the opportunity!”
Despite unexpected travel disruptions due to inclement weather, both students demonstrated resilience and professionalism, delivering outstanding presentations that earned recognition from peers and scholars.
Founded in 1937, the OSU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Spears School of 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. The program currently ranks OSU No. 8 in the U.S. and No. 22 in the world among hospitality and tourism management programs according to ShanghaiRanking.com.