Six undergraduate students from the hospitality and restaurant administration (HRA) department successfully completed the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) examination. CHIA credentials indicate the ability to assess several forms of hotel industry data and to formulate analytical implications on the hotel marketplace. Additionally, HRA students completing the CHIA process demonstrate the ability to evaluate the market dynamics of multiple hotel sectors.
“We are proud of our students’ performance on the CHIA examination,” said Dr. Albert Barreda, assistant professor and faculty mentor in the HRA department. “The preparation needed to complete the examination is intense and demanding. This certification presents a great opportunity for our students at Missouri State University to be more competitive in the job market and hones their ability to effectively analyze the lodging sector.”
Students receiving CHIA credentials include:
- Andrew Crocker – senior, bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in lodging
- Tanner Dennis – senior, bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in food and beverage
- Jialiang Li – senior, bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in food and beverage
- Rebecca Rice – senior, bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in tourism
- Mitchell Warmbold – senior, bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in lodging
- Peng Xu – senior, bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in general operations
The HRA department is continually seeking ways to provide students with exceptional learning tools.
“Providing opportunities for our students to receive industry recognized credentials, such as the CHIA, is just one way our department works to advance hospitality education,” said Dr. Stephanie Hein, head of the HRA department. “We are proud of our students’ commitment to successfully complete the CHIA process.”
The CHIA program is offered through a joint effort between the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AH&LEI), the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) and Smith Travel Research (STR). CHIA candidates must successfully complete four modules: hotel industry analytical foundations, hotel math fundamentals, property level benchmarking and hotel industry performance reports.