Six undergraduate students from Missouri State University’s 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.

 

Dr. Albert Barreda, assistant professor and faculty mentor in the hospitality and restaurant administration department noted, “We are proud of our students’ performance on the CHIA examination. 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”.

 

The HRA department is continually seeking ways to provide students with exceptional learning tools. According to Dr. Stephanie Hein, head of the hospitality and restaurant administration department, “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. We are proud of our students’ commitment to successfully complete the CHIA process”.

 

Students receiving CHIA credentials include:

 

• Andrew Crocker, a senior completing a bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in lodging.
• Tanner Dennis, a senior completing a bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in food and beverage.
• Jialiang Li, a senior completing a bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in food and beverage.
• Rebecca Rice, a senior completing a bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in tourism.
• Mitchell Warmbold, a senior completing a bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in lodging.
• Peng Xu, a senior completing a bachelor of science in hospitality and restaurant administration with an emphasis in general operations.

 

The CHIA program is offered through a joint effort between the American Hotel & 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 including a) hotel industry analytical foundations, b) hotel math fundamentals-the metrics used by the hotel industry, c) property level benchmarking, and d) hotel industry performance reports.