Harrah Hotel College Honors First Dean
When Jerry Vallen came to Las Vegas in 1967 to launch what would become the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, he tapped the resources of the local resort community. Part of his early strategy was to bring in visiting professionals to cross-pollinate the rigorous academic training with industry ideas.
The college hopes to continue that tradition by establishing an endowment for the Jerry Vallen Professorship to help recruit “professors-in-residence” for the college that Vallen served for two decades.
The endowment is a fitting tribute to the founding dean, who guided the program from its infancy to the forefront of hospitality education, says Stuart Mann, current dean of the college.
“The Vallen Professorship is intended to bring both industry executives and academic leaders to campus for short periods of time. While these folks are on campus, they will interact with students and faculty in private conversation as well as seminar settings,” explains Mann.
Several alumni, faculty, and members of Vallen's family have made cornerstone gifts in anticipation of the active fundraising that begins this spring as part of the Invent the Future campaign. At full maturity, the $250,000 endowment will provide $10,000 annually so industry professionals can bring their expertise to campus through guest lectures, workshops, and advisement.
“The dean created an environment in the Hotel College where, as students, we felt we were in a special place because we had access to every tool possible to facilitate our success,” says Paula Eylar '89 BS Hotel Administration, one of the funds' first donors. “We finished the program knowing that we were the very best graduates entering the hospitality industry.”
Vallen says that the visiting professor concept also helps the college build relationships with prospective employers who recruit from the Harrah Hotel College . As dean, he frequently saw the value of such relationship building.
Our visitors would return to where they came from and tell about the wonderful experiences at UNLV,” Vallen remembers. “They get a charge working with students, and carry that enthusiasm back to their jobs.”
