This fall, we welcomed four new faculty to the CMHT Family: three of which are in the Hospitality, Event & Tourism Management Department (including an award-winning chef!) and one joins the Merchandising & Digital Retailing Department. We are delighted to introduce you to them.

Dr. Jonghan Hyun earned his Ph.D. in Retailing and Consumer Sciences from the University of Tennessee, an M.S. in Textile and Apparel Management from the University of Missouri, and a B.A. in Textile and Clothing from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. Before transitioning to academia, Dr. Hyun gained industry experience as an Assistant Merchandiser at Li & Fung Limited, a global leader in supply chain management. His research centers on the influence of ethnic culture on consumer behavior, sustainable consumption practices, and the application of theoretical frameworks within the fields of food and fashion retailing. His work has appeared in several highly regarded journals, including the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, and Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.

Dr. Hyun is enthusiastic about joining the UNT community and is particularly excited to be part of a college that uniquely combines both food and fashion disciplines, a combination that closely aligns with his research interests. He looks forward to collaborating with colleagues, students, and the broader UNT community in advancing academic excellence and fostering innovative research.

Dr. Yanyan Zheng currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hospitality, Event and Tourism Management at UNT. She holds an M.A. in East Asian Studies from St. John’s University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the University of Central Florida. Her research focuses on consumer psychological behavior, experience, well-being, and transformation in tourism and hospitality, particularly in cultural and aesthetic settings. She teaches event management, human resource management, and marketing in tourism and hospitality. Dr. Zheng speaks Chinese, English, and Japanese and has experience studying and working in these countries. With a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural background, Dr. Zheng explores the interaction between culture and tourism.

She tells us, “The most exciting part of working at UNT for me is the opportunity to collaborate with a group of highly intelligent colleagues and engage with motivated and dynamic students. UNT fosters an environment that encourages my passion for teaching and research to flourish. Here, I am inspired daily by the innovative minds around me and the enthusiasm of students eager to learn and grow.”

Dr. Yidan Huang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hospitality, Event and Tourism Management. Dr. Huang holds an M.S. in Hospitality and Food Systems from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. in Hospitality Management from Penn State. Her research focuses on employee well-being in tourism and hospitality, particularly how technology impacts employee well-being. She teaches Food and Beverage Management and Data Analytics. Dr. Huang has worked in the hospitality industry in both the U.S. and China.

When asked about working here at UNT, she says, "One of the most exciting aspects of working at UNT is the chance to engage with students from diverse backgrounds. This diversity presents both opportunities and challenges for a junior faculty member like me. I strive to incorporate examples from various cultural contexts to help my students understand the concepts. In turn, my students enrich my perspective, allowing me to view the world through a broader lens."

Our newest Senior Lecturer in the Hospitality, Event & Tourism Department, Chef Mark R. Schneider, CEC, CCE, AAC, WMCS was the 2008 Texas Chef of the Year and ACF 2016 Central Region Chef Educator of the Year.  He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Chefs and member of the Epicurean World Master Chef Society.  In 2014 he received the Texas NISOD Chancellor’s Award of Excellence for his previous work as State Department Chair at Texas State Technical College. He holds three bronze, five silver, and five gold ACF medals for culinary competitions along with the Bernard Urban CEC, AAC, HOF Judges Award for his competition work at the Ben E. Keith Culinary Competition in Ft. Worth Texas.  He recently competed internationally in Penang, Malaysia at Battle of Chefs where he earned a WACS silver medal for his work and is dedicated to go back this coming year to earn gold. 

Chef Schneider is heavily involved with the American Culinary Federation, Texas Chefs Association, and the Epicurean World Master Chef Society and sees both professionalism and mentorship as the foundation of a chefs career.  The Texas Chefs Association saw his start into professional fellowships in 1998.   He has served at every level of Leadership.  His roles have included being the Local Heart of Texas Director, State level 2nd Vice, 1st Vice President, Secretary / Treasurer, President, and Chairman of the Board.   He also served for 12 years as the TCA State Chair for ACF Certification where was able to mentor culinarians on their way to ACF Certification.  

His most recent induction was into the Epicurean World Master Chef Society.  This exclusive worldwide chef society only has 364 members worldwide and is invitation only for the EWMCS USA Chapter.   He was elected to the board to the Office of the Treasure and now currently serves as the chapter Vice President.  One of Chef most honored events was being a part of the Lone Star Culinary Team that was chosen to cook in New York at the James Beard House in 2019, where his role was the pastry chef duties and present a Texas themed Prickly Pear & White Chocolate Bavarian.  Chef’s Everyday Culinary Goal is to cook, create, and craft culinary creations that are second to none.  He believes no matter what he is cooking that his guest should feel that no one else is dining better than they are right now.  

"I am very excited to be working with the University's College of Merchandising, Hospitality, and Tourism to further the mentorship and development of our students.  I have already seen the success and work of the department with the professional nature and know-how of the student I have interacted with during our lunch service at the Gateway Club."  He recently was our Guest Chef as an introduction to the community where he brought the Taste of Texas with a Shiner Texas Braised Short Rib to rave reviews. He told us that the students are “incredible to work with.”