Center Stage is a dynamic hub where students, faculty, and industry professionals can share insights, experiences, and creative ideas. This versatile venue will allow students to produce live events, simulate trade shows and engage in various activities. It provides a platform to showcase the exceptional talent fostered within Rosen College鈥檚 globally recognized programs, including the entertainment management and event management degree programs.

“Center Stage is more than a venue 鈥� it’s a launchpad for student innovation,鈥� Dean Cynthia Mejia says. “It is an exciting addition to our learning environment, giving students yet another opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-world yet experiential settings.鈥�

Rosen College is proud to collaborate with leading industry sponsors for Center Stage:

• BeMatrix: Headquartered in Belgium, BeMatrix operates worldwide and is a global expert in modular systems for event displays.
• ETP (Entertainment Technology Partners): Headquartered in Orlando, ETP is a global multi-brand entertainment technology company.
• LMG: Also based in Orlando, LMG is a full-service audiovisual provider known for creating stunning live experiences through cutting-edge technologies.
• Freeman: A global leader in event production and logistics, Freeman specializes in designing and executing trade shows, conferences and experiential marketing events.
• Cort: A nationwide leader in furniture rental, offering high-quality furniture solutions for event spaces, office environments and temporary housing.

Center Stage will debut during the Spring 2025 semester with a variety of student-led events, showcasing the exceptional skills developed through Rosen College鈥檚 hands-on programs. Open for booking by students and faculty across all degrees, Center Stage exemplifies Rosen College鈥檚 mission to provide innovative, experience-driven education that equips students to lead the industry.

In addition to fostering creativity and collaboration, BeMatrix will equip students with access to advanced CAD (computer-aided design) technology, enabling them to design trade show layouts, stage setups and other event plans 鈥� valuable technical skills in high demand across the workforce. This new venue will complement other academic spaces like the Darden Auditorium, Walt Disney World Dining Room, Universal Orlando Foundation Library, and Anheuser-Busch Beer & Wine Lab, providing students with more opportunities to engage in production simulations, class projects, workshops and student-led events. Sponsored by leading industry partners, these spaces mirror real-world environments, offering students invaluable exposure to sector-specific practices.

Mejia has led the Rosen College in an interim role since October 2023 and has done an exceptional job supporting students, faculty and staff while also fostering industry partnerships that will help the college have an even greater impact in the community and on the hospitality management profession.

A former department chair, dean Mejia is well-known to the Rosen community, which she joined as a faculty member in 2013, bringing with her 20 years of industry experience in food and beverage and hotel operations management.

She received her doctorate in hospitality administration from Texas Tech University, a master鈥檚 degree in hospitality management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biochemistry from California Polytechnic State University. In addition to this academic training, Mejia is also a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

I am grateful to all members of the university community who participated in the search process, which was led by Dean Grant Hayes from the College of Community Innovation and Education.

Please join me in congratulating dean Mejia and wishing the Rosen College 鈥� named the nation鈥檚 No. 1 hospitality program by ShanghaiRanking 鈥� continued success.

鈥淩osen has a long history of continuous growth and established success because of teaching and research thought leadership in the hospitality and tourism discipline,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 am excited for the opportunity to serve the faculty, staff, and students of 麻豆原创 Rosen College as we continue in our evolution.”

Mejia joined Rosen College as an assistant professor in the Department of Foodservice and Lodging Management in 2013, bringing engaging teaching methods and robust course offerings to prepare students for success in the industry.

Appointed interim chair and associate professor of the department in 2019, Mejia already has the experience and acumen needed for her newrole.

鈥淚nterim dean Mejia brings great enthusiasm about the hospitality industry to our college,鈥� Associate Professor of Foodservice and Lodging Management Tammie Kaufman says. 鈥淪he has been very proactive in developing relationships within the community and was a dynamic leader as chair of the FLM department.鈥�

Mejia says her top priority as interim dean is to maintain Rosen鈥檚 excellence in teaching, research and service while stewarding the institution through the permanent dean search. She also aims to foster industry partnerships that contribute to the college鈥檚 success, and to lead through service.

鈥淚 am a participatory leader, and I believe in a service posture,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e have a short time on this earth to do good things [and] be of service to others.鈥�

Meija holds an undergraduate degree in biochemistry (California Polytechnic State University), a master鈥檚 in hospitality management (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and a doctorate in hospitality administration (Texas Tech University). Beyond her academic training, her experience across roles in hotel and food and beverage operations translates to her new role, she says.

鈥淭he focus was on the workers, our 鈥榠nternal customers.鈥� 鈥� Mejia says. 鈥淲e needed to make sure that our internal customers were engaged so that we could serve our external customers. I think my operations background translates to serving our faculty and staff so they are engaged and can better serve our students.鈥�

A Vision for the Future

As she embarks on her new leadership role, Mejia’s passion for education, people and excellence shines through, offering an inspiring vision for the future of Rosen College.

In addition to being an educator, Mejia鈥檚 research areas are influenced by her extensive industry experience, including hospitality human resources, technology adoption, cross-cultural management, well-being and organizational behavior. She also conducts scholarship of teaching and learning research to explore the best uses of technology in teaching, advancing the field of pedagogy within hospitality.

鈥淪he鈥檚 a catalyst for innovative initiatives that involve our faculty, staff and industry partners to increase enrollment in our degree programs that create a pipeline of talent for our industry,鈥� says Genyth Travis, senior assistant director for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Rosen College.

Despite a misconception about the hospitality industry only offering low-level jobs, Mejia says the industry is among the largest industries in the world based on gross domestic product.

鈥淲e have amazing jobs in technology, engineering, finance, and supply chain, for example,鈥� Mejia says. 鈥淭hese are lucrative jobs at a high level.”

To help students inspire students to pursue advanced studies and a career in hospitality, Mejia shares her industry knowledge at engagement events at local high schools and community gatherings.

鈥淩osen College is in good hands with Dr. Mejia,鈥� chef and senior instructor Jonathan 鈥淛ay鈥� Judy says. 鈥淪he is a consummate professional educator, she is smart, thorough and very dedicated. She truly cares about her students and their outcomes. I鈥檝e learned a lot working with her over the last 10 years.鈥�

Mejia鈥檚 contributions to Rosen College go beyond the classroom, and even borders. Her activities include editorial roles in academic journals and committee memberships for several prestigious organizations, such as the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Technology and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education.

鈥淒r. Mejia is the colleague that one dreams of. We are honored to have her leadership acumen to guide us,鈥� Associate Professor Denver Severs says. “She embodies the 麻豆原创 Rosen College three pillars of service, professionalism, and leadership.鈥�

She鈥檚 co-chaired events and been involved in leadership forums, reflecting her commitment to the broader academic community. In Summer 2017, she co-instructed the first Rosen College study abroad program to China, introducing students to the food and societies of Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou and Xi鈥檃n.

鈥淐ynthia has proven to her colleagues over and over again that her DNA is made from determination, industry experience and a global mindset,鈥� senior instructor Michael 鈥淒oc鈥� Terry says. 鈥淗er leadership skill set includes a blend of seriousness, sense of humor, intelligence, trust and integrity.鈥�

Pizza Pitt Stop currently serves customers across Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida. Among its signature offerings is the Talladega, Pittman鈥檚 personal favorite, which has a聽green flag sauce,聽combining the flavors of Alfredo and pesto with chicken and bacon.

鈥淓ver since I was a kid, I have always wanted to have my own restaurant,鈥� says 21-year-old Pittman. 鈥淚t wasn’t until a few years ago that my mind moved from a traditional brick-and-mortar to a food truck. I just saw a lot of fun opportunities for a situation where every day at work was unique and would never get stale.鈥�

To turn his dream into a reality, Pittman earned his bachelor鈥檚 in restaurant and foodservice management from 麻豆原创 Rosen College of Hospitality Management in May 2022. While at the college, he quickly completed his general education classes to concentrate on his primary goal: learning about the food and beverage industry. He completed his degree in three years.

鈥淢y favorite class was Foodservice Operations, where we were in charge of our own pop-up food event on campus for our peers and professors to participate in,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y group developed a pop-up event entirely based around dumplings, where we would use dumplings as a fun and unique vessel for other foods like chicken parmesan.鈥�

鈥淚t was great to be able to talk to someone in the industry that could provide a聽professional yet personal discussion about the idea of putting together a food truck.鈥澛犫�� Dylan Pittman 鈥�22, 麻豆原创 alum

It was during that class that Pittman connected with chef Jay Judy, a senior instructor in the Department of Foodservice and Lodging Management. Judy turned out to be a great mentor for Pittman and his pizza food truck business.

鈥淐hef Jay Judy did a great job supporting our ideas and is just a good聽leader. I was always able to come to him with questions and ideas,鈥� Pittman says. 鈥淚 took this class in the last semester of my senior year, so I was really starting to make moves with the truck.鈥�

Pittman considered a few different cuisines to build a food truck around, but realized pizza just made sense.

鈥淎fter the food was set, I moved onto the name to really nail the type of pizza concept I was going for. I wanted to include my family’s name in the truck, but it was a brainstorming session with my two dorm roommates, Tommy and Tyler, that spawned the name Pizza Pitt Stop.鈥�

In addition to Judy, Pittman also had mentorship guidance through Global Leadership Enhancement and Mentorship (GLEAM), a nonprofit volunteer network providing mentorship and leadership development to communities in need in the restaurant and foodservice industry.聽Associate Professor Cynthia Mejia was chair of the Department of Foodservice and Lodging Management when Pittman was a mentee in the GLEAM program.

Mejia says students in the GLEAM program identify their 鈥渙ne big thing鈥� they would like to work on under the guidance of an industry mentor. Students spend four months working on their project, and present different aspects of their project to their cohort.

鈥淒ylan’s 鈥榦ne big thing鈥� was to open a food truck. He was really passionate and professional about achieving his goal, and I remember the seriousness with which he approached the weekly task,鈥� Mejia says. 鈥淎nd he did it in real life! I’m so proud of him, and really inspired by him.鈥�

For someone as young as Pittman to achieve his goals as an entrepreneur may seem unusual, however Mejia says she noticed a particular spark in him.

鈥淏eing an entrepreneur has a good amount of risk involved. I’m not sure to the extent that most people, let alone recent graduates, have the tolerance for risk,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen you talk with Dylan, he exudes a quiet confidence, yet an openness to do what needs to be done.鈥�

While Pittman is committed to his pizza food truck, he knows the road will not always be smooth.

鈥淚’ve definitely faced challenges throughout the truck build-out process, and I’m sure there will be more challenges now that the truck is open,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I can’t hope to make this a meaningful venture if I’m not prepared to face those challenges head-on. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.鈥�

鈥淢y goals for the business now and forever will be to provide a good, quality product with excellent service. Pizza shouldn’t be complicated, and my business won’t be either.鈥澛犫�� Dylan Pittman 鈥�22, 麻豆原创 alum

Pittman has an encouraging partner in his pizza entrepreneurship business. Emily Davis 鈥�22, who is also a 麻豆原创 Rosen College graduate, has been by his side while also managing her own business, Lemonly鈥檚 Bakery.

鈥淚ronically, I am actually dairy-free,鈥� says 22-year-old Davis, 鈥渂ut Pizza Pitt Stop has vegan cheese on the menu. My favorite pizza is the Daytona, which is a barbecue brisket pizza. Dylan actually smokes his own brisket.鈥�

Davis鈥� skills as a baker and digital marketer were noticed by Mejia and other faculty during her time as a student at Rosen College.

鈥淲e learned that [Emily] ran a baking business, and this was particularly impressive during the pandemic,鈥� says Mejia. 鈥淪he has excellent social media and marketing skills and built a following. We found her story uplifting and inspiring, and wanted to share her achievements during the early part of the pandemic to inspire fellow Rosen College students, faculty, and staff.鈥�

Davis plans to use her digital marketing skills to boost Pizza Pitt Stop鈥檚 profile, and like Pittman, has a five-year plan.

鈥淚 plan to continue helping with the branding, social media and digital media aspects of Pizza Pitt Stop. Also, in five years I hope there are plans聽to build on what we’ve established. Dylan has some great ideas, and I can’t wait to see what happens,鈥� Davis says.

Genyth Travis, senior assistant director of 麻豆原创 Undergraduate Admissions and adjunct instructor for strategies for student success, taught Pittman when he was a freshman. She saw his determination to unleash his potential even then.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how many of our graduates open their own business in less than a year after graduation, but it doesn鈥檛 surprise me that Dylan surrounded himself with people and resources to make his dream a reality,鈥� says Travis. 鈥淚 know he credits the classes and Rosen College for their support in helping him reach his goal, but Dylan worked hard 鈥� earning excellent grades and taking advantage of opportunities presented to him while he was a student. I love that Dylan is taking a risk on himself at the start of his career, surrounding himself with a good team to help his food truck be a success.鈥�

All classes will be taught in the state-of-the-art Anheuser-Busch Beer & Wine Lab at the Rosen campus, 9907 Universal Blvd., Orlando. Participants must be 21 and maximum seating is 50. Each class costs $25 and 100 percent of proceeds benefit United Way.

麻豆原创鈥檚 United Way campaign kicks off in October and the university goal is $150,000 to benefit charitable agencies and programs in Central Florida.

The schedule of events includes:

鈥淐lassic Red Wines of France鈥� with Dr. Frank Juge

October 2, 2015 鈥� 6 p.m.

France is the source of many classic red wines, from the dark, spicy Syrah wines of the warm Rhone Valley, to the elegant Pinot Noir of Burgundy. For contrast we will also explore the Cabernet-Merlot Blends of Bordeaux and for a refreshing lift we will taste the fruity Gamay wine of Beaujolais. Exploration of the Terroir, history and culture of these regions will provide a context to help us understand and enjoy these classics.

In 1975, Dr. Juge taught the first course at 麻豆原创 featuring the chemistry of wine and winemaking. A certified Advanced Level Sommelier, he has also grown a grape arbor and made wine as a hobby. In 2003, he joined the Rosen College faculty as a Professor of Hospitality Management. Dr. Juge holds a Ph.D. and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Organic Chemistry and joined the 麻豆原创 Chemistry Department in 1968. He is one of three charter faculty still at 麻豆原创. He currently teaches Exploring Wines of the World and The History and Culture of Wine at the Rosen College. He is an active member of the Society of Wine Educators and a regular speaker at 麻豆原创 events for the Burnett Honors College and LIFE at 麻豆原创, and educational program for seniors at 麻豆原创.

鈥淩eds of Spain鈥� with David Black

October 9, 2015 鈥� 6 p.m.

With its warm and dry climate Spain is red wine country par excellence. Almost all of the best wines are made to the north of Madrid across the country from the Mediterranean in the East to the Atlantic in the West. The Tempranillo and Garnacha grape types are the major components of the brilliant reds from such classic wine regions as the Rioja, the Ribera del Duero and Toro which borders Portugal. The seminar will focus on these three regions but will also include some reds from areas such as Jumilla in the South, and Calatayud and the Priorat east of the Rioja.

Dr. David Black has served as an instructor and lecturer at the 麻豆原创 Rosen College of Hospitality Management since 2009. Black has more than 30 years of experience in fine wine and spirits, including an intensive, five-year Master of Wine Program, studying viticulture, winery techniques, business, blind tasting and evaluation. He has also traveled extensively to major wine regions in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and California.

鈥淪pooky Cocktails and Scary Treats鈥� with Marissa Orlowski and Dr. Cynthia Mejia

October 30, 2015 鈥� 6 p.m.

Planning a frightful Halloween bash? Join our 鈥淏OO-zy鈥� class and learn how to pair spooky cocktails and scary treats. It鈥檚 like trick-or-treating鈥or grown-ups!

Our instructor, Marissa Orlowski, has a background in spirits and creating cocktails that makes her an ideal instructor for this class. She鈥檚 been a bar manager with Bennigan鈥檚 and The Cheesecake Factory before joining the Walt Disney World Company as a catering manager. While at Disney, she helped develop and rollout the global beverage standards used at the company鈥檚 resorts and theme parks. Our food pairings have been selected and created by Rosen College Assistant Professor, Dr. Cynthia Mejia. She has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry working as an Executive Chef, Director of F&B, General Manager and Assistant Hotel GM in four and five star properties. Dr. Mejia also has international experience, opening the BLU Restaurant and Jazz Club at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore in 1999.

The general public and university community are invited to register for these events on Rosen College鈥檚 website. For questions, please contact rchminfo@ucf.edu or 407.903.8000.

Learn more about 麻豆原创鈥檚 Live United campaign.

While students have volunteered for the event in the past, this is the first year they get to be part of the action, from food prep to set up to serving and customer service.

So what’s on the menu for Bacchus Bash? The Rosen College booth will offer a red and white wine gelee, chocolate truffles and stilton cheese marinated in a ruby port. Professors also taught students how to carve ice for the event, transforming a large ice block into a gleaming pineapple to adorn the booth.

“This is an amazing opportunity for students to learn and experience what it’s like to run a food and beverage operation in a high pressure setting like a live event,” said Dr. Cynthia Mejia, an assistant professor in the Foodservice and Lodging Management department at Rosen College. “This is where the skills we teach them in class come to life.”

Bacchus Bash will take place Friday, April 4 from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Orlando Premium Outlets on Vineland Ave. The students’ booth will be located near the Coach store. Admission and parking are free. Proceeds from food and beverage sales benefit scholarships for local schools, including Rosen College.