PULLMAN – The WSU College of Business has announced that Darrel Muehling will head the School of Hospitality Business Management as interim director following the retirement of Terry Umbreit, who has lead the department for 24 years. The new leadership change will take effect in June.
Muehling, who has been with the CB since 1985 and has served as chair of the Department of Marketing since 1997, will work with the college administrators to ensure that the leadership transition is smooth and seamless for students and faculty. His experience as a leader within the college will help provide continuity while the hospitality school initiates the steps to appoint a permanent director over the next academic year.
“Dr. Umbreit has been an amazing leader for the School of Hospitality Business Management for a number of years,” said CB Dean Eric Spangenberg. “It is because of the tremendous success of his tenure that finding a suitable replacement is so vital to the program. I am grateful to Dr. Muehling for accepting the role of interim director; he has the qualities and experience necessary to help the unit adjust to Dr. Umbreit’s retirement as we prepare to move forward under a new permanent director.”
The School of Hospitality Business Management began as the “hotel management” major in the College of Home Economics in 1932. It became “hotel and restaurant administration” in 1951, and “hospitality business management” in 2002. The SHBM offers a hospitality-focused business education from the fully accredited WSU College of Business, with expert instruction in the field of hospitality business management. It is consistently rated in the top 5 percent of the 170 similar programs in the nation. The program celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007.
