Emma McAnulty, a senior hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management major with a concentration in tourism and special events at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded the prestigious Statler Foundation Scholarship of Excellence.
McAnulty, from Homer City, is the fourth IUP student chosen for this competitive scholarship.
The scholarship is awarded based on academic excellence, character, and commitment to the industry.
The Statler Foundation was created from the estate of hotelier Ellsworth M. Statler following his death in 1928. Its purpose is to support research work and train employees for the benefit of the hotel industry.
Statler, a self-made millionaire who worked his way from bellhop to industry legend, founded the largest premier hotel chain of his day. The Statler Scholarship of Excellence was established in 1997 and is awarded to students who demonstrate a high degree of academic performance and aptitude in studying the hotel management field and who aspire to a career in the hotel industry after graduation.
McAnulty, daughter of Douglas McAnulty and Rebecca McAnulty, is a 2020 graduate of United High School. She is a dean’s list student and provost scholar at IUP and received the IUP Hospitality Management Junior Academic Excellence Award, the IUP Hospitality Management Junior Service Award, and the IUP Hospitality Management Outstanding Sophomore of the Year Award.
She is president of the Meeting Professional International IUP student chapter and is a member of the Club Management Association of America and Eta Sigma Delta hospitality management honor society, which focuses on community service activities. She is a member of the Eberly College of Business Student Advisory Council.
“I am so thankful for the generosity of the Statler Foundation,” McAnulty said. “Receiving this scholarship means more to me than I can express. Not only does it alleviate some of the financial burdens associated with pursuing higher education, but it also serves as a source of encouragement and motivation.
“I have such a strong passion for the special events sector of the industry and the whole hospitality world in general. My love for events is surrounded by the meticulous attention to detail and creativity, but mostly the sheer joy in bringing people together and seeing the smiles on others’ faces. I truly could not imagine pursuing a different career path. I am deeply thankful for the support of the Statler Foundation,” she said.
This past summer, McAnulty completed an internship at the Baltimore Country Club in Maryland as a banquet captain in the Events Department. After completing her undergraduate degree in May, she hopes to find a position as an event coordinator.
“We are most appreciative of the amazing support we continue to receive from the Stalter Foundation for our Hotel and Lodging Administration career-focused students,” Department of Management Professor Stephen Shiring said.
“We are very proud of Emma for being recognized by the Statler Foundation for their prestigious Scholarship of Excellence. The Stalter Foundation’s Scholarship of Excellence changes our IUP students’ lives. Statler Foundation’s generosity has enabled Emma to focus on her academic work, volunteer to support our community activities, and be actively engaged in our IUP student organizations,” Shiring said.
IUP’s first Statler Foundation recipient is Kyle Kubicko, of Natrona Heights, who was selected for the scholarship in 2021. He earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management and an associate degree in applied science in culinary arts and graduated with his MBA in May. He is the kitchen and event manager at the River Forest Country Club in Freeport.
Josephine Vance from Natrona Heights received the Statler Foundation scholarship in 2022. She completed her IUP degree in hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event planning in 2023 and is the assistant catering operations manager, SSA Group, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.
Elizabeth Haffling, a senior hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event planning major from Martinsburg, received the scholarship in 2023. She will graduate with her bachelor of science degree in May and has accepted a position with the HYATT Corporate Management Training Program, designed for graduates to become an integral member of Hyatt’s leadership team. Haffling completed the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts’ Certificate of Culinary Arts program in 2015 and the Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate program in 2016.
In May 2022, the Statler Foundation gifted $125,000 to IUP to construct a hotel front desk simulation lab for students in the Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management program. The simulation desk lab, located in a classroom in IUP’s Eberly College of Business building, home to the program, was officially named in honor of the Statler Foundation in March.
Tracing their lineage at IUP back to 1916, the Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management program has provided an exceptional education to its students who are interested in pursuing a career in this exciting field, offering specialized knowledge and skills for managing businesses within the hospitality industry.
The program consistently enrolls more than 100 majors annually, making it the second-largest undergraduate hospitality program of study in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. IUP’s Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management program is ranked ninth in the nation by Study.Com and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. The program is part of IUP’s Department of Management in the Eberly College of Business.