Cal Poly Pomona‘s $3 million gift will create a new center on campus.
The donation from the Larry and Jo Shupnick Family Foundation will establish the Shupnick Innovation Center in the Collins College of Hospitality Management, a news release states.
The money will transform an approximately 14,000-square-foot building into a center that includes a test kitchen and classrooms, the release states.
The Collins College prepares students for careers in tourism, lodging, food service and experience design, the release states. Its complex includes a full-service restaurant and wine library, teaching kitchens, demonstration auditoriums and rooms for events.
Larry Shupnick was a leader at Sheraton, Hilton and Interstate Hotels & Resorts and has served on the Collins College Board of Advisors for about 30 years. His wife Jo Shupnick, an interior designer, founded Interiors by Jo Frank. Their foundation supports community and education initiatives.
“The hospitality industry offers endless career opportunities to develop innovative concepts at stadiums, national or state parks, golf courses, private membership clubs, hotels and restaurants,” Larry Shupnick, said in the release. “We need to proactively update the academic and co-curricular offerings to capitalize on this growth, and the updated facilities will set the stage for the next chapter of The Collins College of Hospitality Management.”
Margie Ferree Jones, dean of the Collins College, credited Larry Shupnick for his support of the college and expressed gratitude for the contribution.
“This investment will continue to help us meet the changing demands of the vast and dynamic hospitality industry,” Jones said in the release.
