Kathleen M. O'Brien, M.Ed.

Kathleen O'Brien, appointed as chair of the Hospitality and Tourism Department in 2019, specializes in the broad areas of hospitality services management, event planning, and private club management. She is a lecturer for cultural tourism and principles of food service management courses offered in the B.S. Undergraduate Hospitality Administration program. 

Collaborative work with university administrators resulted in a plan for a start-up business called Campus House Club, Inc. The university faculty and staff club, founded in 2002, is where O'Brien served as director for more than seventeen years. The club operates as a premier learning laboratory for hospitality students and offers an array of services to the campus community. She is the faculty advisor for the Buffalo State student chapter of Club Management Association of America (CMAA) and acting Alcoholic Beverage Officer (ABC) for the department. 

O'Brien earned hospitality educator certification through the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association in 2002 and received the President’s Award for Excellence in Service to the College in 2009. Kathleen earned credentials through participation in Fostering Innovation in Teaching with Technology (FITT) Academy, a project-specific faculty development opportunity sponsored by Information Technology. She serves on the Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Council at the university.