A $12 Million Face-lift!

The Hilton University of Houston Hotel and Conference Center is getting a face-lift. A $12 million face-lift!

Sparked by a $6.5 million gift from the Conrad N. Hilton Fund—an affiliate of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation—$2.9 million from the university, and $2.6 million from the hotel capital reserves, this eagerly awaited renovation will create a first-rate conference center consistent with the image of a top-tier research university. It also will provide hospitality students studying at the top-ranked Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management with a new training facility and enhanced experiential learning program second to none. The project includes a multiyear pro bono consulting and services agreement with an affiliate of Hilton Hotels, under which the university will receive assistance in managing the hotel.

In addition to the infrastructure upgrades, improvements to the hotel’s facade, guest rooms, and banquet and meeting spaces, six prototype rooms will be created to test hotel room designs and new products and technology. Testing new room concepts will foster a synergy between the Hilton College and the university’s colleges of Architecture, Engineering, Business, Technology, and Liberal Arts and Social Sciences—as each discipline offers a specialized perspective to evaluating room design. A new Student Leadership Program also will allow hospitality students to work directly with the hotel’s general manager in management positions throughout the hotel.

“This upgrade will result in better-trained graduates for all sectors of the hospitality business and is in keeping with Conrad Hilton’s wish to create hotel managers and top executives who can compete globally,” says John Bowen, Conrad N. Hilton College dean.

Renovation is slated to begin in late fall with completion targeted for December 2009.

What's in a Name? ... A Lot When It's Jack J. Valenti

The late Jack J. Valenti’s name has long been synonymous with the film and communication industries. Now, it reflects the talents and energies of UH’s faculty and students—past and present.

This spring, the School of Communication was renamed the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication—a tribute to noted alumnus Valenti (’46, Honorary ’02), advisor to President Lyndon Johnson and head of the Motion Picture Association of America for nearly four decades.

As a student, he worked for The Cougar and served as Student Association president and Frontier Fiesta committee vice chair. Following graduation, Valenti remained a loyal UH supporter. He led the alumni organization, served on the first Board of Regents when UH became a state university in 1963, and was honored as a distinguished alumnus in 1952.

“The day I enrolled in the University of Houston was the most exalted day of my life. . . . If there had been no UH, I don’t know what turn my life would have taken,” wrote Valenti in his memoir, This Time, This Place.

“Jack was the greatest communicator that I have ever known,” says Welcome W. Wilson Sr., UH System Board of Regents chairman and Valenti’s longtime friend and former business partner.

“This is an important step to acknowledge Valenti’s longstanding association with the University of Houston and the city of Houston.”

Leading by Example

Col. Philip A. Bossert Jr., commander of the Air Force ROTC Detachment 003 and professor of Air Force Science at UH, knows a thing or two about leadership.

For starters, he has logged more than 3,900 flying hours, many achieved during the military operations Just Cause, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Enduring Freedom. His distinguished service earned him numerous awards and decorations.

So, when Bossert envisioned a Center for Applied Leadership at the University of Houston, he eagerly agreed to serve as one of four instructors—conducting seminars (four this fall) ranging from the “nuts and bolts” of leadership to integrity and professionalism.

“We have received an overwhelming response to this program, which is no surprise considering the urgent need in our country for leadership training and education,” says Bossert, the center’s co-founder. The center represents a unique recruiting venue for UH and ROTC and illustrates a successful military/civilian partnership, he adds.

Seventy high school juniors and seniors along with their teachers—representing twelve area schools—participated in the opening seminar, which featured UH football head coach Kevin Sumlin as the speaker.

This initiative is sponsored by the Houston Corps of Cadets and UH’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, C.T. Bauer College of Business, College of Technology, and College of Education.

War Stories: An Oral History

Veterans’ voices are too often unheard or forgotten, but now, the Veterans History Project is documenting their stories at the University of Houston.

The project, an initiative of the Library of Congress, collects and preserves oral histories, memoirs, letters, diaries, photographs, and other materials from veterans who served in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, and the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts.

To contribute to this effort, UH’s Veterans Services Office (VSO) and the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication have teamed up to collect the tales of veterans in the greater Houston area.

Media production students—under the direction of Craig Crowe, clinical assistant professor of communication—are videotaping in-depth interviews with these veterans. Allen Grundy, VSO program manager, is working with local organizations and government leaders to identify veterans who want to share their stories.

“It’s crucial that others truly understand what these men and women have gone through,” Grundy says. “Their commitment cannot be understated, and I think future generations will realize that when they listen to these tales.”

Among the project’s biggest supporters is U.S. Congressman Nick Lampson, who has assisted in locating veterans and recently worked with students in conducting interviews.

“Houston is proud to have the largest concentration of veterans in the United States,” Lampson says. “The Veterans History Project provides a terrific opportunity for their stories to be recorded for the benefit of all Americans.”