WASHINGTON—The Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership (MSCHL) at Howard University highlighted multiple milestones in the first half of 2025, specifically regarding academic achievement, student engagement, and industry recognition.
Since its founding in 2021, through an endowment from the J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation and an additional scholarship fund, the Center has become a hub for talent cultivation, mentorship and innovation. In the first half of 2025, MSCHL celebrated new leadership, expanded industry partnerships, and earned national attention for its many student achievements.
Among other highlights was the appointment of Omari Head as executive director. A former hotel owner and consultant, he has led more than 300 hotel transactions totaling over $1.5 billion. Early in his career, he was one of only a handful of Black hotel brokers in the country. Head’s commitment to creating pathways for Black leadership in hospitality aligns closely with the Center’s mission. His experience spans asset management, entrepreneurship, and academia, having taught at institutions including Georgetown University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Cheyney University. He also co-founded NextGen in Lodging and the National Institute of Lodging Education.
“The Center will develop future executive talent for the hospitality industry, and our revolutionary interdisciplinary approach is the necessary lens to examine the changing workplace and workforce dynamics,” Head said.
This year, MSCHL also celebrated a student achievement when its team won first place in the She Has a Deal (SHaD) hotel pitch competition — the first time an HBCU has earned this distinction. Brooklynn Tucker, an international business major from Aurora, Colorado, and Kayden Edwards, a supply chain management major from Columbus, Ohio, won the pitch competition with a plan to develop a hotel project they identified in New Orleans.
“HBCU talent is often underestimated and overlooked,” Head said. “However, the foundational encouragement matched with student drive and resilience is a winning combination.”
Additionally, the Center became the first HBCU to charter a chapter of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP). Through this chapter, students now have access to industry mentors, global certification programs, and the opportunity to engage in HFTP’s annual conference and exclusive programming.
The Center also rolled out a customized internship program with Donohoe Hospitality that blends hands-on property experience with exposure to corporate hospitality functions. This hybrid model is designed to help students develop a holistic understanding of hospitality operations and leadership roles that support operations.
This fall, MSCHL will further elevate its national presence by joining AHEAD and co-hosting a campus activation event at Howard University in October. The event is designed to introduce students from all academic disciplines—including engineering, interior design, marketing, and computer science—to the breadth of career opportunities in hospitality.
In mid-August, the Center welcomed its third group of Marriott-Sorenson Scholars, who will participate in a two-year interdisciplinary program focused on hospitality leadership. This incoming class of students represents a range of majors—from supply chain management and international business to computer science and interior design.
The Center’s interdisciplinary approach equips students to lead in the evolving hospitality industry with confidence and creativity. At the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership, “we bring together students from the law school, MBA students and undergraduates, all with an interest in the intersection of hospitality and their degree,” Head said.
