JWU Opens Game-Changing SEEM Lab

It’s an exciting time for the Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management (SEEM) major and for the College of Hospitality Management as a whole. On Sept. 17, the much-anticipated and beautifully appointed Delaware North SEEM Lab opened with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the beginning of a dynamic and innovative era for hospitality education at JWU.

PROVIDENCE CAMPUS PRESIDENT MARIE BERNARDO-SOUSA LP.D., ’92 AND KENNETH GABER ’06 CUT THE RIBBON TO CELEBRATE THE DELAWARE NORTH SEEM LAB.

Paul McVety '78, ’09 Ed.D., the dean of the College of Hospitality Management, presided over the ceremony. Speakers included:

• Providence Campus President Marie Bernardo-Sousa LP.D., ’92
• Patrick Leary Ed.D., the department chair of the SEEM program
• Rita Ellis ’21, a SEEM major
• Christian De Vos, former JWU faculty member and recently retired vice president of Food, Beverage and Guest Services for Delaware North

“Thank you for joining us for the season opener of the Delaware North SEEM Lab,” quipped McVety as he began the ceremony.

There certainly is a feeling of game-time excitement from the moment anyone sets foot in the lab – an atmosphere created by design.

 Walking down the hallway toward the lab, visitors are greeted with a blue feature wall showcasing the SEEM program name in dimensional letters and captivating photos of various events at TD Garden, all beautifully backlit for a glowing first impression. The parquet floors in the hallway are the same floors laid down for Celtics games at TD Garden. Turning the corner, one finds the iconic Boston Bruins logo and a marquee digital banner as a welcome to the lab.

“We are proud to add the Delaware North SEEM Lab to our educational facilities and solidify our position as the leader in the Sports, Entertainment and Event Management industry,” said Providence Campus President Bernardo-Sousa. “To our dedicated faculty and staff, our ambitious students and the College of Hospitality Management — we share your excitement for this remarkable venue and all the opportunities it will offer.”

“The lab is designed with experiential education in mind,” said Patrick Leary Ed.D., the department chair of the SEEM program. “It features the largest interactive video screen on campus – it’s 20 feet wide! – and a high-tech conference room.”

The sleek conference room boasts beverage fridges, warming plates built into solid quartz countertops and elegant sliding glass doors that provide an open feel while still offering an enclosed space for smaller meetings or teleconferencing.

Rita Ellis ’21 brought a student perspective to the ceremony and expressed her appreciation for the amount of progress being made within the program.

“This new SEEM lab is a reflection of JWU’s commitment to providing the highest quality learning environment for students and faculty,” said Ellis. “I greatly look forward to the new lab being an innovative classroom for all students, and I’m so grateful I chose to be a SEEM student at JWU.”

"I’m so grateful I chose to be a SEEM student at JWU."

“The students have been so excited,” said Elizabeth Covino, an associate professor in the College of Hospitality Management. “It’s a footprint in the building that just screams Sports, Entertainment and Event Management, so they’re excited and proud.”

Covino and other professors in the college have already begun teaching classes in the lab and are loving the versatility and technology it provides.

“The screen is amazing because you can have multiple things displayed at once,” Covino shared. “Students respond to multimedia platforms because that’s what they’ve been raised with. It’s just so state-of-the-art that I feel like I have their attention and I can be creative in my delivery. I can be playing music while showing a PowerPoint presentation while also accessing cable television.”

PROVIDENCE CAMPUS PRESIDENT MARIE BERNARDO-SOUSA LP.D., ’92 CHATS WITH RITA ELLIS ’21 BEFORE THE CEREMONY.

Kenneth Gaber ’06, an alumnus of the Business Administration program and now an employee for Delaware North, also marveled at the possibilities the lab can offer.

“This space is fantastic,” Gaber said. “It’s going to be a game-changer in how to teach students about this business, because they’ll have the feeling of being in an actual industry setting. It’s hard to learn certain things in a classroom alone, but this lab is bringing the classroom to the sports venue.”

"This is where the future of the industry begins."

Creating that feeling was a goal for the space, as it was meant to mimic a luxury suite in TD Garden to inspire students and create an authentic environment for them to experience.

“The lab’s creative vibe is palpable,” Leary said. “This is where collaboration imagination and innovation will flourish. This is where the future of the industry begins.”

COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT FACULTY CELEBRATE THE NEW LAB. (L TO R: LEE ESCKILSEN, ELIZABETH PANCIERA, MICHEL GILBERT, JULIE VISCARDI-SMALLEY, PATRICK LEARY, ELIZABETH COVINO, PROVIDENCE CAMPUS PRESIDENT MARIE BERNARDO-SOUSA LP.D., ’92, WILLIAM KLIKA, ANDREW FRASER, KATHLEEN DROHAN, AND LOUIS PULLANO.)