Brian Barker

Brian Barker has been appointed the first endowed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professor of FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The new position is part of the school's ongoing commitment to DEI within its curriculum and addressing inequities in the hospitality industry.

In his new role, Barker will be focused on development of DEI curriculum and content, expansion of the mentoring program, establishing Chaplin School as a resource for DEI and change in the hospitality industry, and building and leading a multi-institutional alliance. The alliance is a bold, new initiative among higher learning institutions, industry associations and top hospitality brands to address gaps and create pathways for Black, Hispanic, Women and underrepresented talent in hospitality management.

Barker brings his hospitality education and hotel experience background into his new role at the second-largest hospitality school in the country. FIU Chaplin School, a top 10 U.S. public hospitality school, is also a leader in diversity with over 70% women and 74 countries represented. FIU Hospitality graduates more undergraduate Black and Hispanic students than any other school.

Barker's endowed faculty chair for DEI was established through generous seed funding from Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits.

Barker has over 13 years of industry experience. He started his career at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts (FSHR) as an operational manager at FSHR Philadelphia, followed by FSHR Miami, where he successfully led the Miami property to their first attainment of the coveted AAA-Five Diamond Award status as front office manager.

Most recently, Barker was at DePaul University's School of Hospitality Leadership. Professor Barker attained his Master of Arts in Communications from DePaul University in Multi-cultural and Organizational Communication (2011), a dual degree program. He also attained his Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) certification from American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (2013). He is currently a full-time Ph.D. Candidate at Iowa State University.