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Welcome to HRIM Extension


The Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management Extension program is dedicated to providing research-based educational opportunities to Iowa food and lodging organizations. The program is part of Families Extension in the College of Human Sciences. The Extension Specialist works with hotels, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, schools, hospitals, daycares, and assisted living organizations to improve operations and better serve their patrons.

The Extension Specialist is a faculty member in the Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management academic program and works with other faculty to develop programs and services for these organizations. An example of this programming is the School Foodservice Summer Short Courses.  These courses have been held annually since 1948 in partnership with the Iowa Department of Education to provide training and support to school and child care foodservice managers in improving food preparation, financial management, food safety, and human resources.

Highlighted News!

Chef Cyndie Story demonstrates proper knife skills for workshop participants. Team Nutrition Workshops co-sponsored by ISU Families Extension and Department of Education 
(Posted on 9/30/2008)

Two workshops funded through a Team Nutrition Grant to the Department of Education Bureau of Nutrition, Health and Transportation and co-sponsored with Families Extension Specialists Catherine Strohbehn and Ruth Litchfield were held in the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom this summer.

Local Foods Featured in HRIM Quantity Food Production Laboratory  
(Posted on 9/30/2008)

The Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom is proud to feature local Iowa foods during the fall season. The Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management Quantity Food Production Laboratory and HRIM Extension have partnered to bring some of Iowa’s harvest to your table as part of Iowa State University Farm to ISU program. This is one way to support Iowa food producers.

School Health Environment 
(Posted on 4/19/2008)

Everyone affiliated with a district has a contribution to make to the health environment of the school - administrators, board members, teachers, staff, students and parents. The research is clear that the school health environment impacts academic learning.

Chef Minelia, Pauline and Catherine Strohbehn in Kitchen Culinary cultural exchange 
(Posted on 3/19/2008)

Catherine Strohbehn, HRIM Extension Specialist showed Yucatecan Chef Minelia Romero Mendoza and her daughter Paulina Espinse Romero the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom as part of a cultural exchange between Iowa and Yucatan, Mexico.


The mission of Iowa State University Extension's Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management program is to provide research-based educational opportunities to food and lodging organizations to improve operations and better serve families and citizens of Iowa. Programs focus on areas such as food safety, human resources, and operations management.