Professor Mike Hurst was a founding faculty member of the FIU School of Hospitality Management. Before his retirement at the end of the spring 1999 semester, 27 years after he gave his first lecture, this distinguished restaurateur, industry leader and popular educator had taught more than 6,000 FIU students.
Recognizing Mike’s lifelong contributions to national industry, educational initiatives and his extraordinary commitment to the educational landscape at FIU in particular, the Professor Michael E. Hurst Distinguished Hospitality and Scholars Endowment was established to support the distinguished hospitality leaders lecture series and the Professor Michael E. Hurst restaurant and foodservices scholarship.