Lynn Minnaert
Lynn Minnaert, Ph.D., serves as the Dean of the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Department: School of Hospitality
Godwin-Charles Ogbeide
Kiyan Shafieizadeh
Paula Thomas
Shannon Donnelly
Shannon Donnelly, is an affiliate professor of Cannabis in the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Bernardo Alatorre
Michael Wray
Michael Wray, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He has decades of collegiate teaching experience within culinary, brewing and beverage management and hospitality management industries.
As a chef and sommelier, Wray is active in the food and beverage industry by consulting with companies in restaurant design, menu and recipe development. He has also provided instrumental input into the vision that led to the creation of MSU Denver’s Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center and complementary laboratory classrooms. Wray has developed key partnerships with community and civic leaders for major events and charities such as Food for Thought Denver and the Denver Food and Wine Festival. He recently developed the framework for the brewery partnership with the Tivoli Brewing Company, leading to $7 million facility enhancements to the Tivoli Student Union and establishing integrated learning laboratories for students studying brewing.
As the former food and beverage director with Ramada Renaissance and Holiday Inn Hotels, Wray is regularly interviewed regarding his knowledge and creative abilities in food, wine and beer. His research interests include hospitality competency, learning environments and learning communities. Most recently, he co-authored the article “Effects of cooperative learning on Chinese students performing a formal table setting for American style service” in the Journal of Foodservice Business Research.
Wray received his doctorate in education leadership from University of Colorado, Denver, a master’s in business management from Salisbury University and a bachelor’s in nutrition and foods from Virginia Tech. He also holds multiple credentials in food and beverage, including Sommelier Diploma, Certified Wine Specialist, Master Certified Food Service Executive and Certified Culinary Instructor.
Cory Tipton
Cory Tipton, J.D., is an affiliate faculty in the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Katie Strain
Katie Strain, M.S., is a laboratory services manager of Alcoholic Beverage Quality Assurance/ Quality Control and a lecturer in the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her areas of expertise are fermentation, microbiology, chemistry, data analysis and experimental design.
Prior to joining MSU Denver, Strain worked as a laboratory operations coordinator and graduate student at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She was also a research associate at Colorado State University and laboratory technician at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Strain received her master’s in environmental toxicology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 2014 and a bachelor’s in biochemistry from University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2005. She is a triple TTB certified chemist allowing her to conduct analysis of beer, wine and spirits for purposes of export.
Inna Soifer
Inna Soifer, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of event and meeting management in the School of Hospitality at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her areas of expertise include global meetings and events; conventions, exhibitions industry; event technology; incentive travel; venue management and destination management.
Prior to joining MSU Denver, Soifer taught at the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management for the University of Memphis and was a graduate instructor at the University of Mississippi. She is a certified hospitality educator with over a decade of experience in the global hospitality industry, including as a project manager for one of Russia’s leading meeting and event agencies. Soifer’s primary research area is in business and trade events. Her recent studies examined value creation in corporate events and customer adoption of event technology.
Soifer received her Ph.D. in nutrition and hospitality management with a minor in applied statistics from the University of Mississippi in 2021.