William B. Pattison Research Fellowship
One prestigious research fellowship valued at $10,000 is awarded each year to an undergraduate student in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program with leadership experience and research interest in hotel management.
The recipient will have the opportunity to work on specialized research projects in the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research during the academic year.
$10,000
Awarded each year
to an undergraduate
HTM student
Story Behind the Award
William B. Pattison is best known in Canada for founding Delta Hotels Ltd. in 1962 with four partners, and serving as the first President and CEO until 1988, when the company was sold.
During his tenure, Delta Hotels grew from one hotel in Richmond, British Columbia, to a chain of hotels in seven provinces and Florida. Throughout his life, Bill was an outstanding volunteer and had a special affiliation with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), formerly known as Ryerson University, serving as Chair of the university’s Board of Governors. He also served a term as President of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, co-chair of the Canada Japan Business Association (tourism sector), and on the boards for Guelph University, Women's College Hospital in Toronto, B.C. Paraplegic Foundation, and the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra.
Bill had a lifelong commitment to education and was a graduate of Cornell University and Harvard University. In a tribute for his 75th birthday, a leader in the industry wrote that “Bill's true legacy was the number of people he helped develop and support through the various stages of their professional careers who now have leadership roles in international hotel companies”.
Bill passed away in September 2015. In keeping with his legacy and long-standing relationship with Toronto Metropolitan University, the Ted Rogers School of Management is honored to associate Bill’s name with our student programs. Thanks to a gift from Marilyn Pattison, Bill’s widow, the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (TRSHTM) will be able to offer financial support to students pursuing research in the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research. Ted Rogers School is deeply grateful for both the financial support provided to our students and the opportunity to honor Bill’s legacy and commitment to education.
Recent recipients
Minah Kim
2022-2023
Minah is in her final year of studies, and the research she is working on under Dr. Wayne Smith's supervision is examining how to make hotels more accessible for those with autism. She is an involved student leader who is currently the president of the Hospitality and Tourism Students' Society at TMU.
After graduation in 2023, Minah hopes to get into the field of destination marketing.
Past recipients
Brenda Nguyen
2021-2022
During her time in the HTM, Brenda embarked on research on female leaders in the Hospitality and Tourism industry.
Brenda is currently based in Toronto and is working as a Guest Experience Associate at the Oxford Properties Group as well as working part time as an Educator at Lululemon.
Brian Riback
2020-2021
Brian is currently based in British Columbia and is an Entertainment Staff member at Disney Cruise Line. In addition, Brian was a guest speaker at the Arabian & African Hospitality Investment Conference. He spoke during the session "The Sustainable Hospitality Challenge - How Innovation Can Drive the Future of A More Sustainable Hospitality Industry?
Annie Bird
2019-2020
Annie is currently based in Toronto and is a Tourism Development Coordinator at Bannikin Travel and Tourism Ltd. Annie was also winner of the 2019 Genio Worldwide Innovation Summit for Best Concept and Best Presentation and has produced and hosted episodes of “Behind the Kerten: Kerten Hospitality,” a podcast that examines the global trends and insights of the industry.
Katherine Lo
2018-2019
The research conducted by Katherine Lo, under the supervision of Dr. Frederic Dimanche, served as the foundational study for the Luxury Service Management course that was first taught at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in 2019.
After graduation Katherine started working for a travel tech company in Toronto, an OTA called TourRadar. She is currently working as a Talent & Culture Partner at Software Development Company, AfterShip.