A Different Form of Service: Leadership & Community Building in Restaurants Across the World

Sierra Ponthier was awarded a prestigious and highly selective Thomas J. Watson Fellowship in 2018. Ponthier's project, "‘Yes, Chef!': Female Leadership in the Restaurant Industry," took her on a Wanderjahr to Ireland, Morocco, New Zealand, and Peru where she explored how women in different cultures distinguish themselves in leadership and service in the male-dominated restaurant industry. She will share experiences from her year as a Watson Fellow and how those experiences have shaped her path in the hospitality industry today.

Event Information Date: February 9, 2023  Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Zoom Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5282350917

Watson Fellowships allow scholars to pursue independent research projects while traveling for a year outside the United States after graduation. Fellows receive $30,000 for 12 months of travel, and college loan assistance as required.

The children of Thomas J. Watson Sr., the founder of International Business Machines Corp., and his wife, Jeannette K. Watson, established the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program in 1968 to honor their parents' long-standing interest in education and world affairs. Nearly 3,000 people have embarked on a Watson Year, which provides fellows with an opportunity to test their aspirations, abilities and perseverance through a personal project that is cultivated on an international scale.