Directory

  • Administration
  • EAHR Faculty
  • EDA Course Speakers

Tanya I. Cuevas Sanjurjo

Admissions Officer
Email: tanya.cuevas@upr.edu
Telephone: (787)-257-0000 ext. 4710

Jonathan F. Ramos

Prof. Jonathan F. Ramos

Dean
Professor
Master in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
University of Massachussetts
Email: jonathan.ramos11@upr.edu
Telephone: (787)-257-0000 ext. 4700

Bio

Prof. Jonathan F. Ramos holds a Master Degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and the Certified Hospitality Educator Certificate (CHE) from the American Hotel & Lodging Association. He has been part of the full-time, tenured faculty at UPR-Carolina for the past twenty eight years. He also has served as member of the Disney College Program Advisory Board, Academic Senator and member of Administrative Board University of Puerto Rico at Carolina. He also was tha Academic and Development Coordinator for de Hotel and SHRA. His professional hospitality experience includes managerial duties at the Caribe Hilton Hotel and at El Conquistador Resort & Country Club in Puerto Rico.

Dr. Alan R. Rodríguez

Professor
Doctorate in Business Administration
Universidad CEMA, Argentina
Email: alan.rodriguez1@upr.edu
Telephone: (787)-257-0000 ext. 4490

Bio

Dr. Alan R. Rodríguez Pérez is a member of the UPRCa faculty, with 30 years of experience in the academy and holds the rank of Full Professor. He has received academic training in the US, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, France, and Argentina. During his teaching career, he has taught and created courses and programs in the areas of food and beverage, hotel marketing, culinary arts, and international studies. He has held multiple governance positions at the UPR, including Academic Senator, Administrative Board, University Board, faculty representative and secretary of the Governing Board and executive director of the President of the UPR. He currently coordinates the International Studies and Exchange Program (PEII) at UPRCa, the Academic Studies in Europe and is the Project Director (PD) for two external funding grants with the Economic Development Administration (EDA), titled The Caribbean Hospitality CARES Academy and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), titled LATINO Farm-to-Table and Food Safety Culinary Arts Initiative @ UPRCa.

Dr. Felipe González

Dr. Felipe González

Assistant Professor
Doctorate in Nutrition and Food Sciences
Universidad Islas Baleares, Spain
Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales University
Email: felipe.gonzalez@upr.edu
Telephone: (787)-257-0000 ext. 4703

Bio

Dr. Felipe Gonzalez earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1992. He also holds an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island in 1993. He obtained a one-year certification in pastry and confectionery at the Gregoire Ferrandi School in Paris, France. He currently holds an Executive Master’s Degree from the Interamerican University, Metro Campus and a Doctoral degree in Nutrition and Food Science from the Universidad de las Islas Baleares en Palma de Mallorca, España.

In 1994, he worked as an Instructor in the Department of Hotel and Restaurant Administration (ADHO) of this Institution where he was in charge of the food production courses for two years. He participated in the origin and development of the European study exchange program. He worked in many food and beverage operations in different states and countries, acquiring experiences at international and local level.

In April 2013, he began working at the UPR in Carolina as coordinator of the culinary arts certification through the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies. Since July 2013, he has worked as an instructor at the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration. He has participated in three culinary competitions, in which the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina culinary team has won first place in two of them.

Currently, he has eleven years at UPRCa faculty of the School of Hotel & Restaurant Administration. He serves as faculty Assessment Coordinator and collaborates with the student association/project of Platos Calientes of UPR Carolina. He serves as co-principal investigator of an externally funded proposal entitled: «EDA, Economic Development Administration, The Caribbean Hospitality CARES Academy» 01-79-15198 and as Co-Principal Investigator of a second project entitled: USDA-HSI NIFA LATINO «Farm to Table & Food Safety Culinary Arts Initiative @ UPRCa 2022-77040-37640» also externally funded.

Dr. Wanda I. Pantojas

Associate Professor
Doctorate in History of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Center for Advanced Studies in Puerto Rico and Carolina
Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America
Associate Degree in Nutrition, University of Puerto Rico
Email: wanda.pantojas@upr.edu
Telephone: (787)-257-0000 ext. 4699

Bio

Dr. Wanda I. Pantojas holds an Associate’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamon and continues studies leading to a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics. Professor Pantojas obtained an associate degree in Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America, in New York. Subsequently, she obtained a Master’s Degree in Education from the School of Family Ecology and Nutrition at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. She completed her doctoral dissertation at the Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Her dissertation topic was Wartime Food. The case of wartime food in Puerto Rico during World War II, 1938-1948. From that moment on, she concentrated on working on the topics of cultural gastronomy, gastronomy and tourism and Afro-descendants. She continues to take courses at Boston University, NYU and in the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

She teaches ServSafe courses for the NRA. Evaluates doctoral theses in the areas of gastronomic tourism at the University of the Balearic Islands in Mallorca, Spain and the Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. She runs the Professional Gastronomic Council of the Americas for Puerto Rico. Currently, she holds the rank of Associate Professor and has been teaching courses for 26 years in the areas of nutrition, cooking, food and beverage and restaurant management, among others.

Recent publications:

  • Adiestramiento en inocuidad de alimentos. (2021). Revista Asociación de Restaurantes de Puerto Rico ASORE.
  • Working on the Nutrition, Hygiene and nutritional facts in Sustainable Seafood Campaign Recipe Book. (2021). Caribbean Fishery Council.
  • Las 4’s de la Gastronomía durante la Pandemia en Puerto Rico. (2021) Revista Cocina Cultural.
  • Cocina cultural de Puerto Rico (Editora) (2020). Publicación en linea https://cocinaculturalpr.com
  • Tradición, intervención y deconstrucción de la cocina puertorriqueña. (2015). Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte Universidad de Puerto.
  • The flavors of writing: gastronomic culture and literature in Hispanic American, (2012). Revista Come bien, vive más. Revista Come bien, vive más.
  • Puerto Rican Dishes/Cocina a gusto, with Berta Cabanillas and Carmen Ginorio. (2010). University of Puerto Rico Press.

Dra. Noelani Colón Honda

Asesora Académica
Ph.D. and M.S. in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the Caribbean Center for Postgraduate Studies in San Juan, Puerto Rico
B.A. in General Psychology, UPR Cayey
License as a psychologist in Puerto Rico

Email: noelani.colon@upr.edu
Telephone: (787)-257-0000 ext. 4710

Bio

A native of Caguas, he studied at UPR Cayey and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Science, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Carlos Albizu University in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She has been licensed to practice as a psychologist in Puerto Rico since 1991.
She has worked in the United States and Puerto Rico in the social service, telephone, and manufacturing (electronics and pharmaceutical) industries.
In 1996, she began working in the Administration of Regional Colleges (ACR) as director of the Total Quality Office. In 1998 she moved to the Bayamón campus, where she worked as a psychologist in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services. At UPR Bayamón he offered the Adjustment to University Life Seminar and collaborated by offering courses in the Department of Social Sciences.

She has belonged to institutional committees such as Middle States, Appraisal, Faculty, IRB, among others. He has been a representative before the Academic Senate and the faculty to the Administrative Board and University Board at the Bayamón Campus of the University of Puerto Rico.
Since December 2022, she has been serving as an academic advisor in the external funding proposal entitled: “EDA, Economic Development Administration, The Caribbean Hospitality CARES Academy” 01-79-15198.

Asesoría Académica (Academic Counseling)

The academic counseling component is an integral part of the educational experience since its objective is to:

  • encourage motivation in students in the process of self-reflection so that they can identify the courses that support their interests, skills and abilities.
  • support and advise the students of the "Caribbean Hospitality Academy" on the courses to take so that they can get the most benefit from the courses offered. 
  • help inform course decisions so they are consistent with career and vocational goals.
  • Identify and support participants who are at risk of leaving the program. 
  • be the link with academic programs of the University of Puerto Rico.

How to contact me? The process is easy… write me at noelani.colon@upr.edu requesting an appointment. It will be via TEAMS. When writing to me, I would appreciate if you could offer me two (2) meeting alternatives.

Dra. Jesmarie Ramirez

Dr. Jesmarie Ramírez

Instructor
Doctorate in Tourism, Universidad Islas Baleares, Spain
Master of Hospitality and Tourism Industry Management, Florida International University
Email: jesmarie.ramirez@upr.edu
Telephone: (787)-257-0000 ext. 4584

Bio

Dr. Jesmarie Ramirez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and a Master’s degree in Science of Hospitality Management from Florida International University (FIU) in the United States. She also holds a PhD in Tourism with a specialization in Gastronomic Tourism from the Universidad de las Islas Baleares en Mallorca, España. She is an alumni of the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina.

In her professional career, she has worked in supervisory positions in the food and beverage area in recognized companies such as: the Miami Convention Center, American Airlines Arena and the Mandarin Oriental chain in Florida. In addition, he worked for three years as manager of room and restaurant operations at the Fontaineblewu Hotel in Florida.

She is currently working on topics of gastronomy, sustainability and local agriculture, of which she has served as a guest speaker through webinars at conferences in South America. Apart from her work, in her spare time she provides support, volunteers at events such as Saborea, industry conventions such as ASORE, and supports small businesses related to tourism and food and beverages, like Frutos del Guacabo (agro-gastronomic farm), guides them and, together with student volunteers, supports them in their events.

José Báez Morales

Instructor
Email: jose.baezmorales@upr.edu

Xavier A. Ramírez, M.S.

Instructor
Email: xavier.ramirez2@upr.edu

Ibzan Pérez Llavona

Instructor
Email: ibzan.perez1@upr.edu

Luz Lizarribar

Instructor
Email: luz.lizarribar@upr.edu 

Joselyn Ponce Bárnes

Instructor
Email: jocelyn.poncebarnes@upr.edu

Wanda Pantojas Rivera

Instructor
Email: wanda.pantojas@upr.edu
Telephone (787)-257-0000 ext. 4699

Craig Graham Barnes

Instructor
Email: craig.graham1.@upr.edu

Marilyn Rodríguez

Instructor
Email: marilyn.rodriguez11@upr.edu
Telephone (787)-257-0000 ext. 4479

Jeannette Cruz

Instructor
Email: jeannette.cruz@upr.edu

Yarett Piñeiro

Instructor
Email: yarette.pineiro@upr.edu 

Luz Ospina Cortes

Instructor
Email: luz.ospina@upr.edu

Jesmarie Ramírez Ruiz

Instructor
Email: jesmarie.ramirez@upr.edu
Telephone (787)-257-0000 ext. 4584

Jackeline Velázquez Laboy

Professor lecturer
Email: jackeline.velazquez@upr.edu

Marisel Meléndez

Instructor
Email: marisel.melendez@upr.edu

Rafael Menéndez

Profesor conferenciante
Email: rafaprgm@gmail.com

Carlos Ortíz

Profesor conferenciante
Email: carlos@elhornodepane.com

Marcos Rodríguez

Profesor conferenciante
Email: cheftommy200@yahoo.com