University Housing has announced the appointment of Michael Lee to the position of director of Residential Dining Services (RDS). Lee will have overall responsibility for student dining and retail services in University-owned housing facilities on North and Central campuses.
He will play a key role as University Housing continues to update its program and facilities to meet the needs and expectations of current and future students.
“With the start of construction in 2006 of the University’s first major new residential dining venues—the Hill Dining Center and the Bursley Emporium—this is an especially good time to bring to campus a seasoned professional of Mike’s caliber,” says Carole Henry, assistant vice president for student affairs and director of University Housing. “I’m confident in his ability to enhance our dining program and to lead the transition to marketplace dining centers with an emphasis on value, variety and quality.”
Ten residential dining halls in the system serve more than 9,000 students and feature a wide variety of foods, including ethnic, vegetarian and vegan selections. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner service in the dining halls, RDS operates seven retail locations, which are open for extended hours, serving hot and cold deli-style foods, entrées, snacks and beverages. Some locations also sell personal care products and household items.
“I’m particularly pleased to be joining the Michigan housing and dining team at a time when the institution has committed to investing significantly in the enhancement of both its residential and dining facilities and programs,” Lee says. “I look forward to being a part of creating the new Michigan dining experience.”
Lee comes to the University from Sodexho Campus Services, where he served since 2003 as general manager, first for Northern Arizona University (NAU) and then for the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), including the McNichols Campus, Law School and Dental School. His responsibilities with Sodexho encompassed residential food services, retail catering and conference food services. During his tenure with the company, two of Lee’s specific accomplishments in response to student feedback and student dining trends were revisions of meal plans and the opening of on-campus brand name quick service operations.
Prior to his work at NAU and UDM, Lee served as the director of Campus Dining Services at Illinois State University (ISU), where he had responsibility for residential dining, catering and retail dining concepts in residential and student center operations. Lee preceded his time at ISU in various college and university positions within Saga, Marriott, Service America and Daka Corporations.
Lee says the identification and execution of new trends in student dining will be key to his new position.
“In the past, we were used to seeing trends change every three to five years; now, trends come and go within months,” he says. “One of the current trends that I expect to last is the greater focus on healthy eating and the educational components that go with it.”
