Food safety, taught for everyone.
Morris Brako
Hospitality educator and researcher, CHE
I study how food safety training can serve every worker in foodservice, including employees with disabilities, and how inclusive training improves both compliance and workforce participation.
About
I am a hospitality educator and researcher completing my PhD in Hospitality Management at Iowa State University, where I also teach. My work sits at the intersection of food safety compliance and hospitality workforce development, grounded in more than a decade of hotel front office management and nine years of teaching hospitality operations across lodging, foodservice, and marketing.
I am a lecturer at Takoradi Technical University in Ghana, currently on study leave, and I hold the Certified Hospitality Educator credential along with ServSafe Manager and Instructor certifications.
Research
My research develops evidence based frameworks that connect food safety policy to practical workforce training, so that hospitality operators have inclusive strategies that improve compliance and expand who can participate in the industry. It runs along four connected lines of inquiry.
Inclusive training for employees with disabilities
How foodservice managers train employees with disabilities on food safety, and what equitable, accessible training looks like in practice.
Food safety compliance in commercial foodservice
How training materials and food safety guidance can be made clearer and more usable so they actually change behavior on the floor.
Careers and professional identity in hospitality education
Entrepreneurship, career development, and how students form professional identities as they enter the industry.
Food culture and sustainability in West Africa
Culinary heritage, food practices, and sustainable foodservice in West African contexts.
Doctoral dissertation
Assessing food safety training for individuals with disabilities in the US foodservice industry
A national mixed methods study of 315 foodservice managers, grounded in the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices framework. Advised by Dr. Anirudh R. Naig.
Insights
Short writing on food safety, disability inclusion, and workforce practice in foodservice.
Loading posts.
Publications
Selected peer reviewed articles. A full record of publications and conference presentations is in my CV and on my ORCID profile.
- Brako, M., & Naig, A. R. (2026). Readability of U.S. food handler training materials: A natural language processing analysis of worker study guides and the federal Food Code. Frontiers in Public Health, 14, 1911335. doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1911335
- McArthur-Floyd, M., & Brako, M. (2024). Sensory evaluation of pumpkin flour and wheat flour composite cookies: Exploring nutritional enrichment and consumer acceptance. Magna Scientia Advanced Research and Reviews, 11, 1–9. doi.org/10.30574/msarr.2024.11.1.0070
- McArthur-Floyd, M., Brako, M., Kimsy, A. M., & Amoah, M. (2024). Tackling food waste in culinary education: A roadmap for sustainable change. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 9(4), 1370–1381. doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24APR1682
- Brako, M., Bansah, F., Bosscher, E., & Wilson, R. (2024). Barriers to adopting healthy eating practices among roadside automotive repair technicians in Takoradi, Ghana. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5, 1681–1688. doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.5.0424.0945
- Brako, M., Hagan, E., & Bosscher, E. (2024). Assessment of the quality of used frying oils in selected hotels and restaurants in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5, 2805–2815. doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.5.0324.0744
- Brako, M. (2024). Preserving culinary heritage: Challenges faced by Takoradi Technical University food service lab students. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 21, 1536–1545. doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.3.0882
- Brako, M., Hagan, E., & Bosscher, E. (2024). Factors influencing caterers' selection of cooking oils in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 11, 442–449. doi.org/10.30574/ijsra.2024.11.2.0468
- Brako, M., & Hagan, E. (2024). Hospitality management students' entrepreneurial intentions and perceived challenges: A case study of Takoradi Technical University, Ghana. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Sports, 66. doi.org/10.7176/JTHS/66-04
Manuscripts under review
- Peer mediation of food safety certification in online foodservice communities. Under review, British Food Journal
- The traceability gap: Food safety transparency in delivery-only restaurants. Under review, Frontiers in Public Health
- Stigma hierarchies behind the pass: A topic modeling and sentiment analysis of disability discourse in online foodservice worker communities. Under review, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights
- The sticky floor: Occupational segregation and wage penalties for foodservice workers with disabilities. Under review, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
- Constructive (dis)alignment in hospitality curricula: An importance-weighted analysis of O*NET foodservice management competencies and ACPHA accreditation outcomes. Under review, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education
Teaching
I have taught across two university systems for more than a decade, bringing hotel operations experience directly into the classroom. Recent courses of record at Iowa State University include:
Hospitality and Apparel Marketing Strategies
Redesigned the course around digital marketing, hospitality branding, and consumer behavior.
Lodging Operations
Applied instruction in front office operations, reservations systems, guest services, and yield management, drawn from ten years of hotel management.
Entertainment Venue Management
Venue operations, event logistics, and guest experience management.
Lecturer, Department of Hospitality Management
A full portfolio of hospitality courses across lodging, foodservice, and marketing, integrating food safety and regulatory compliance throughout.
Leadership and honors
President, Eta Sigma Delta Honor Society
President, National Society for Minorities in Hospitality
Principal Investigator, FSMEC Research Grant
Preparing Future Faculty Program
Credentials
- Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE)
American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute - ServSafe Manager
National Restaurant Association - ServSafe Instructor and Registered Examination Proctor
National Restaurant Association, valid through 2029
Contact
I welcome conversations about research collaborations, teaching, and faculty opportunities.
Email
morris.brako@outlook.com
ORCID
0000-0002-1880-3042
LinkedIn
morris-brako
ResearchGate
Morris-Brako