City Tech honors celebrity chef Waldy Malouf and educator James Ryan

New York City College of Technology’s Department of Hospitality Management recently held a winter wonderland-themed event in celebration of the January 2009 graduating seniors from the hospitality-management department

Among those honored were hospitality industry “celebs” Waldy Malouf (pictured above, right), chef/co-owner of Beacon Restaurant & Bar and Waldy’s Wood Fired Pizza & Penne, and James Ryan (pictured above, left), a graduate of the City Tech program (’90) and a culinary arts coordinator with the New York City Board of Education. The two were named recipients of the 2008 Outstanding Industry Professional and Distinguished Alumnus Awards, respectively, for their dedicated professionalism and many contributions to the hospitality field and the College.

Waldy Malouf: Outstanding Industry Professional Award
Upon graduating from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in 1975, Waldy Malouf went on to win first prize in the Carras Culinary Competition at the “21 Club” in New York City before beginning his career. Over the ensuing years, he has worked at The Rainbow Room, The Hudson River Club, The Four Seasons, La Côte Basque, The St. Regis Hotel and La Cremaillere in Bedford, N.Y.

A published author, Malouf also has been a participating chef in Share Our Strength, Taste of the Nation’s annual fund-raising campaign, for several years. He serves on the board of directors of the CIA and is chair of its Alumni Council. He also serves on the board of the American Institute of Wine and Food (NY Chapter) and volunteers his services for various hunger-relief causes and culinary-education concerns. Shortly after 9/11, he co-founded the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund. To date, the fund has raised more than $22 million for families of food service workers killed in the attack on the World Trade Center.

James Ryan ’90: 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award
James Ryan has been the culinary arts coordinator at Port Richmond High School on Staten Island for eight years. The program now enrolls more than 300 students and prepares them for advanced culinary educations as well as for entry-level positions in the food industry. The program has produced many success stories, including the awarding of more than $200,000 in scholarships and student trips to the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in London.

Before becoming a teacher, Ryan had worked in the restaurant industry since high school. He began as a dishwasher and prep cook at the Island Chateau while still in school. He graduated from New York City College of Technology in 1990 with a degree in hotel and restaurant management. He gained experience through an internship at the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. While attending City Tech, he also participated in the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show’s Cake Decorating Competition and won a Blue Ribbon for the College. Following graduation, he worked in many restaurants and food service establishments, including Carol’s Café and Aesop’s Tables.