Kendall's Zonka inducted into LDEI

Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE, managing director and associate dean of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, has been inducted into the Chicago chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI), a global organization of woman leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industry.

Zonka was promoted to managing director of Kendall's School of Culinary Arts in April 2010, retaining her role as associate dean. In 2009, she launched a nutrition concentration in the School of Culinary Arts' bachelor's program at Kendall College. Before joining Kendall's faculty in 2007, she was a lecturing instructor at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., and a chef-instructor at the Illinois Institute of Art--Chicago. Zonka was named Registered Young Dietitian of the Year by the American Dietetic Association and Educator of the Year by the ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians.

Induction into LDEI is by invitation only. Named for French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer Georges Auguste Escoffier, Les Dames d'Escoffier inspires women to develop their leadership skills in culinary professions. LDEI, established in 1986 and based in Louisville, Ky., has more than 1,500 members in 27 chapters across the U.S. and Canada.

Hospitality executives honored by MSU Hospitality

The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University honored five hospitality executives on May 24 at its Annual Gathering of Leaders at The Drake Hotel in Chicago. More than 125 alumni, students, faculty, friends and family attended the event, which the school hosts annually during the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.

Annual Gathering of Leaders this year honored Alumnus of the Year Kenneth C. Weber (BA '77), president of Weber's Inn & Restaurant in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Honorary Alumnus of the Year James W. Chamberlain, senior vice president and general manager of institutional foodservice for Ecolab. Honored as Emerging Alumni Leaders of the Year were Christopher J. Durso (BA '82), vice president of operations for Rim Hospitality; Gary R. Hernbroth (BA '79), chief motivating officer for Training for Winners; and Ryan S. Meliker (MBA '05), vice president of gaming and lodging for Morgan Stanley Equity Research.

Director and professor of MSU's hospitality school Dr. Ron Cichy, Alumni Association chairmen Emeriti Richard Farrar and Marc Gordon, and vice president Dan Burdakin were also on hand to congratulate the honorees and host a reception following the award ceremony.

Awardees and presenters from the Annual Gathering of Leaders at The Drake Hotel in Chicago. (l to r) Dr. Ron Cichy, Emerging Alumnus Leader Ryan Meliker, Dan Darrow, Emerging Alumnus Leader Gary Hernbroth, Marc Gordon, Alumnus of the Year Kenneth Weber, Honorary Alumnus of the Year James Chamberlain, Richard Farrar, Emerging Alumnus Leader Christopher Durso and Dan Burdakin.

Purdue renames Food Science Building to honor Nelson

The Purdue University Board of Trustees approved renaming the Food Science Building in honor of retired professor and food science department chair Philip E. Nelson, who helped develop the program and became an international laureate for his work in improving the world's food supply. The building will be called the Philip E. Nelson Hall of Food Science.

Nelson (pictured), who retired in May at age 75, ended a 50-year career at Purdue most recently as the Scholle chair professor in food processing. He was the food science department's first chairman when it was created in 1983 and served in that position for 20 years.


Nelson built the food science program from a department of 30 undergraduate students, 10 graduate students and 10 faculty members into the country's largest, with a peak of 150 undergraduates, 50 graduate students and a faculty of 19.

Nelson also provided leadership to the food science profession and food industry as president of the Institute of Food Technologists in 2001-'02 and as committee member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and National Academy of Sciences. He also received the World Food Prize in 2007 for his aseptic processing innovation. The system reduced postharvest waste and made seasonal fruits and vegetables available year-round and easier to transport worldwide.

Monroe College to host A Chef's Legacy event

On July 19 the Monroe College School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts will host A Chef's Legacy--the 5th Annual Craig Rutman Memorial Scholarship Dinner. The event will feature dean Frank Costantino, CEC, CCE, AAC, the 2006 American Culinary Federation (ACF) championship team and Monroe culinary students preparing food in this year's theme, "Taste of the Mediterranean."

A Chef's Legacy honors the memory of chef Craig Rutman, Monroe's first director of culinary arts. The event raises funds for Monroe College students who will participate in the study abroad program in Italy. Last year, the event raised more than $45,000.

The event starts at 6:30 p.m. in the college's Culinary Arts Center in New Rochelle, N.Y. For more information, e-mail Carol Genese at cgenese@monroecollege.edu.

Culinary Cup to benefit Kenneth Black Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Napa River Grill Culinary Cup, a golf scramble to benefit the Kenneth Black Memorial Scholarship Fund for culinary students at Sullivan University, will be held on Aug. 2 at the Cardinal Club in Simpsonville, Ky. Black, a Sullivan graduate and then sous chef for Napa River Grill in Louisville, Ky., was killed in a motorcycle accident on April 23, 2010, just before his 25th birthday.

The Napa River Grill Culinary Scholarship Fund was created in 2003 to help young people earn a degree in culinary arts. The scholarship was renamed in Black's honor after his passing. The scholarship fund will be awarded to a student at Sullivan University currently pursuing a culinary arts degree.

For more information about the event, call (502) 423-5822.

CIA president discusses food, education trends in new CIA podcast

In the latest "Insight from the Inside" podcast from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), CIA president Dr. Tim Ryan discusses topics such as the advantages of a formal culinary education, leadership and food trends.


Dr. Ryan (pictured), who has been president of The CIA since 2001, was captain of the first U.S. team to win a Culinary World Cup and the team that won the World Championship at the 1988 Culinary Olympics. He also was the youngest person to become a Certified Master Chef and the youngest president of the American Culinary Federation. In the podcast, he discusses how the restaurant and hospitality field is more competitive, sophisticated and complex than it was when he joined the industry in 1977 upon graduating from the CIA. In this environment, education and leadership go hand-in-hand.

"Insight from the Inside" is a series of chats with graduates who have exciting jobs in the food world. Previous podcasts have featured CIA graduates Grant Achatz, John Besh, Anne Burrell, Scott Conant, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Duff Goldman, Johnny Iuzzini, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, Michael Symon and Michael Ruhlman. To hear the 22-minute interview with Dr. Ryan or receive future podcasts, visit www.ciachef.edu/podcasts.

Experts examine probiotics in July 'Culinary Nutrition News'

While few spend time thinking about ways to incorporate more bacteria into their diets, friendly bacteria like probiotics are actually vital to proper immune system development, digestion, protection against disease and absorption of food and nutrients. The July issue of "Culinary Nutrition News" tackles the topic of probiotics and why they're important. The article, presented by the American Culinary Federation Chef & Child Foundation (CCF) and Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., is now available for download at www.acfchefs.org/CNN.

In the article, titled "Probiotics: The Friendly Bacteria," author Dr. Margaret Condrasky, R.D., CCE, of Clemson University, defines probiotics and shares research and information on why they are important for digestive and overall health. Foods that contain probiotics include buttermilk, cottage cheese, yogurt with live cultures and miso. She also offers several ways to incorporate more probiotics into your diet.

The American Culinary Federation's Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University partnered in May 2009 to offer a series of monthly articles designed to bridge the nutrition gap for chefs by providing up-to-date research information. Upcoming topics include cooking green with organic/local and sustainable foods and medicinal herbs and spices.