Kendall College culinary students win gold medals at the 2011 ACF National Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl

For the second consecutive year, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts students took home gold medals as winners of the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) National Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl. The students beat finalist teams from Colorado, Georgia and Pennsylvania at the event, which was held during the 2011 ACF National Convention at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas. The Kendall College team, representing ACF’s Central Region and consisting of Gabriele Ausraite, Robert Baki, Jacob Clara, Paige Rogers and Jacqueline Wallner (captain), competed against teams representing foodservice-training programs at schools in ACF’s Northeastern, Southeastern and Western Regions.

(l. to r.) Students Jacob Clara, Gabriele Ausraite, Jacqueline Wallner, Robert Baki and Paige Rogers with chef Dina Altieri

The Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl—which celebrates its 20th year in 2011—tests the acumen of culinary-arts students via a “Jeopardy”-style subjects grid that includes challenging culinary, baking, nutrition, sanitation and math questions as well as sensory perception. The competition is named after the late Chef Baron H. Galand, CEC, who served as national president of ACF from 1983 to 1987.

Colorado Mountain College culinary arts program offering new sustainable cuisine degree

The culinary arts program at Colorado Mountain College, a college with 11 locations in western Colorado, is offering a new Associate of Applied Science degree in sustainable cuisine. The degree that’s being launched this fall semester is an extension of the college’s current three certificates in sustainable cuisine at the campus in Edwards, west of Vail.

Colorado Mountain College culinary arts student Monica Martin of Eagle, Colo., will be taking a sustainable operations class this fall. (Photo credit: Kate Lapides)

Chris Moyer, project manager for the National Restaurant Association’s environmental initiative Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability, says about the college’s program: “I think it’s exciting, awesome. I have yet to hear of another sustainable cuisine specific associate degree.”

Visit www.coloradomtn.edu/sustainablecuisine.

John O’Neill named director of the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State

John O’Neill has been named the director of the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State. He succeeds Bert Van Hoof on July 1, 2011.

A member of the Penn State faculty since 2001, his research focuses on strategic management, lodging management and development, real estate valuation, work-life balance in the lodging industry, and hotel branding.

Prior to working at Penn State, O’Neill was an assistant professor, associate professor, and professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1994 to 2001. He was a visiting faculty member at Novgorod State University in Russia in 2000 and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Rhode Island in 1997. He has also worked in industry, notably as a senior associate for Coopers & Lybrand from 1991 to 1994; director of hotel market planning for Holiday Inn Worldwide from 1990 to 1991; manager and senior manager of hotel development planning for Marriott Corporation from 1988 to 1990; consultant and senior consultant for Laventhol & Horwath from 1985 to 1988; and front office manager and housekeeping manager for the Hyatt Corporation from 1984 to 1985.  

In addition to his professional and academic roles, O’Neill has been a consultant for dozens of companies, including the Darien Hospitality Group, Hilton Hotels, Marriott International, American Express, Citizens Bank, GMAC Commercial Mortgage, Kaplan Publishing, Prentice Hall, as well as a number of law firms.

O’Neill is the recipient of several awards, including a favorite professor award from Penn State, the Teacher of the Year Award from Johnson & Wales University, and excellence awards from the Marriott and Hyatt Corporations. He has given invited talks throughout the United States and has been quoted or mentioned in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, USA Today, and Business Week.

Kendall College School of Culinary Arts launches part-time format for baccalaureate degree completion

The Kendall College School of Culinary Arts will launch a new program in October 2011 for part-time students to complete their bachelor’s degree in the culinary arts. The new flexible learning option, designed for working adults who have already obtained an associate degree in the culinary arts from Kendall, will blend online and traditional on campus instruction.

According to Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE, MBA, dean of Kendall’s School of Culinary Arts, the new B.A. part-time completion program offers flexibility to chefs already working in the marketplace as well as new students eager to begin their careers.
 
In the junior and senior years of the baccalaureate program, students further their knowledge of the culinary arts with classes in global cuisine, food science, advanced pastry and research and development while honing their business skills and deepening their understanding of the business world. The new part-time format also includes a concentration in culinary nutrition currently offered to students in the traditional B.A. program. Courses are 10 weeks in duration, including an intensive integrative senior project required for graduation.

Visit www.kendall.edu.

The Culinary Institute of America launches Menu for Healthy Kids website

Responding to the growing problem of childhood obesity in the United States, The Culinary Institute of America has launched an innovative new website to provide important information, statistics, and recipe solutions titled Menu for Healthy Kids: Fostering Positive Change in Our Schools, http://healthykids.ciachef.edu. It is geared for utilization by five key audiences: school administrators, food service directors, foodservice industry, teachers, and parents and kids.

Content on the new website will be updated regularly, keeping pace with scientific advancements. Links to other informational sources will also be kept current. The site will provide live news feed as well, guaranteeing updates on nutritional breakthroughs. A link to YouTube CIA cooking videos offers healthy menus instruction. There will be scientific content from the CIA's research arm, The Menu Research and Flavor Discovery Institute. People can sign up to receive e-mail updates. A coordinating Facebook page has been launched, and podcasts are planned with prominent school lunch reformers.

The website was established to achieve key objectives, said the CIA's Rico Griffone:

• Increase collaboration and dialog among individuals, institutions, and industry working to improve school food.
• Identify and promote best practices that are currently working in school foodservice.
• Create a dynamic virtual community for exchanging information and resources about food and food practices in schools and at home that lead to improved child health.

The Menu for Healthy Kids website is the latest component of a larger, forward-thinking initiative launched by the CIA to address the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. In May, the school's San Antonio, TX campus hosted the Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids conference, which brought together 200 diverse professionals from around the country, including Assistant White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass and Dr. Janey Thornton, USDA deputy under secretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services.

Visit www.ciachef.edu.

The Chef’s Academy appoints chef Jeff Bane as dean of culinary education

The Chef’s Academy, the Culinary Division of Harrison College, a 108-year-old, nationally accredited institution that offers more than 30 degree programs in five schools of study, has appointed chef Jeff Bane MLD, CEC, CCE dean of culinary education North Carolina/curriculum program coordinator. In this position, Bane will assist instructors in developing learning styles and curriculums, inform students of their progress in the program, complete performance appraisals, and monitor grades, schedules and course loads.

Prior to joining The Chef’s Academy five years ago, Bane received his associate’s degree in culinary arts and bachelor’s degree in food service management from Johnson and Wales University’s Charleston, S.C. campus and holds an associate’s degree in pastry arts from The Chef’s Academy as well as a master’s degree in leadership development from Saint Mary of the Woods College in Saint Mary of the Woods, Ind. He served as an executive chef for ten years in Montana, Alaska, Utah, Idaho and Arizona. Bane spent three years overseas working at resorts in New Zealand, France and Austria. He also spent a summer in the Balearic Islands of Spain as a private chef.

Bane grew up in Fort Wayne, Ind. and now resides in Morrisville, N.C. He is involved in many professional organizations, including the National Ice Carving Association, the American Culinary Federation, the American Homebrewers Association and the World Association of Chefs Societies. In 2010, Bane was named American Culinary Federation Indianapolis Chef Educator of the Year.