JWU Magazine Winter 2016

FOOD + MEDICINE Just What the Doctor Ordered FUELING PRO ATHLETES Stealth Vegetables, Secret Sauces and Other Tricks of the Trade

Most Likely to Succeed DRESSAGE CHAMPION JESSICA FOREND ’10 AIMS FOR THE OLYMPICS

WINTER

2016

CONTENTS 14

WINTER 2016

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FEATURES

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THE WINNING EDGE For these culinary nutrition graduates, fueling professional athletes is a high-stakes game.

Secret sauces, camo vegetables and fake “fried” chicken are tricks of the trade.

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MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED An assistant trainer for a Grand Prix dressage champion, equestrian Jessica Forend ’10 is fixed on the ultimate carrot.

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LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE As healthcare shifts from sick care to more preventative meaures, JWU’s approach is just what the doctor ordered.

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DEPARTMENTS 02 04 08 26 28 30 40

From the Chancellor Campus News Athletics Resource Development Alumni News Class Notes Career Update

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JWU

FROM THE CHANCELLOR’S DESK

Vice President of Communications DOUG WHITING

Director of Design & Editorial Services BRIAN MURPHY

Editor

DENISE DOWLING

Art Director

BRIAN MURPHY

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ITH THE NEW YEAR comes new resolutions focusing on improvement and well-being. Maybe you’ve resolved to run a marathon, achieve a promotion, or to simply put your best foot forward each and every day.

If one of your resolutions is to eat healthier, Johnson & Wales University is making often confusing choices as clear-cut (and tasty!) as possible while remaining at the forefront of health. “Let Food Be Thy Medicine” discusses how our collaboration with Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine has led to two other pilot offerings: one in Providence with students at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, and one in Denver with students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. JWU graduates such as Shawn Goldrick ’96 are bringing celebrity chef demonstrations to Boston Children’s Hospital and, at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Angelo Mojico ’95 has introduced room service madeto-order options such as sushi.

But our graduates aren’t only helping patients. Pro-athletes are benefiting from alumni culinary skills and nutritional smarts to gain a competitive edge. “The Winning Edge” chronicles Bryson Billapando ’12 (U.S. soccer), Varun Shivdasani ’02 (U.K. soccer) and Simon Lusky ’10 (St. Louis Cardinals baseball) calibrating meals for injury prevention and certain team positions. Our culinary nutrition degree program is the only one in the country that

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Contributors JENNIFER BROUILLARD MIKE COHEA GREGORY DISTEFANO JULIE DUGDALE JULIA S. EMLEN JORDAN FICKESS VANESSA E. GARCIA SHARU GOODWYN ROBYN HANKERSON

provides both a foundation in the culinary arts and accreditation by the Council for Education in Nutrition. Program graduates are meeting the increasing demand for food-based approaches to disease management and prevention — and changing lives forever.

The life of Jessica Forend ’10 changed when, as a JWU student, she won the division championship in intercollegiate dressage for three consecutive years, the equivalent of a Triple Crown. “Most Likely To Succeed” tells her story as well as the evolution of JWU’s equine program. Growing up riding the pastures of Martha’s Vineyard, Forend garnered less show experience than her off-island peers.

But after arriving at JWU, her dedication, passion and the expert coaching and instruction she received helped her to become best in show.

Today she’s a trainer for a Belgian-born Grand Prix rider ranked 22nd in the country. And her resolution? To one day qualify for the Olympics.

What are your resolutions? And have you been able to keep them? I invite you to share them with us and continue the conversation at jwumagazine@jwu.edu.

All the best,

MELINDA HILL KARA JOHNSTON HOLLI KEYSER RACHEL LACAILLE DONALD PAULHUS LISA PELOSI ED PEREIRA JEANNE RYAN ELIZABETH SCANLON ’97 M.S. STEPHEN SMITH MARY SWARD DAMARIS R. TEIXEIRA LAUREN TKACS MIRIAM S. WEINSTEIN ’08 MBA MELINDA LAW WESTMORELAND

JWU Magazine is published four times a year including a special supplement for recent graduates. Photos (black and white or color prints), high-resolution digital images and news can be sent to JWU Magazine, 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI, 02903 or emailed to jwumagazine@jwu.edu.

Selection and publication of entries are at the editor’s discretion. JWU Magazine is produced

by University Communications in cooperation with Resource Development and Alumni Relations.

Chancellor JOHN J. BOWEN ’77

Providence Campus President and Chief Operating Officer MIM L. RUNEY, LP.D.

Regional Campus Presidents LARRY RICE, ED.D., ’90, NORTH MIAMI ROBIN KRAKOWSKY ’88, ’08 ED.D., DENVER ROBERT C. MOCK JR., ED.D., CHARLOTTE

Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77

Save The Dates PROVIDENCE CAMPUS CHARLOTTE CAMPUS

All-Class Reunions April 29 –May 1, 2016

Visit alumni.jwu.edu to register for the weekends and for a complete list of alumni events.

CAMPUS NEWS SCENE OF THE CRIME

above left to right :

Lyev Nakhli ’18 and Joshua Wright ’97

EXPLORING THE ETHICS OF HACKING WITH JOSHUA WRIGHT ’97 “WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE between me and a bad guy?” Joshua Wright asked during his recent talk about computer hacking at the Providence Campus. His answer? “One word: Permission.”

Wright, a 1997 graduate and this year’s School of Engineering & Design Distinguished Visiting Professor, is a writer, educator and active hacker who exposes critical data vulnerabilities and helps corporations and organizations safeguard their information systems. “I hack to understand and reveal flaws in systems before they are maliciously exploited,” he said.

Wright illustrated the complex nature of his job with a story about a consultancy job he took to troubleshoot the data network of a national financial services firm. He found a loophole, which could have allowed an attacker to redirect funds — roughly $500 million — into one or more bank accounts. He then asked, “So why don’t I live on my own personal island in the South Pacific?”

He freely admitted that his career path constantly sparks big questions about personal responsibility. “Ethics are defined externally, while morals are your own code,” he noted. “I share what I do publicly because I believe that my actions should make the world a better place — like helping the FBI reduce predators or helping the U.S. Army better protect soldiers.”

Wright’s larger point to students: No matter what field you ultimately choose, “keep asking questions about morality,” he said.

“Foster relationships with people who don’t think the same way you do. Accept that you may not always be right.” — Andrea Feldman

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Winter 2016

WILDCATS STUDYING criminal justice now have a space on campus to observe a “crime scene” and gather evidence for analysis. The College of Arts & Sciences’ new criminal justice lab contains comparison and forensic microscopes, fingerprinting kits, a bullet trajectory research window and 20 workstations.

“Using the new lab equipment will be like having a backstage pass at your favorite concert,” says Sophia Gentile ’19, a criminal justice major. “I will be able to see and participate in the inner workings of the processes in my exact above : Students analyze a hypothetical field of interest before crime scene. graduating.”

JWU officially opened the lab in November 2015. Criminal justice students, staff, faculty and university leadership were joined by several Rhode Island law enforcement representatives at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“In the area of criminal justice, a strong relationship between our educational institutions and the professional law enforcement community is vital to continuing advancements in the field,” said Thomas Dwyer, JWU vice chancellor and provost. With 500 students in the program, approximately 150 will use this lab annually. — Lauren Tkacs

ALUMNI AMONG RHODE ISLAND’S TOP YOUNG CHEFS JWU’S PROXIMITY to restaurants was cited as a reason why chefs tend to stay or move to Providence in the Providence Business News’ (PBN) January cover story, “Rhode Island’s Top Young Chefs.” Five of the 10 up-andcoming executive chefs selected — all under the age of 35 — are JWU alumni: Ben Sukle

Antonio Wormley ’12

’08 of Birch and Oberlin; Matt Varga ’05 of Gracie’s; Jennifer Backman ’03 of Weekapaug Inn; James Mark ’08 of north; and the youngest at 25-yearsold, Antonio Wormley ’12 of Milk Money. JWU Assistant Dean Chef T.J. Delle Donne ’04 says, “The size of Boston and New York [City] overshadows us, but Rhode Island has incredible restaurants per capita that can stand toe to toe with any of the other cities in the country known for their culinary arts scene.”

— Lauren Tkacs

PROVIDENCE PAGE PHOTOS: JOSHUA WRIGHT BY MIKE COHEA; CRIMINAL JUSTICE BY MATHEW MACOMBER; ANTONIO WORMLEY COURTESY OF MILK MONEY

MAKING THANKSGIVING BRIGHTER FOR SOUTH FLORIDA FAMILIES NORTH MIAMI CAMPUS STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF did their part to help South Florida families in need this holiday season.

Students from the College of Culinary Arts prepared 200 turkeys that were served to more than 3,000 homeless men, women and children during Miami Rescue Mission’s annual Thanksgiving Day banquet dinner.

“We take great pride in giving back to the community and continually encourage our students to engage in community service as part of their learning and enrichment,” said Ismare Monreal, dean of students. “Hunger and homelessness are among the initiatives we support at Johnson & Wales University, and we are proud to partner with Miami Rescue Mission for this effort.”

STUDENT LANDS WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP GABRIELA FRAZIER ’16 WAS SELECTED to participate in the White House Internship Program during the fall of 2015. Frazier represented the North Miami Campus as one of three students selected from South Florida higher education institutions and nearly 175 students nationwide.

The White House Internship Program provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the executive office and prepare them for future public service opportunities.

As an intern in the office of management and administration, Frazier was responsible for conducting research, managing inquiries, attending meetings, writing memos and staffing events. She also had the opportunity to attend the weekly speaker series, as well as participate in service projects at local schools and nonprofit organizations.

A native of Hempstead, New York, Frazier is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Frazier worked alongside Experiential Education & Career Services staff to complete the application and prepare for the interview. She is among the many students who benefit from JWU’s strategic approach to securing internships and experiential learning opportunities for students. — Robyn Hankerson

Each year, the mission provides meals for the homeless on Thanksgiving. With limited kitchen space and chefs to prepare the meals, the organization typically begins preparation at least one month in advance to ensure all the food is ready on the holiday. With support from JWU, the organization was able to minimize the amount of preparation time, enabling more opportunity to assist families in need.

JWU’s support of Miami Rescue Mission also included a campuswide food drive for the organization’s “Pack the Pantry” initiative. Faculty, staff and students donated nearly 575 pounds of nonperishable items, which were distributed to the mission’s various sites. — Robyn Hankerson

MEN’S SOCCER MAKES SUN PLAYOFFS THE NORTH MIAMI MEN’S SOCCER TEAM made it to the Sun Conference playoffs for the first time last year. Pedro Codo ’16 was named First Team All-Conference and voted “Champion of Character” by league coaches for the Sun Conference. This award is presented to a studentathlete who is a leader on his team, in the classroom, throughout campus and in the surrounding community. — Sharu Goodwyn

www.jwu.edu

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CAMPUS NEWS

SHOPPING CART PARADE DEBUTS AT HOMECOMING & FAMILY WEEKEND

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HE INAUGURAL SHOPPING CART PARADE was one of several new Denver Campus traditions that debuted during Homecoming & Family Weekend, culminating with a huge display of JWU spirit in front of the Wildcat statue. The parade was headlined by Grand Marshal/Denver Campus President Robin Krakowsky ’88, ’08 Ed.D., and featured 25 shopping cart floats

that were created by student clubs, athletic teams, campus organizations and departments.

The Women’s Soccer Juniors float — decorated with a breast cancer awareness theme — was declared the best overall after garnering the highest points from the judges: Campus Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Richard Wiscott, College of Arts & Sciences Professor Keith Bowers and Renee Petrillo ’10. — Holli Keyser

AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST IS GUEST LECTURER

THERAPY DOGS ON CAMPUS: A NEW FINALS TRADITION

Greg Dobbs

A PACKED AUDITORIUM of students, faculty and staff attended two-time Emmy Awardwinning journalist Greg Dobbs’ guest lecture and timely discussion on “A Region in Crisis & the Media’s Role: Threats, Opportunities & the Middle East.” The event was hosted by the College of Arts & Sciences and presented by The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL).

For 10 of his 23 years with ABC News, Dobbs was an international correspondent based in London and Paris and covered major news events such as the Fall of the Iron Curtain and the Iranian revolution. Dobbs shared anecdotes of his time as a journalist in the heavily censored Soviet Union, as well as his perspective on measured changes occurring in the Middle East.

“This nation is exasperated with war,” said Dobbs on the recent U.S. response to the threat of extremist groups. “Some of you in this room in your conscious years have known nothing but war.”

Following the lecture, criminal justice major Connor Guenthner ’18 moderated a discussion between the audience and Dobbs.

“He gave us a really good perspective of the issues in the Middle East,” said criminal justice major Freddie Ramierez ’18. “Often, the media can be onesided and Dobbs’ expertise and experience is more credible.” — Holli Keyser

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STUDENTS AND FACULTY

numerous: reduced blood pressure

PAUSED to play with some friendly,

and anxiety, increased alertness and

fluffy, four-legged, tail-wagging friends

socialization, and positive mood alter-

to lighten up and de-stress during

ations, among other positives.

fall term finals. Certified therapy dogs

According to Sarah Hellwig ’19,

Nestor, Lemon and Molly visited

“They’re comforting because they

the Denver Campus for a Paws for

remind me of home.”

a Cause event with Therapy Dogs International.

“We’re sponsoring this event to help ease the stress on students with

Unconditional love when you are stressed out and away from home — who couldn’t use some of that?

– Amy Vucci

exams at the end of the term. Dogs are proven to help with stress relief on many levels,” said Student Government Association (SGA) First-Year Senator Madison Reed, who helped organize the event that was sponsored by the SGA. “Playing with and petting dogs produces the stress-relieving hormone oxytocin and lowers levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.”

According to Therapy Dogs International, the benefits of spending time with canine companions are

above :

Students unwind with Nestor, a certified therapy dog owned by College of Arts & Sciences professor Dave Woolever. Photo by Amy Vucci

THE OTHER SIDE OF TOURISM

A WARRIOR ON AND OFF THE ICE IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2006, mortar rounds slammed into Staff Sergeant Drew Hill’s helicopter. He fell out, hit the ground 20 feet below and woke up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland. It took 56 surgeries to repair his broken back, neck, wrist, ankle, left knee, shoulder and thumb. A grueling three years followed for the active Minnesota native who had spent many hours on the ice playing hockey. His love for the game was well known, so while sitting in a wheelchair at Walter Reed, he was asked by USA Hockey to form a team with his fellow wounded warriors. It gave him a renewed sense of purpose, a reason to want to leave his room each day, and the USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program.

Fast forward to today. The 29-year-old is a sophomore in the School of Hospitality Sports/Entertainment/Events (SEE) Management program and — not surprisingly — captain of

THIS PAST FALL, THE SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY hosted the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) Conference. The theme, “Contemporary Issues in Tourism and Hospitality Education,” attracted nearly 100 educators from 10 countries. Workshops and discussions ranged from wine tastings and teaching techniques to the economic impact visitors have on a city and sex trafficking.

Michael Sexton, domestic violence information & education specialist at Mecklenburg County Women’s Commission, shared how the hospitality industry needs to do more to try to stop human trafficking. “All travel businesses have a role to play in opening people’s eyes and being prepared to react to sex trafficking,” Sexton said. “Training all levels of your team who may come face to face with a victim is vital.”

More than 30 faculty members participated in the conference, with help from students who moderated sessions, planned an awards event, prepared dinner or presented their professor’s research. According to Chair Pamela Allison, Ph.D., a previous ISTTE board member, “The attendees kept raving about our friendly faculty, the professionalism of our students, the city’s beauty and our innovative facilities.” — Melinda Law Westmoreland above :

the JWU Ice Hockey Club. “JWU is perfect for veterans” says Hill ’18. “The professors want to know how we can succeed and they take the extra time to get to know you. With the SEE program, they’ve all been in the field and are so knowledgeable.”

Currently a forward on the club team, it seems like a lifetime ago that Hill learned how to play sled hockey from a wheelchair. Today, USA Warriors Ice Hockey operates exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in conjunction with the USA Hockey Disabled Hockey Program. –– Melinda Law Westmoreland

Guest attendees from Germany and Peru at the ISTTE Conference

FINANCIAL LITERACY 101 AS PART OF THE UNIVERSITY’S COMMITMENT to helping students achieve professional success, JWU partnered with iGrad to offer online financial literacy resources. iGrad helps students manage their money, track loan balances and offers valuable tips, videos and articles. During New Student Orientation this past summer, the Charlotte Campus introduced incoming students to iGrad and encouraged them to complete the Freshman Financial Fundamentals module prior to the semester’s start. Thanks to this new approach, 792 students registered for an iGrad account and 600 completed the module; nearly 75 percent of the incoming class. According to Sara Bos, student experience coordinator, “Students can often be intimidated by personal finances and they aren’t always knowledgeable about how the student loan process works. Utilizing the iGrad tools gives them confidence in taking control of their financial future.”

— Melinda Law Westmoreland

left to right :

JWU Charlotte President Robert Mock, Ed.D. with Drew Hill ’18

www.jwu.edu

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ATHLETICS Never Say Die

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BY JOHN PARENTE

All-American Athlete of the Year Michael Ferinde ’15 carved a legacy on the mat. Brother Joe Ferinde ’19 hopes to continue the tradition.

W

HEN THE Johnson & Wales wrestling program opened its 2015–16 season back in October, there was a gaping hole at the team’s practice facility in Providence.

It wasn’t a physical hole — it was a missing link from the four preceeding successful seasons, in the person of one Michael Ferinde.

The 2015 JWU Male Athlete of the Year, Ferinde’s graduation last May marked an end to a remarkable career. The 141-pounder from Nutley, New Jersey, finished eighth on the all-time wins list in Johnson & Wales’ wrestling history, but it wasn’t so much what he did but how he accomplished so much.

Longtime Wildcat Head Wrestling Coach Lonnie Morris says Ferinde was a self-made champion: “It’s not so much having people at his weight class to replace him, it’s the intangibles: his work ethic, his energy, his leadership and his commitment to the program on and off the mat that we’ll miss most.

“We have a couple of athletes that stepped right in for him, but it’s his heart, and just how badly he wanted to win — and how he hated to

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lose … he just loved to compete. People respected and looked up to him because he was a silent leader, not a rah-rah guy.”

Ferinde’s place in Wildcat wrestling history is a bit different from some of JWU’s other wrestling All-Americans, like James Gilbert ’02, Steve Martell ’08 and Tim Ruberg ’05, who rank among the program’s greats. In Morris’ words, Ferinde “wasn’t as gifted as those guys, but his work ethic and his desire to compete set him apart from those other guys. Some of those other guys were more talented, but Michael was so consistent and bought into what we were teaching him.

“We were wrestling at Long Island University,” Morris adds, recounting a 2014 match, “and this really tough kid gave Michael a high-flying move that put Ferinde right on his back. The kid had Michael down for two minutes and 30 seconds, but Michael fought like crazy to get out of a really punishing hold.

Most wrestlers would have accepted a pin, but not him. He was down 5-1 and battled all the way back and eventually won the match. He was ‘never say die’ on the mat. He knew that our team was in dire straights having our captain pinned, but he battled back. That was a pretty special moment.”

Ferinde says that’s the beauty of his sport: “Wrestling is a team sport, and there’s a cumulative team aspect, but you are totally responsible for your own fate.” Ferinde completed the 2015 season with his second trip to the NCAA Division III wrestling championship, where he notched his second AllAmerican selection. His first year out of Nutley seemed like light years before: “In my freshman season, I was at the bottom of the food chain. There were four years of lessons to be learned before I became a captain. I was never the top dog, but, fortunately, I kept my head on straight and took advantage of every opportunity I got.”

Those opportunities launched a heralded four-year career. With 111 victories, Ferinde won nearly 70 percent of his matches and recorded one of the fastest wins ever by a Wildcat wrestler: a 22-second pin over an opponent from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on January 20, 2013. His fifth-place finish at the 2014 NCAA tournament preceeded an eighth-place finish at the 2015 event, good enough for that second All-American honor.

Now that he’s had time to reflect on his athletic and academic career, Ferinde, currently a graphic designer in Secaucus, New

ACTION PHOTOS BY GEOFFREY RICCIO, RICCIO PRODUCTIONS LLC

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Jersey, says he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. “I definitely got way more than I expected from my college experience. And hopefully it will all work out for the best. My athletic career had a lot to do with what I was able to take out of Johnson & Wales.

“Anything you put your mind to can be done,” he continues. “I was able to cut out the negatives, improve where I needed to and focus on everything I needed to do to be successful on the mat. And I was pushed by my teammates … there were some tough kids behind me at my weight class.”

Like every great story, Ferinde’s has an epilogue. His younger brother, Joe, has just begun to write his own chapter in the annals of Wildcat wrestling. In his freshman year, Joe Ferinde has made his way onto the varsity mat, and earned acclaim with his ability to learn quickly and contribute to his team’s success.

Big brother is impressed. “Joe’s a tough kid, he has a good head on his shoulders and works his heart out,” says Mike. “He’s going to do some great things at JWU by the time he’s through. I look up to him and he does to me.”

“They’re two very different kids,” says Morris. “Joe’s more fiery. That whole family is so tight-knit. The grandparents show up at our

matches — the family travels in herds. He’s been raised around Johnson & Wales wrestling, so he knows what it’s all about. He actually had better credentials coming out of high school than Michael did. Joe placed twice in the New Jersey state tournament, so there are some high expectations for him. He won’t have to produce right away, but the bar’s been set high.

And there’s going to be some pressure because of what Michael accomplished. Joe will have to carve out his own legacy.”

The legacy that is Wildcat wrestling astounds Morris, whose first team in 1987 was made up of only four athletes: “Back in the early years, we were just trying to build and sustain a program. Now it’s established and we’re consistently a premier program. We have an alumni base that’s started to give back and donate to support the program. It’s special, and it’s refreshing to see.”

Mike Ferinde is now comfortably ensconced as the latest chapter of that legacy.

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[1] Michael Ferinde ’15 [2] Joseph Ferinde ’19 [3] Michael at the mat [4] the big win

www.jwu.edu

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L-R: Marquis Cooper ’14, Benjamin Kantor ’15, Devin Rainone ’15 and Tiffany Aubee ’17

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WINNING EDGE It's a High Stakes Game when You’re Fueling Pro Athletes

BY JEANNE RYAN

Left to right: Bryson Billapando '12 and

For these chefs, the secret’s not just in the sauce.

The secret is also hidden in Chef Bryson Billapando’s Power Balls.

And Chef Varun Shivdasani has concealed the secret in his tantalizing marinades.

Meanwhile, if you ask Chef Simon Lusky the right questions, you’ll discover that he’s put the secret in his it’s-socrispy-it-can’t-be-baked “fried” chicken.

These chefs ’ secret?

Their dishes are actually (gasp!) gastronomically disguised health food, designed to provide the professional athletes they feed with optimum nutrients to maximize performance and — hopefully — give their teams the winning edge.

Billapando ’12, Shivdasani ’02 and Lusky ’10 — along with other JWU culinary nutrition grads — are uniquely positioned to tackle the challenge of designing health food that will be scarfed down by even the most fervent junk food junkie.

“The science is very well hidden in the food,” explains Billapando, executive chef for the United States men’s national soccer team (USMNT). “It’s like feeding kids. You’re hiding the vegetables.”

Billapando joined USMNT in 2014, coming on board as the team’s first traveling chef. He immediately put his distinctive mix of culinary skills and nutritional smarts to work — and not just at meal times.

Sideline snacks — so essential in soccer to keep players energized for 90 minutes of sprints up and down the pitch — needed serious attention. “Peanut butter and jelly and fruit were not working. No one wants soggy bread,” says Billapando. Cue up the Power Balls: “They’re loaded with flax seed and oatmeal; the players just eat the heck out of them.”

But Billapando is careful to make sure that his focus on ingredients doesn’t block the meal’s appeal. “I learned that there’s a psychology of food. I take a healthy recipe and jazz it up with a name.”

Underpinning these chefs’ understanding of the vital role that nutrient science plays in athletic performance is their awareness that the foods most athletes like are a world away from nouveau cuisine, never mind alfalfa sprouts and tofu.

“A lot of athletes like simple food,” observes Billapando.

“That’s what they’re used to.”

His goal? “How can I take comfort food — some of the unhealthiest food — and make it healthy again and make it interesting? And make people want to eat it. How can I make players love it — and perform at a higher level?”

Billapando is well positioned to score. JWU’s culinary nutrition program provides a carefully balanced blend of nutritional science and chef know-how. The brainchild of since-retired nutrition professor Suzanne Vieira, the program was launched in 1999 to bridge the widening divide between the worlds of dietetics and culinary arts. Chef Todd Seyfarth ’01, department chair at the Providence Campus, recalls Vieira’s concept: “It was brilliant in its simplicity: ‘What if we taught chefs to be nutritionists?’ ” By that time, explains Seyfarth, nutrition education had migrated far from its roots. “It had been much more food focused. Then, dietitians started to thin out more and more of the food and bring in more and more of the science.”

While Seyfarth is happy to credit the essential role science plays — “I was definitely on the nerdy side. I loved the science aspect of cooking” — he emphasizes that nutrient knowledge alone does not make a winning recipe. “If you don’t know how to put that into a menu, it really is a worthless thing.”

Varun Shivdasani '02

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEX WILLIAMSON

www.jwu.edu

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A PIONEER IN THE FIELD

guys who say, ‘It’s not baked, it’s fried.’ I feel like it’s someThe interplay between culinary arts and nutrition is what thing that hits home. Everybody, from all walks of life — makes JWU’s program unique and sets its graduates apart. from Georgia to Cuba — can relate.”

As far as the players in the clubhouse are concerned, they Both Seyfarth and Professor Marleen Swanson, department chair at the Denver Campus, are quick to point out that the are tucking into the unadulterated lip-smacking flavors of Culinary Nutrition degree is the first in the country to pro- baseball. But Lusky’s quest also focused on the underlying vide a foundation in the culinary arts and accreditation by science and making sure that his “fried” chicken provides the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Swanson, a dieti- whole foods and the optimal ratio of macronutrients: carbotian who also holds a Grand Diploma from Le Cordon Bleu hydrates, proteins and fats.

Indeed, a conversation with these chefs quickly veers from Paris, notes that such dual expertise is sought after by employers: “That’s why they love our students — they know the the recipe sheet into a text on biochemistry.

“It’s one hundred percent science,” explains Shivdasani. science and the food.”

The program has seen robust growth, with Providence’s “When you’re dealing with sports it has to be. Then the chef running at capacity and Denver’s welcoming a record num- kicks in.”

On the other side of the Atlantic, Shivdasani spent the last ber of off-term students entering this winter. Demand, says four seasons as the culinary nutriSwanson, is fueled by the desire for tionist and chef for England’s food-based approaches to preNorwich City Football Club. He venting and managing disease — a saw the Canaries make a triumneed that in 2014 helped the phant return to professional socDenver Campus snag a $100,000 cer’s elite Premier League by wingrant to expand state-of-the-art ning last May’s championship lab facilities for the campus’s match at Wembley Stadium, in Center for Culinary Nutrition. front of a near sell-out crowd of “We’ve been able to add phenomemore than 85,000 fans. nal equipment,” says Swanson. “I “I’m not saying it’s all down to did a lot of shopping last summer. me,” cautions Shivdasani. “I can’t It was fabulous fun.” isolate nutrition.” Like Billapando In addition to Billapando, Lusky and Lusky, he emphasizes that he and Shivdasani, Swanson and is one among many on the support Seyfarth list a Who’s Who of gradroster — and that he partners with uates working as sports nutritiontrainers, medical staff and others ists across a range of settings: at — Chef Bryson Billapando ’12 to give the athletes every possible universities, for the military and advantage. “The method is to get as for professional teams, including Nick Arcuri ’14 with the Memphis Grizzlies, Adam Korzun much data as possible, whether it’s from strength and condi’03 with the Green Bay Packers, Stephen Smith ’09 with the tioning, from GPS or from the athletes’ food recalls.”

To design customized support, Shivdasani pairs such inHouston Texans and Shawn Zell ’10 with the Milwaukee Bucks. Teams now see menu offerings as supporting player formation with his knowledge of the roles different nutriperformance. “They truly are seeing that it does make a dif- ents play. “If you’re a winger who’s running loads, versus a ference in their ability to function,” says Swanson. “And yet goalkeeper, your nutrition is going to be totally different.

“For a winger, I would load up their carbs quite a bit to fuel they still want good food.”

Culinary nutrition graduates’ combination of culinary them. For the goalkeeper, their movement is explosive, and I artistry and science smarts can bring about that food would emphasize creatine-rich food. I would also encourage more omegas and things that are going to heighten their alchemy. awareness — the botanicals, like ginkgo biloba.”

Veteran players, who may be feeling twinges of the onset of CUSTOMIZED NUTRITION age, are the most enthusiastic about improving their Fried chicken, says Lusky, who is starting his sixth season as team chef for the St. Louis Cardinals, is a baseball tradition. nutrition — especially if it suits their tastes. Shivdasani “Every third day, people were bringing in fried chicken. For a quickly learned to calibrate his own foodie tendencies, an couple years, I really tried to find something.” Eventually, he asset in such previous venues as high-end spas and the hit upon a winning formula, discovering that brining, butter- Mumbai edition of “The Biggest Loser,’’ with the soccer milk and cornflake crumbs — racked the right way and squad’s fish-and-chip palates. Early days with the Canaries, served with sweet potato casserole — equal magic: “I’ve had he recalls thinking: “ ‘I’m going to do a Moroccan tagine. It’s

How can I take comfort food — some of the unhealthiest food — and make it healthy again and make it interesting?

How can I make players love it — and perform at a higher level?

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going to be brilliant!’ Without considering the fact that sixty percent of the team are British. They’re not going to like spicy food.”

Data from the training room, such as body composition tests, bolster players’ own reports of improved strength and energy. “ ‘My body composition has come back four to five percent lower in fat, and I haven’t changed anything!’ ” Lusky recalls one baseball player exclaiming. Nutritional improvements had been hidden in the player’s clubhouse favorites.

The possibility for a performance boost through food is especially powerful in the current climate. “I think that in general, in all sports now, testing is more stringent,” observes Lusky. “There are really crazy products out there. You never know what you’re going to get. Honestly, it’s so much safer to eat food, and the right amounts of it.”

This acute understanding of the synergy possible through science and cuisine — and the expertise to make the most of it — is notable among all three chefs, for which they credit JWU’s culinary nutrition coursework.

DISCOVERING THEIR CALLING

For Lusky, the program’s science classes brought about an epiphany: “I barely made it out of high school. I barely passed math or science.” Getting started in the university’s organic chemistry course, Lusky was worried: “The first couple weeks, I was really having a hard time. Then, the teacher started taking the core — the periodic table and bonds — and bringing it full circle to food. I went from almost failing to getting my one and only B.” His newfound understanding was a lightning bolt, and Lusky went on to earn straight As in science. “Wow! It made me almost want to go back and take that organic chemistry course again!”

For Billapando, JWU’s program offered an irresistible challenge. The seed had been planted when he visited the Denver Campus with his then-wife, who was getting ready to attend. At that time, the facilities and equipment impressed. “This is really cool,” he thought.

Eventually, after trying out careers in physical therapy and firefighting, he was back, this time as a student. Chef-faculty encouraged him to pursue the four-year degree: “ ‘You need to do nutrition,’ ” he recalls them saying, “ ‘because it’s hard.

It’s the hardest degree here.’ ” That incentive was a sweet carrot: “It was really hard,” says Billapando, “and it made me want to excel.” In rising to the challenge of the coursework, he discovered a natural aptitude: “I just understood things. The food science and sports science made so much sense to me. I had a knack for it.”

At this point in their careers, the chefs speak with confidence of their ability to secretly embed a potent nutrient blend within delicious dishes.

“I understand how to balance things out,” notes Billapando, “which chemicals work better and taste better. I would break it down molecularly to understand it and make something

out of it. I would take recipes and deconstruct them ... and it just kind of never stops.”

Off the soccer field, Shivdasani stands poised to begin his own sports-nutrition venture, Training Table Academy, which will offer nutrition training to working chefs.

Recalling the various stops along his professional pathway, he sums up, “I’m at a point where I can make something really healthy taste really good. I know what works. The methods are the same whether using them for spas, for “The Biggest Loser,’’ for cricket or football.”

Lusky echoes both alumni: “Now that I have a really good grasp, I can walk into a kitchen and look at a dish — and it looks like the matrix to me. I can manipulate food so it makes sense nutritionally and taste-wise.”

In addition to donning his team toque, Lusky is busy putting his powers to work outside the stadium, in his newly named, St. Louis-based Revel Kitchen. The company — which includes catering, a food truck, a cafe and a restaurant — was originally called Athlete Eats. But that moniker did not recognize the wider demand for tasty, healthy food. “I’m not having swarms of people in gym clothes,” Lusky quickly realized. “I’m getting regular people in here.”

It should come as no surprise, he reflects: “Athletes are the trendsetters. They drive the cool cars, wear the cool clothes, before anyone else does.” So it makes sense that they’re a bellweather for food preferences, too. And, of course, the chef is committed to satisfying that appetite: “I want people to revel in eating well. I want people to eat healthy food, and I want them to enjoy it.”

Simon Lusky '10

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Most Likely to Succeed BLUE RIBBONS ARE NICE, BUT DRESSAGE CHAMPION JESSICA FOREND ’10 HAS HER EYE ON THE GOLD “I’ve spent most of my life riding horses. The rest I’ve just wasted.”

— AUTHOR UNKNOWN

he sun climbs as groomers — ranch vaqueros, cowboys from Central America — brush the horses to a salsa rhythm. They trace their hands over the glutes and legs, scanning for knots and warmth that can signal inflammation and a possible injury. They bandage the legs in polo wraps and cover the front hooves with protective bell boots. Cushioning is paramount: Most of these horses are worth six figures, with a handful valued at $500,000 and up and a few worth at least $1 million. Their home is Lionshare Farm, a 100-acre property in Greenwich, Connecticut, owned

by Olympic silver medalist Peter Leone and his wife Marcella.

BY DENISE DOWLING

|

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXANDER NESBITT

www.jwu.edu

Fellow earned his carrots.

Approaching Lionshare’s classic white barn with hunter green trim, it seems you’ve crossed into more than another tax bracket. The setting, which feels European, has been described as cinematic. Julia Roberts galloped across its white-railed paddocks in the 1997 thriller “Conspiracy Theory.” The driveway unfurls past a pond with a gurgling fountain and pristine swans; the property expands to 14 grass paddocks, two all-weather rings, sand trails and a cross-country field. A Grand Prix field crowns the highest point of the property, with views of the valley and permanent natural obstacles such as banks, slides, ditches and a water jump.

Like the groomers, Jessica Forend ’10 is a foreigner here. Still, she qualifies: Raised on Martha’s Vineyard, the alumna has ridden since she was five and could pass for a model. Yet she cantered the island’s savage bluffs while peers did the show circuit. During one —JESSICA FOREND ’10 summer off from Johnson & Wales, the 27-year-old worked as a nanny, assistant store manager and EMT — simultaneously.

“I’m proof that you don’t have to be born into this world to succeed,” says Forend. “The fact that I had to work harder to get here makes me prouder of what I’ve accomplished.”

Forend was the only JWU student to place first in her division for three consecutive years (from 2007–10) at the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) competition — and remains the only student to do so since the IDA’s founding in 2001.

Dressage’s fundamental principles date to around 350 B.C. The tradition boasts a steady line of riding masters from the military and the famous riding schools that developed during the Baroque era. The sport is often likened to figure skating, ballet, acrobatics or gymnastics. It’s an

I’M PROOF THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BORN INTO THIS WORLD TO SUCCEED.

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edge that Forend owns the frame and poise of a dancer. With hazel eyes and a Chiclets smile, standing a willowy 5’7’’ in custom-made brushed Italian leather riding boots — a Christmas gift from her employer — she commands attention without demanding it.

Dressage helps the horse and rider communicate and develop balance, strength, flexibility and accuracy.

Seemingly imperceptible nonverbal cues, such as a leg squeeze or a foot tap, are a shared secret language. As with dance, there is a veil of grace: Intricate athletic maneuvers must appear effortless as gossamer. Judges check for accuracy, energy, relaxation, consistency, rhythm, tempo, balance and submission. They also consider the horse’s way of moving and carrying itself, as well as the rider’s position and use of her body; movements must be technically correct at all times. Nine progressive levels exist with multiple tests in each level. At intercollegiate competitions, in the interest of meritocracy, the name of the horse one rides is fished from a hat moments before show time. Riders are then allotted a 10-minute warm-up on the horse before a 45-second cue to enter the ring.

“When you’re getting on a new horse, you want to feel what you have underneath and see how responsive they are to the different aids — your feet, seat, legs and hands,” Forend explains. “Every horse is so different and they are trained by different people. You have to figure out how to explain the different movements in your pattern to a horse that is completely unfamiliar to you.” In 10 minutes, she had to adjust her equipment and decipher “which buttons the horse has and which ones they don’t.”

The barns at Lionshare Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut

LIFE ON THE FARM Fall is a poster child for Lionshare Farm. Oak and maple trees ripen to russet and saffron; apple trees bow with fruit.

For some, this is the best season for riding, as gold sun tempers brisk clean air. The morning of our visit, Forend’s alarm bleated at 5:30. She spent an hour preparing breakfast (a mixture of bran mash and oatmeal with SmartPak nutritional supplements) for the 50-plus horses. Then she mucked out the stalls, added shavings and filled their water tubs. Afterward, she groomed and exercised the four horses owned by her employer, Eliane Cordia-van Reseema. The Netherlands-born dressage champion — a 2016 Olympics contender recently ranked 22nd in the country — leases stalls at Lionshare Farm. Jewel Court Stud, the American branch of her family’s Belgian stud farm, is in Wellington, Florida. She, Forend and two other JWU-educated equestrians (barn manager Kayla Burroughs ’10 and

Forend, Fellow and Eliane Cordia-van Reseema

dressage team captain Tara Proulx ’16) have migrated south to Palm Beach County before the freeze, in time for its show season. If their young horses show well, this summer Cordia-van Reseema and Forend might bring them to the Belgian farm in hopes of qualifying for Europe’s Young Horse World Championships.

Despite dawn-to-dusk working hours that can stretch to seven days a week, Forend considers this her dream job. As Cordia-van Reseema’s assistant trainer, she is carving a name for herself: With the Olympics in her sightline, Forend is confident she is on the right team to achieve that goal. According to Forend, some employers are so focused on winning that mentoring an assistant is not a priority. This week, her employer even imported a horse that Forend will train for competition: “Fellow,” a six-year-old Dutch Warmblood with marble eyes, an espresso and cream coat and a case of jet lag. Forend explains his “superstar potential” as she brushes Fellow in circles with a curry comb to exorcise the dirt.

Then she tucks him in before the breath of night, strapping a wool madras blanket around him.

He has “phenomenal breeding,” and certain bloodlines throw particular temperaments. “He looks like a plain Jane horse under tack, but once you start him up he has so much power — about 15 gears,” says Forend. “Personality is more important than the physical; they won’t do very well without the willpower to succeed. Fellow has a great work ethic: He always wants to be learning and is eager to please — it’s that much better when they want to be a team with you.”

YOU WANT THE HORSE TO COME TO THAT ZEN STATE WHERE THEY FEEL RELAXED BUT THEY WANT TO WORK FOR YOU. —JESSICA FOREND ’10

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Forend ’10 with Eliane Cordia-van Reseema on Jewel’s Adelante, a 16-year-old Swedish Warmblood Grand Prix-level gelding and 2016 Olympics contender

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As she strokes Fellow’s cheek, Forend cautions: “You have to be careful with a horse like that; an inexperienced trainer could physically and mentally break him. Some people want them to be winning all the time to make a name for themselves and so the horse will be worth more. They drill them at the shows, work them too hard and a horse can get ring sour. You want the horse to come to that Zen state where they feel relaxed but they want to work for you.

“Eliane and I share the same training philosophy. We’re not in a rush to get the horses to a certain level by a certain date.

You can have that goal in sight, but we want to build up their confidence rather than push them. An animal can be fantastic and then have an off day, which is when I think, ‘How can I get them to better understand what I’m trying to teach them?’ ” Her ambition is to be riding Fellow at the Grand Prix (highest) level within a few years; some experts believe it takes an experienced trainer with a talented horse at least seven years to reach that caliber. However, Fellow had already been training in Europe: Cordia-van Reseema flew Forend to Holland after personally vetting him. “When I entered the stall, he was lying down taking a nap — that’s when a horse is most vulnerable — but he didn’t get up and he let me stay in the stall,” Forend recalls. “I just fell in love — I hadn’t felt that before.”

Riding an animal of Fellow’s girth and power (he stands just over 16 hands tall and weighs nearly 1,200 pounds) is

analogous to an extreme sport. While Forend has never been seriously injured, she is intimate with the sport’s occupational hazards. In 2011, her mother, Lisa Scannell, was riding a friend’s horse that reared on its hind legs without warning, causing her to slide off and the 800pound pony to land atop her. Her pelvis was fractured in 14 places and her sacrum was broken. Doctors predicted Scannell would never walk again; today, she does so with a cane and is determined to ride once more. “Jessica has never said, ‘Are you crazy? You can’t get back on a horse!’ ” Scannell says. “And it hasn’t created fear in her; she knows this was an extremely rare freak accident.”

Forend left an internship with a well-known trainer to care for her mother — who was bedridden for three months — and to keep Scannell’s bookkeeping business on tack (she winces at the memory of learning Quicken).

Anchored by a relationship, Forend remained on Martha’s Vineyard for two years. Ultimately, she had to choose: love and a career stunted by ferry crossings or the Promised Mainland.

“If Jessica had stayed on the island, I think she would have always been wondering, ‘What if ?’ ” Scannell says.

“My middle-aged friends are envious because Jessica is so passionate about what she’s doing.” She credits horses and Johnson & Wales for helping her formerly unassertive daughter to mature. “As a child, if she needed something at a restaurant, her younger sister would ask for it. She wouldn’t raise her hand in class. But on a horse, Jessica had all the confidence in the world. At Johnson & Wales, she was on so many different ones that it really brought out her natural talent and feel for the horse. She became confident all around.”

Now, when she needs anything, this Olympic hopeful has no problem speaking up.

Happy trails: JWU students in the woods of the Center

THE CENTER FOR EQUINE STUDIES “I DO THINK WE WILL SEE JESSICA IN THE OLYMPICS,” says JWU’s Head IDA Coach Crystal Taylor, who taught Forend when she studied equine business management. “Jessica is a cool competitor; her confidence instills trust and confidence in the horse. If she drew a challenging horse, she was always positive and had a great attitude.

She would work through any issue that came up, and continue riding as if everything was perfect.”

Scannell tutored her daughter and the other riders she instructed that prizes should not be the objective. Rather, her students set goals such as working on their diagoJESSICA IS A nals in the show ring.

“Jess would come out with COOL COMPETITOR; six blue ribbons and say, Aerial view of the Center for Equine Studies HER CONFIDENCE Head IDA Coach Crystal Taylor ‘Mom, I got my lead time!’

INSTILLS TRUST cross-country field atop three acres in the Upper Valley, When friends were nervous about competing with with a derby-style jumping field with banks, ditches and Jessica, she’d reassure them, ‘We’re not competing AND CONFIDENCE step jumps. The farm includes a mirrored indoor riding against each other; we’re riding together.’ If one had a IN THE HORSE. hall with waxed footing, radiant heat, an attached 32tough day at the show, she’d give them her ribbon.”

—CRYSTAL TAYLOR stall barn, pastures and turnout paddocks. There is a At Johnson & Wales, Forend had the opportunity to multipurpose jumping ring and a separate dressage ring. compete regularly and to dedicate herself to the sport at The dressage team has won numerous regional and national awards and its Center for Equine Studies in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. When the prohas been represented at every national championship by team members. In gram launched in 1981, Johnson & Wales was the first college to develop a 2012, JWU won the National Championship; in 2013, the university was business degree in equine studies. Southern schools offered riding, but it the IDA reserve (second place) national champion; last year, the IDA team was not integrated with a business curriculum; other schools have since placed first for its region. The university also belongs to the Intercollegiate followed JWU’s lead. The bachelor’s degree combines riding training with Horse Show Association (IHSA). The IHSA team competes in hunter seat classes in physiology and genetics, nutrition, diseases, and anatomy, as well equitation throughout New England; in 2015, they were ranked second as business management. Starting this fall, equine science will be offered. place in the region.

The Center’s bucolic 31 acres, adjacent to a state forest, include a

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LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE From room-service sushi to white-aproned doctors, our food and health collaborations offer a dose of prevention

BY JULIE DUGDALE

LAD IN A CRISP WHITE APRON and chef’s hat, Eric Sharer ’08 zips around a gleaming kitchen setting mixing bowls, utensils and ingredients on the island countertop. Butternut squash, cumin, paprika, chickpeas, kale — the foods and spices pile up beside the cutting board as Sharer consults his recipe. “We’re going to make something really fun today,” he tells his aproned cochef, “using things you typically have on hand at home.”

The scene is straight out of a cooking demo TV spot, but there’s no studio audience, and Sharer’s 40-something cochef isn’t a morning show host; she’s a patient enrolled in a 12-week weight-loss program at the Stram Center for Integrative Medicine in Delmar, New York, outside of Albany. Down the hall from the gourmet kitchen are acupuncture rooms, cardio machines, an oxygen therapy chamber, doctors’ offices and other holistic medicine facilities.

Sharer and his patient embody the growing movement of culinary medicine — a marriage of culinary art and the science of nutrition — in a clinical setting. Sharer, who earned a culinary nutrition degree from the Providence Campus, is a registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist with a specialty in oncology nutrition. He provides nutritional counseling and cooking lessons for patients who have general wellness goals as well as more specific dietary needs related to problems such as cancer, diabetes, Lyme disease and digestive issues. “Patients can be very intimidated by eating,” Sharer says. “They don’t know how to eat because there’s so much information out there. Between frozen food and take-

out, they don’t realize they’re not being taught to cook.”

That’s exactly the goal of the kitchen session: Sharer walks his patient through a slew of culinary techniques that yield a healthy lunch, plenty of flavor and — hopefully — a meal that the rest of her family will enjoy as well. With hands-on instruction, Sharer demonstrates how to use a food processor to incorporate vegetables like broccoli in a salad; how to massage kale to make it more palatable; when to use olive oil versus canola oil; which spices hit the right flavor notes instead of salt; what body mechanics to employ for chopping vegetables effectively; and how to make a zingy dressing without the fat. It’s just one part of the patient’s weight-loss plan, but it’s important to maintain her momentum and make her health goals sustainable. The end result — a winter salad of butternut squash, chickpeas, roasted nuts and southwest spices with maple Dijon vinaigrette — is clearly something she’d never have considered for a meal, and she’s a little skeptical as Sharer plates their creation. “What do you think of the flavors?” he asks. “Is this something you’d make at home?”

She chews slowly, savoring the new tastes. “It’s really good,” she says. “I definitely would. I forgot the broccoli was even in there!”

Mission accomplished. Sharer’s culinary skills and nutrition knowledge complement the medical and naturopathic treatments the Stram Center offers, and it’s just one example of a movement that’s gaining momentum on a curricular level at Johnson & Wales. “Culinary medicine is applied nutrition,” says Chef Todd Seyfarth ’01, culinary nutrition

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BARRY FALLS www.jwu.edu

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Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine Program Director Chef Leah Sarris ’05 instructs students.

chair at the Providence Campus. “It’s looking at evidence — a study that says ‘these foods are likely to have X result’ — and saying, ‘Here is how we create a menu that’s appropriate for your culture and social environment at a level that can hopefully prevent or manage disease.’ ”

HEALTHCARE, NOT SICK CARE

Study after study shows that poor diet is one of the biggest risk factors in disease and early death. It follows that the worse the diet, the greater the monetary healthcare costs. So when the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 ushered in an era with a greater focus on preventative healthcare as a sweeping change in the way we view medical problems and solutions, food choices began to play more of a starring role in the medical world. “Culinary medicine is very much about preventative health,” Seyfarth says.

“Everyone talks about how it’s not healthcare — it’s sick care.

The surgeon general is talking about how healthcare costs are going to bankrupt the country.

How can we fix this? You cannot get a more efficient use of money than teaching people to cook healthily. That’s the catalyst of this movement.”

And therein lies the problem, Sharer says. Who’s doing the teaching? Sure, anyone can consult a health practice about which vitamins and nutrients can help them lose weight or lower blood sugar. “But a lot of dietitians out there don’t know how to cook,” he says, and that’s important when they’re telling a patient to cut back on salt or fats. Unless they can provide an alternative way to make food taste good, healthful dietary guidelines can go unheeded. “With training from Johnson & Wales, you can help make practical recommendations for flavor and texture,” he says. And that’s where JWU is taking the next step to educate not just future dietitians and nutritionists, but also physicians who need to discuss food choices with their patients.

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DOCTORING A MEAL IN THE JWU LAB

Just ask Richard Buesa, a student at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School who’s spending his Friday night in the kitchen — the classroom kitchen, that is, on the Providence Campus of Johnson & Wales. The problem, Buesa says, is that there’s very little instruction on nutrition and dietary concepts in medical school — which is why two dozen or so medical students are paired off at state-of-theart cooking stations, whisking, chopping, blending and searing ingredients to create a feast that will serve as the culmination of an elective Food + Health course in partnership with JWU’s Culinary Nutrition Society. In its second year, the pilot program invites medical students to spend five separate cooking sessions under the tutelage of culinary students and Chef Michael Makuch ’03, M.A.T. ’05, a JWU associate professor and advisor for the nutrition society.

Each week, students from the two universities bring their disciplines together to tackle a nutrition problem by applying their respective skillsets.

Take hypertension: The medical students might provide a lecture discussing the physiological science behind the condition, while the culinary students lead the practical applications of creating a healthy, low-sodium meal that’s still flavorful and appealing with the addition of certain herbs and spices. Or perhaps the hypothetical challenge is a child who only eats white foods: “You have to figure out a way to get him more fiber,” Makuch says. “The students can think outside the box; it’s an interesting collaboration.

The major goal is to build awareness. For the medical students, it’s about increasing their culinary literacy. Just getting them excited about it — that can pass down to their patients eventually. This is another tool to better relate to their patients and potentially improve health outcomes.”

This evening is the medical students’ first solo attempt at creating a range of dishes with ingredients purchased on a

nicely, too. Doctors are listening, and they’re excited about it.

They’ve been talking about food with their patients, and that’s the outcome we’re hoping for.”

Goldring’s continuing education modules are taught partially by interns from JWU — part of a semester-long exchange partnership between the two institutions that sends JWU students to Tulane’s culinary medicine center, and Tulane’s medical students to a JWU “culinary boot camp” of sorts. It didn’t take long for JWU’s Providence Campus to realize there was another eager pool of medical students — just as badly in need of cooking skills — a heck of a lot closer than New Orleans, and the JWU-Brown Food + Health pilot program was born. Twelve Brown medical students registered for the initial elective; one year later in fall of 2015, the course couldn’t accommodate the more than 60 medical students who were interested.

“There’s always been an interest in food,” Makuch says. “That conTHE ORIGINAL PILOT tinues to grow in our society as The pilot program, which has also Eric Sharer ’08 food becomes more glamorized. been launched at JWU’s Denver Consumers are starting to ask Campus with the University of more questions about food and Colorado School of Medicine, is modeled after concepts developed in Tulane University’s health in general. ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, in New Orleans, thy food’ still holds true today. It’s a novel approach and it Louisiana. “We always partner a medical concept with the sounds almost too simple, but it can still be used in the tool cooking,” says Goldring Program Director Chef Leah Sarris kit. It’s very grassroots in many ways.”

As a pioneer of the concept, the Goldring Center offers a ’05, a former JWU adjunct instructor who built the Goldring curriculum from the ground up in 2012. The center aims to culinary medicine certification and has licensed its program provide Tulane’s medical students with the culinary and nu- to about 10 percent of the medical schools in the United tritional training — nine cooking classes at three hours each States, with a dozen more in the works. “The medical school — that a traditional medical education lacks. Plus, it offers curriculum is a very hard egg to crack,” Sarris says. “A lot of free community classes to the public as well as continuing medical schools were not receptive in the beginning. In the education classes to nurses, physician assistants and other long-term, we’d like to prove that people who go through our health professionals. “The Affordable Care Act has helped,” classes are healthier and more apt to provide nutritional Sarris says. “Physicians can do lifestyle training and have it counseling and therapy in their practices. We have to walk be billable hours. Preventative medicine falls in there quite the talk so patients are more likely to listen.” Back at JWU, mock budget — an effort to tailor their newfound culinary knowledge to the real-world scenario of patients with limited grocery finances. The result, spread banquet-style over the butcher-block and stainless-steel surfaces of the JWU kitchen, is a mélange of fresh, colorful, creative dishes such as salmon-wrapped root vegetables with herb-infused olive oil and grilled skirt steak with chimichurri salsa and cauliflower mashed potatoes. The doctors-to-be proudly present their plates to their culinary counterparts for final evaluation of their skills and ingenuity.

“We’ve been developing a more hardcore curriculum to optimize it for the medical students and make it more applicable to their workplaces,” says Kyle Stuart ’17, president of the Culinary Nutrition Society. “The confidence in a doctor’s voice, knowing what he or she is talking about with food, is going to be really reassuring to a patient.”

“

P atients can be

very intimidated by eating. They don’t know how to eat because there’s so much information out there.

”

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Culinary Nutrition Chair Todd Seyfarth ’01

patient and it would come back down. So I said, let’s change this and do a real milkshake.” The kitchen got a milkshake machine that does strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, added high-quality protein powder and a nutritional supplement, created a product logo with a hero in a cape, and called it the Super Shake. “That is culinary medicine: Feeding people FINE DINING, HOSPITAL STYLE On the flip side of culinary medicine’s clinical applications what they need to heal themselves,” Mojica says. “You have are the administrative aspects of integrating food science to make the food good — not good for hospital food, but good into healthcare settings, and JWU alumni are leading the for any food.”

Healthcare facilities across the country are similarly charge to overhaul hospital food service programs. “I see the shifting their thinking to enculinary side and the nutrition hance their culinary offerings. side, and how in healthcare they Take the world-renowned need to work together,” says Boston Children’s Hospital, Angelo Mojica ’95, the senior which unveiled an $11 million enterprise director of nutrition cafeteria overhaul this past sumand food services at the Cleveland mer. With Patient Support Clinic in Ohio. “Hospital food was Services Director Shawn bad because we didn’t have a lot of Goldrick ’96 at the helm, Boston money, not because we couldn’t Children’s transformed an uninmake good food. I developed a spired retail restaurant space model that both reduces expenses into an innovative hub of and increases patient satisfacculinary activity with a Chef’s tion.” Mojica is referring to a Playground station that includes retail room-service concept he’s healthy cooking lessons, celebintroducing at the Cleveland rity chef demonstrations and Clinic, much like the awardcooking sessions geared toward winning Restaurant Delivery specific diseases.

Program he implemented while Todd Seyfarth ’01 At the Stram Center, Sharer overseeing University of North knows the impact a cooking demCarolina healthcare food seronstration can have, whether it’s vices. He created a 20-page menu that offers items such as made-to-order chopped salads, at an outpatient visit, a hospital cafeteria or a JWU kitchen sushi, seasoned chili-lime shrimp burritos and low-sodium classroom. He’s packaged up the leftovers from the butternut squash dish they’ve prepared to send home with his pachicken stir-fry.

“There is healing in food,” Mojica says, and that goes as tient. It’s one of about 30 recipes she’ll receive. Sharer much for providing choices and variety as it does for get- wishes more healthcare providers could talk their patients ting patients the type of nutrition that will help them re- through specific food choices and culinary techniques. cover — and marketing it wisely. Cancer or cystic fibrosis “Most doctors aren’t trained that way, but there’s a strong patients, for instance, need fat and calories — but often possibility with this pilot program of changing our healthhave no appetites. Tasteless food doesn’t help. “A supple- care system with the idea of prevention,” he says of JWU’s ment shake provides everything you need except taste,” he new Food + Health collaboration. “I’m a big believer that says. “In fact, it tastes really terrible. You’d send it up to the knowledge is power.”

Seyfarth says there’s been some tracking of the culinary boot camp outcomes. “The doctors that have been doing the rotation at Johnson & Wales are more comfortable teaching the nutrition concepts to their patients.”

“

C ulinary medicine is

very much about preventative health.

Everyone talks about how it’s not healthcare — it’s sick care.

How can we fix this?

”

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OFF THE SHELF Ink by University Authors

BY RACHEL LACAILLE

THE MINDFUL LIBRARIAN:

Connecting the Practice of Mindfulness to Librarianship (Chandos Publishing) This guide aims to explore mindfulness as it relates to today’s librarians, who are now more than ever expected to juggle multiple tasks and technologies while facing growing cutbacks in their field. Authored by RICHARD MONIZ JR., M.A., M.L.I.S., ED.D., director of library services at the Providence Campus; HOWARD SLUTZKY, PSY.D., associate professor of psychology at the Charlotte Campus; and JOE ESCHLEMAN, head of reference at the Providence Campus, as well as Lisa Moniz and Jo Henry, the book’s larger goal is to help improve the “joy and quality of life that librarians and library science students experience in their personal lives and jobs.”

This is Moniz’s fourth book and Eschleman’s third book.

SHADOW AND LIGHT (Telemachus Press)

Lisa Moniz, MLS has 21 years of experience working as a school library media specialist in both public and independent schools and has been active in a variety of library-related organizations.

Dr. Howard Slutzky, Psy. D. has worked in a variety of clinical settings including community mental health, college counseling, and private practice. He is currently a full professor at Johnson & Wales University and also offers numerous health and wellness workshops to students on a wide variety of topics.

ONLINE > bit.ly/1ToiE0J

Key Points · · ·

provides a greater understanding of what is meant by mindful practice and elaborates upon its application in the educational environment focuses on how librarians might be more mindful in specific contexts such as instruction, reference, working with faculty, or managing their library providing practical examples that can be used right away to gain greater peace and resiliency in the library workplace includes numerous examples of the creative ways in which contemplative practices are being inserted into school and college curriculums and the key role that librarians can play in supporting these efforts

ONLINE > bit.ly/1SKJKzY

Chandos Information Professional Series

The Mindful Librarian Richard Moniz, Joe Eshleman, Jo Henry, Howard Slutzky and Lisa Moniz

Professor CAROL KORIS, M.F.A., chair of the College of Arts & Sciences on the North Miami Campus, delves into the pain and mystery of loss in her debut novel. Maggie Miller, who In an academic environment of rapid change and doing more with less, librarians are increasingly tragically lost her 8-year-old daughter and is at challenged to manage stress, remain resilient, and take a proactive approach to complex issues that affect our profession. Our research and writing examines how mindfulness, while helpful in its own right, can be specifically to research, information literacy-related instruction, the precipice ofapplied losing her marriage and modern reference services, the academic liaison role, and library management in a college or university setting as well as in the K-12 setting through the role of the solo school librarian. The business, turns to photographing at Mindful Librarian offers a mindful perspective for librarians, that can help themfamilies proactively deal with changes which affect all libraries and their constituencies and enhance communications with faculty, staff, and students. Mindfulness practice provides tools for better focus, greater resiliency, rest stops on the Florida Turnpike as a form of and reduced stress.

Dr. Richard Moniz, MA (History), MLIS, EdD has served as a Director of Library Services for Johnson refuge and isolation. When by chance she takes & Wales University since 1997 and as an adjunct instructor for the MLIS program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro since 2006. He is the author of the textbook Practical and Effective Management of Libraries, of Fundamentals for the Academic Liaison, co-author of The into aPersonal photo of aco-author missing girl, Maggie plunges Librarian: Enhancing the Student Experience and has contributed chapters for Mid-Career Library & Information Professionals: A Leadership Primer and Advances in Library Administration obsession on her mission to find the child, and Organization (2015 edition).

Joe Eshleman, MLIS served as Instruction Librarian at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, further straining her marriage, NC from 2008 until 2015. He is currently Head of Reference at Johnson business & Wales University in and Providence, RI. He is a coauthor of Fundamentals for the Academic Liaison and The Personal Librarian: Enhancing the Student Experience. herself — before beginning the process of Jo Henry, MPA, MLIS is the Information Services Librarian at South Piedmont Community College. In addition to other publications she is co-author of Fundamentals for the Academic Liaison and The forgiveness and growth.

Personal Librarian: Enhancing the Student Experience.

The Mindful Librarian Connecting the Practice of Mindfulness to Librarianship Richard Moniz, Joe Eshleman, Jo Henry, Howard Slutzky and Lisa Moniz

THE NEW NEW ENGLAND COOKBOOK:

125 Recipes that Celebrate the Rustic Flavors of the Northeast (Page Street Publishing) Providence Campus alumna, restaurateur and former “Top Chef” contender STACY COGSWELL ’05 goes back to her roots in her latest cookbook. Guided by the seasons, Cogswell, a native Bostonian, explores old and new traditions of the Northeast — for winter, readers might encounter Braised Pork Shanks with Spinach Dumplings and Garlic Chips, or Butter Poached Lobster Rolls with Lemon Aioli for summer. Readers are treated with striking photography to accompany Cogswell’s recipes as they cook their way through an updated version of the best of New England fare.

ONLINE > amzn.to/1UrbiI5

ISBN 978-0-08-100555-2

An imprint of Elsevier • store.elsevier.com

9 780081 005552

www.jwu.edu

25

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT CHARLES KOCH FOUNDATION SUPPORTS CHARLOTTE’S CENTER FOR FREE MARKET STUDIES JWU CHARLOTTE’S CENTER for Free Market Studies is expanding its event programming and student activities thanks to a recent $170,000 grant from the Charles Koch Foundation. The center was established in the fall of 2013 with a grant from the Michael and Andrea Leven Foundation and is under the direction of Adam Smith, Ph.D., Charlotte Campus associate professor of economics. The purpose of the center is to engage students and the larger community in

above :

The Fort Restaurant, in Morrison, Colorado right : Holly Arnold Kinney

W

DENVER CAMPUS LIBRARY RECEIVES COOKBOOK COLLECTION

HEN HOLLY ARNOLD KINNEY’S FATHER, the illustrious Denver restaurateur Sam Arnold ’04 Hon., passed away in 2006, he left a vast collection of historic rare cookbooks. Kinney contacted Lori Micho, director of library services at the Denver Campus, to inquire about donating six boxes of his cookbooks, journals and handwritten recipes, with the potential to donate several thousand more in the future. “There is something special about holding an original book,” says Kinney. “I want future generations of chefs to know and value food history. My father had a favorite saying: ‘If you want to be ahead of a food trend, just go back and see what they were eating in the 1700’s.’ Nose to tail, farm to table, paleo diets, sustainable production — it’s all a revival of past practices, and these are the things that made him passionate about sharing the foods of the Early West.”

Arnold, an English major at Yale University, moved to Denver with his first wife: Betty, a Southern Belle and direct descendent of Hugh Lawson, one of the original trustees of the University of Georgia.

They wanted to build an adobe “castle” (based on Bent’s Fort) as their home. The house required 80,000 handmade adobe bricks and was filled with pottery, carvings and other furnishings by native

26

Winter 2016

artisans. “They ran out of money to complete the home, so the bank instructed them to open a business on the first floor in order to get a new mortgage that would allow them to finish the building,” says Kinney.

Embracing his role as an accidental restaurateur, Arnold wanted The Fort Restaurant to illustrate the culinary heritage of the American West. Arnold studied with James Beard, entertained Julia Child, Michael Jackson and President Bill Clinton, and was highlighted in many publications and television programs. Among the dishes that remain on the menu since its opening is a fiery concoction called Trader’s Whiskey, made with hot red peppers, cigarette tobacco, corn whiskey and a pinch of old-fashioned gunpowder.

Kinney now serves as sole proprietress of The Fort and founder of the Tesoro Cultural Center, a venue for teaching Southwestern cultural history.

Both ventures are a labor of love to continue her father’s legacy of preserving historic cuisine and introducing new generations to the treasures found in old recipes. “Remember that cooking isn’t a science,” said Arnold. “It’s an art that comes from a familiarity with the characteristics of your ingredients combined with your own creative touch. Recipes are only like roadmaps … how you travel and where you end up depends on you. Good luck.” — Kara Johnston

Adam Smith

the study of markets, political economy and free enterprise. This is accomplished through a number of activities including sponsoring guest speaker events, student conference participation, faculty/student research collaboration and academic student scholarships. This newest grant will be used to enhance existing student-centered programs, provide new opportunities for research on the Charlotte economy with specific reference to the food service and hospitality industries, and market the center’s activities which will raise the university’s and the center’s profile throughout the community. Smith is “delighted to see such a generous show of support for what we are doing on the Charlotte Campus. This grant will help us continue providing students with a dynamic exploration of free-market ideas and the role and impact of market-based institutions.” —Darlena Goodwin

BUSINESSMAN KURT O. WALTERS ’00 WANTS JWU STUDENTS TO SUCCEED

FORT AND KINNEY PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE FORT; SMITH PHOTO BY DON CARRINGTON FOR CAROLINA JOURNAL; WALTERS PHOTO BY PORTRAIT INNOVATIONS; GAMAL PHOTO COURTESY OF OPPENHEIMER FUNDS

T

HIS FALL, KURT O. WALTERS ’00 established a scholarship in his name for undergraduates in business and finance. “Giving back to the university required little thought on my part,” he notes about initiating the Kurt O. Walters ’00 Scholarship. “My student and professional life benefited from the nurturing faculty, the administrative staff’s guidance and, most of all, from the university’s financial assistance through scholarships. I simply Kurt O. Walters ’00 cannot thank the university enough!”

And we are grateful to Walters and the example he sets for undergraduates and alumni, as a diligent student and active alumni volunteer and donor. Walters credits his accomplishments in business to the foundation of educational and professional development opportunities he was fortunate to have at Johnson & Wales University and beyond. With this scholarship, he wants to ensure that other students have the same chance he enjoyed during his undergraduate days to reap the many rewards of a JWU education and capture every chance to reach their potential.

Walters notes that success began with a thoughtful approach to his career. Majoring in financial services management at the university, he

took advantage of experiential opportunities that would differentiate him in a highly competitive job market. These included study abroad in Europe during the implementation of the Euro and an accelerated college co-op program at one of the nation’s leading financial institutions. He enjoyed the mentorship of top professionals in various financial disciplines; the lessons he learned have helped him throughout his career.

After graduating summa cum laude, Walters continued his pursuit of lifelong learning with graduate studies in entrepreneurship and accounting at the Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, where he participated in the Lucent Financial Leadership Development Program. He built on these educational opportunities by seeking positions that offered diverse experiences to further his education.

Today, Walters is president of Nisga’a Data Systems, as well as a strategic advisor to other organizations in several different industries.

His intentional approach to business leadership and commitment to learning have been integral to the company’s success, including recognition by Inc. magazine as one of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in America. — Bonnie Duncan

HAZEM GAMAL ’90: VOLUNTEER AND JWU FUND DONOR, TOO

H

AZEM GAMAL ’90 graduated from the Providence Campus with a degree in Hospitality Management. For the past 25 years, he has made a career in financial and investment services and is currently vice president for sales and technology with Oppenheimer Funds in New York City. He’s a busy man, but he can’t seem to stay away from his alma mater.

Hazem has enjoyed attending alumni programs in New York City and New Jersey, where he makes a point of speaking with young alumni about their career aspirations and offering mentoring advice. Last spring, he served as a volunteer and a mentor during the Alumni Leaders Week for the School of Hospitality and stayed on campus to attend the All-Class Reunion.

In March 2015, John Varlaro, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Management in the School of Business, reached out to colleagues across the campus to identify participants in a review

of the International Business academic program.

Members of the Alumni Relations staff recommended Hazem. Varlaro says Hazem was “ideal for the job, with his knowledge of the field and his extensive international experience.” The review included interviews with faculty, students and alumni to reflect on strengths and opportunities to improve the program. According to Eileen DeMagistris, Ed.D., director of institutional effectiveness, “The review was critical for the future of our program and having Hazem’s input and leadership in the project gave us the kind of industry insight we need to provide a global education.”

Hazem is modest about his time spent with the university: “Every graduate will be affiliated with JWU for his or her lifetime. Investing my time and experiences with the university today is probably more rewarding for me and beneficial to the student body than any of my financial contributions.” In addition to all his service to the university, at the All-Class Reunion he became a donor to the JWU Fund.

— Julia S. Emlen and Hazem Gamal ’90 Lori Zabatta ’95

A BEQUEST BECOMES A SCHOLARSHIP GARY E. CIUCA, ’04 who graduated from the North Miami Campus, passed away in 2011. As part of his estate, he bequeathed $50,000 to the university. Bruce Ozga, dean of culinary arts on the North Miami Campus, announced that his gift will be used to establish the Gary E. Ciuca ’04 Memorial Scholarship, to support students enrolled in culinary arts on the North Miami Campus.

Ciuca was a graduate of the University of Maryland and had a long and successful career as a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services, Wachovia Securities and Wells Fargo Advisors. He lived and worked in Coconut Grove, Florida, and upon his retirement, he attended Johnson & Wales University. Ozga, who knew Ciuca during his studies at JWU, remembers him as someone who “loved cooking, food festivals, opera and the arts. It’s a fitting tribute to Gary to have him remembered here through this endowed scholarship.”

— Louise Olson

www.jwu.edu

27

ALUMNINEWS

Charlotte Holiday Event Local alumni celebrated the holiday season and met the new Charlotte Campus president, Robert C. Mock Jr., Ed.D. To welcome him, the space was transformed into a winter wonderland complete with snow.

Carolina Panthers Game

Charlotte Homecoming

Charlotte alumni attended JWU’s fifth Annual Carolina Panthers Tailgate with Charlotte staff and faculty.

Alumni came from all over to celebrate a great new tradition at JWU’s Charlotte Campus Homecoming.

Events included a parade, barbecue and alumni vs. staff basketball game.

PVD Eighth Annual Athletic Homecoming Alumni athletes were invited back to campus to help JWU celebrate 20 years of athletics on the Providence Campus with the players and coaches who made it happen.

28

Winter 2016

Providence Holiday Party Faculty and local alumni spanning seven decades (including a 1948 graduate) celebrated the holiday season and JWU’s rich history in style at local hot spot Waterman Grille.

Denver Homecoming JWU Denver’s first Homecoming Weekend was full of fun and exciting activities for alumni, including receptions, a chili cookoff and the Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Denver Cheer North Miami Homecoming Alumni from many campuses attended the Annual Homecoming on JWU’s North Miami Campus. Weekend activities included alumni basketball games, a student tailgate party, a food and wine demonstration and a Homecoming Reception honoring the new North Miami Campus president, Larry Rice, Ed.D. ,’90.

Denver alumni, staff and faculty rung in the holidays with JWU’s Glitz, Glam & Gatsby themed holiday party, held in the newly-renovated Centennial Hall (formerly named Treat Hall).

www.jwu.edu

29

CLASSNOTES 1976

1985

1989

1993

STEPHEN ROWE PVD

RUSSELL KICE PVD

JAMIE HARTLEY-ARNOLD

ERIC CHURCHILL PVD

NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASS.

BUCK HILL FALLS, PA.

Stephen is the executive chef with Lafayette House in Foxborough.

Russell was appointed association board president at the 24th Annual Conference of Convention Sales Professionals International.

Russell previously served on the board as first vice president and as a member director and has been active in CSPI (formerly ACME) since 2002. His goal is to energize the organization while focusing on the members and the current needs of the industry.

1978 ANDREA MCVETY PVD WARWICK, R.I.

Andrea is a medical assistant for West Bay Orthopedic in Warwick.

1979 KENNETH BOLDUC PVD

PVD

PORT ROYAL, PA.

Jamie works with hospice patients in the evenings and is in her 14th year of working in special education for a school.

1990

CRANSTON, R.I.

Eric was recently named Hotelier of the Year by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association.

1

JOSEPH ROWLAND PVD CONCORD, N.C.

Joey is a restaurant operations consultant for US Foods, located in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

NEW PORT RICHEY, FLA.

ERIK RAVENNA PVD

Kenneth is the food service manager and executive chef at Morton Plant Mease Healthcare in Clearwater.

LAND O’ LAKES, FLA.

CARLO SLAUGHTER PVD

Erik is the director of purchasing at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

Carlo is the owner of Bistro 22 in Garden City Center, Cranston.

1984

1987

1992

DJ DONNELLY PVD

THEODORE FALTUS PVD

CHRISTOPHER AVTGES

[1] KARL GUGGENMOS ’02

ELLINGTON, CONN.

CRANSTON, R.I.

Christopher has accepted a position with ARAMARK as the chef/director at The Taft School in Watertown.

Karl was recently named Education Ambassador of the Year by the Rhode Island Hospitalty Association.

SENECA, S.C.

CUMBERLAND, R.I.

DJ is CEO of Triumph Donnelly Studios (TDS).

Theodore is now a controller at Ashaway Line & Twine Inc. in Ashaway.

1985 RONALD COOKSEY NOR

1988

COLVILLE, WASH.

MATTHEW BIBEAULT PVD

Ronald received his bachelor’s degree in Business Organizational Leadership from Brandman University and has been accepted to the master’s program in Organizational Leadership.

WOONSOCKET, R.I.

Matthew is the sales and marketing manager at Rhode Island Solar Solutions.

KEVIN DOHERTY PVD BOSTON, MASS.

Kevin is the regional executive for Delaware North Company Pro Chef III, CP-FS. RICHARD LINDHOLM PVD WARWICK, R.I.

Richard is a sales manager at Mobile Beacon in Johnston.

SCOTT PAUL PVD PVD Providence NMI North Miami DEN Denver CLT Charlotte CHS Charleston NOR Norfolk VAIL Vail International

30

Winter 2016

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C.

Scott is the regional sales manager/chef for Belgioioso Cheese Inc., located in Huntersville.

COVENTRY, R.I.

PVD

DENNIS TRANTHAM CHS CANTON, N.C.

MBA CHS

1994

Denny is a division chef and culinary consultant for US Foods in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

PATRICK MEACHAM ’98 MBA PVD

1992

Patrick is now the senior vice president at Starkweather and Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc.

LUCAS ZOUMAS PVD

EAST GREENWICH, R.I.

LAKEWOOD, COLO.

BRETT ORLANDO DEN

Lucas has been the director of dining at JWU Denver for two years, leading his team in making great strides in dining and catering services on campus. He left his post in January to pursue an opportunity in Belize selling homes for Orchid Bay Belize, a Denver-based real estate company.

WESTON, FLA.

Brett recently received the HSMAI / South Florida Chapter’s General Manager of the Year award. He works at the Thompson Miami Beach Hotel.

1995 TODD COSTIN PVD CLEVELAND, OHIO

Todd is the general manager of the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade.

PAUL SOTTILE PVD APEX, N.C.

Paul earned his Certified Executive Chef (CEC) credential with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and was selected in fall 2015 as Chef Educator of the Year by the ACF North Carolina Chapter. He was also nominated for the 2015 Academic Employee of the Year at Harrison College.

1998 JOHN CAPRARO PVD LINCOLN, R.I.

John is a senior buyer for Smith-Nephew in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

CASSANDRA CLIFFORD

PVD

MERRIFIELD, VA.

1996

Cassandra is the executive director and founder of the Bridge to Freedom Foundation based in Merrifield.

LATANYA ARNOLD PVD

JEREMY EWING-CHOW

JAMAICA PLAIN, MASS.

LaTanya is a principal at Lend A Hand Marketing & Consulting in Boston.

RAHMAN HARPER NOR WOODBRIDGE, VA.

Rahman (“Rock”) is the president of Rocksolid Creative Food Group in Woodbridge.

LOUIS YUHASZ CHS SULLIVANS ISLAND, S.C.

Louis is a culinary recruiter with Introductions Agency in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1997 MIKE DICKERSBACH CHS YARDLEY, PA.

Mike is now chief technology officer for Highgate Hotels.

DAVID KLINGEL CHS CHARLOTTE, N.C.

David is the owner of Event Professor, an events consulting firm located in Charlotte.

MICHAEL WASLE CHS RALEIGH, N.C.

Michael is an account manager with American Fidelity Assurance, servicing 50 auto dealerships across the state.

TREY WILSON CHS CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Trey is the owner and executive chef of Customshop in Charlotte.

ALUMNI OVERSEAS

PVD

EAST GREENWICH, R.I.

Jeremy is executive chef of Red Stripe Restaurants in Providence and East Greenwich.

JAMIE FINKELSTEIN ’00 M.A.T., ’05 MBA PVD CHEPACHET, R.I.

Jamie was recently named Teacher of the Year by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association.

Riley is the owner of Bristol BEVINCO, a subsidiary of Sculpture Hospitality, which provides beverage audit services for bars, nightclubs and restaurants.

TIDTI TIDTICHUMRERNPORN M.S. PVD

Andrew is the executive chef at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg.

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

Tidti has been appointed assistant president for research & academic services affairs at Payap University, Chiang Mai. It is the first private university in Thailand and he has been teaching in the Hotel & Tourism Management program since 1990.

2007 ZAFER BILGE NMI ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Zafer is an operations development manager at Dogus Group, headquartered in Istanbul.

2

JAIME MAGNANTI PVD MINT HILL, N.C.

2000 JENIFER WEST DANIELS

PVD

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Jenifer recently launched Colorstock, a digital library featuring stock images of people of color.

Andarrio is the owner of Cuzzo’s Cuisine Truck in Charlotte.

ANDREW POLIQUIN NMI

1999 Jaime is the director of sales and marketing for Aloft Charlotte hotel in Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

1994

RILEY SANDERS PVD SOMERSET, MASS.

ANDARRIO JOHNSON CHS

2011 [2] FREDRICO JOHNSON

NMI

PROVINCIALES, TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS

Frederico is the district commissioner for the island of Middle Caicos.

CLEARWATER, FLA.

THEODORE SAMMONS PVD MIDDLETOWN, DEL.

Ted became a certified alcohol and drug addiction counselor (CADC). He is currently interning as a DUI evaluator with SODAT Delaware and is employed full time as a vocational counselor with First State Employment Services in Wilmington.

YOGESH SHARMA MBA

PVD

WEBSTER, MASS.

Yogesh is a general manager for Sodexo Inc. at EMC in Southborough.

KURT STRAUSS PVD YARDLEY, PA.

Kurt was recently appointed vice president of support services with New York Presbyterian Hospital.

He is tasked with leading the strategic and operational planning for customer-and patient-focused support services. Areas of responsibility include all hospitals located on Columbia University campuses: the Columbia University Medical Center, the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, the Sloane Hospital for Women as well as the Allen Hospital and The Spine Hospital located in northern Manhattan.

MATTHEW WARSCHAW

PVD

SPRINGFIELD, VA.

Matthew has left Hyatt Hotels after 15 years and opened his own catering company, Pure Perfection Catering. He serves as the executive chef and owner, catering events in the Northern Virginia metro area.

www.jwu.edu

31

CLASSNOTES 2001

2003

SHADEL HAMILTON NMI

CHARLES GOFFE PVD

SUGAR EVANS CHS DURHAM, N.C.

TAMPA, FLA.

HAMDEN, CONN.

Sugar was promoted to general manager at Bojangles in Durham.

Shadel is the assistant vice president of student services at Saint Leo University.

Charles is an electrical engineer at AI Engineers Inc.

[4] CAMERON GRANT DEN

AMANDA LONG NMI

PVD

KAMELA GOFFE ’05 MBA

NASHVILLE, TENN.

HAMDEN, CONN.

Amanda works at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Kamela is a staff accountant with Murtha Cullina LLP in Hartford.

RYAN LONG NMI

[3] ALINA MURNIEKS PVD

OCALA, FLA.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.

Ryan is the director of dining services at Brookdale Pinecastle in Ocala.

Alina (Danielle) is an account executive for Displays Unlimited, a Party Reflections company in Charleston.

RYAN SPENCE PVD WINDERMERE, FLA.

Ryan is the general manager at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, part of the Tavistock Group in Orlando.

3

RAYMOND WEBB NMI DADE CITY, FLA.

Raymond is a teacher at Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel.

2002 MARVIN BAHR ’06 MBA PVD CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Marvin is a regional brand development manager for Radeberger Gruppe, USA. JESSICA COOPER NMI TAMPA, FLA

Jessica is a teacher at Land O’ Lakes High School.

JULIA GIBSON PVD SUCCASUNNA, N.J.

Julia is human resources manager at Family First Life in West Orange.

SHANE MAACK PVD SOMERSET, N.J.

Shane is a product development scientist and research & development manager with Dove Chocolate Discoveries, a direct sales division of Mars Chocolate, North America.

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Winter 2016

SUSAN PRATT PVD DOUGLAS, MASS.

Susan is director of marketing and operations at Blackstone Valley Wealth Management in Hopkinton as well as a consultant for Arbonne International.

ROBERT SISCA PVD CRANSTON, R.I.

Robert is the corporate executive chef at the Providence G in Providence.

2004 KYLE CABRAL PVD SWANSEA, MASS.

Kyle is a personal chef and owner of Kyle’s Catering in Swansea.

NORTHFIELD, ILL.

One might not expect a native of Scotland to be making his living as the executive chef and owner of an Italian restaurant in Chicago, but Cameron is doing just that.

He and business partner Aldo Zaninotto opened Osteria Langhe in 2014 and have already received great buzz for their menu, which focuses on the cuisine of Italy’s Piedmont region. Osteria Langhe describes itself as a “fast fusion of slow food and fine wine” and is quickly becoming a mainstay in the Logan Square neighborhood.

After receiving his A.S. degree in Culinary Arts from JWU Denver, Chef Grant’s time as executive chef at Laudisio, a family-run Italian restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, led to a three-month stage at the Michelin-starred La Ciau del Tornavento in Treiso, Italy, where his love for the culture and food of the Piedmont grew.

Since his stage at La Ciau, his accomplishments include opening his own restaurant in Treiso and serving as chef de cuisine at the Intercontinental Hotel’s signature Mediterranean restaurant, Fresco 21, in Rosemont.

4

[5] PHILLIP LANDGRAF

DEN

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

After Philip experienced a food service facility design class at JWU Denver, he knew that he wanted to expand his culinary expertise into design and consulting. Now Phillip is a principal at Ricca Design Studios where he manages seven

5

employees, covering East Coast projects. Phillip has recently moved with Ricca Design from the greater Denver area to Charlotte. He works with all types of venues as restaurants, from college and university dining facilities to stadium concessions, hospitals and prisons. Ricca Design Studio’s client list includes most major hotel chains such as Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons as well as Coca-Cola headquarters, Dodger Stadium, Dallas Cowboy Stadium and hundreds of universities.

ANIEDRA NICHOLS DEN DENVER, COLO.

Aniedra is the executive chef at Elway’s in Cherry Creek. Her Braised Beef Cheeks with Horseradish Gnocchi, Wilted Swiss Chard and Pomegranate Reduction was selected as one of the James Beard Editors’ Favorite Dishes of 2015, and Aniedra was named as one of Colorado’s elite tastemakers by the James Beard Foundation.

group of more than 200,000 associates worldwide.

6

TOVA SCHERZER DEN AURORA, COLO.

Tova is the senior product manager for Business Intelligence and Project Services at Staples.

JORGE RAMOS NMI HIALEAH, FLA.

PVD

JERMAINE RICHARDSON

NOR

COLUMBUS, OHIO

GARY HATFIELD PVD NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Gary was recently named one of the “Stars of the Industry” by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association.

[6] DANIEL LASIY PVD DENVER, COLO.

Dan is the chef and owner of Rebel Restaurant, which opened in July in Denver’s popular RiNo neighborhood.

Jermaine is a product sales manager for Manitowoc in Cleveland.

2006

TRAVIS TESKA DEN

PVD

WAUSAU, WIS.

Travis was recently hired to initiate and teach at a new culinary arts program at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau.

[7] ANTHONY CAPOZZOLI ASTORIA, N.Y.

Anthony is the strategic project manager and executive safety director of Restaurant Associates in New York City. In October 2015, Anthony received the 2015 Compass Group Be-A-Star Award for outstanding performance. The award is given to only 100 associates each year out of a

DENVER, COLO.

Mike is the supply chain buyer for Red Robin.

ATTLEBORO, MASS.

JENNY CHAN-REMKA ED.D.

Allen recently published two books. The first, called “Purpose Starter,” is about finding your life’s purpose. It was published in December 2015. The second book, “No! Mr. Bossy!” is a children’s book that teaches kids to find courage and empowers them to fight bullying.

MICHAEL ROSS DEN

NATHALIE THOMAS NMI

2007

2005

Christina is executive pastry chef at Castle Hill Inn in Newport.

2008

Nathalie is a culinary instructor at Tampa Bay Technical High School.

HOLLYWOOD, FLA.

NEWPORT, R.I.

Jorge is the executive chef at the new Conrad Fort Lauderdale, slated to open this summer.

TEMPLE TERRACE, FLA.

ALLEN PERRY NMI

CHRISTINA MERCADO ’10 MBA PVD

SARAH BUCHANAN PVD Sarah is a brand specialist for Wine Group Inc., based in Livermore, California.

JOHNATHON BYE CLT CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Johnathon is co-owner of Fit Bye Pharr in Charlotte.

DEBBI-JO HORTON MBA

CRANSTON, R.I.

PVD

Jenny is the assistant superintendent of the Woonsocket School Department.

RIVERSIDE, R.I.

ANNA DUVAL NMI

MARGARET JONES DEN

Debbi-Jo is a brand partner for Nerium International.

TAMPA, FLA.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLO.

Anna is the manager of student nutrition services at Hillsborough County Public Schools in Temple Terrace.

Maggie is the restaurant general manager at Hotel Teatro in downtown Denver.

RENEE GAUTHIER PVD

BABYLON, N.Y.

SPRING HILL, FLA.

Renee is the food and beverage supervisor at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.

7

MELANIE KAMME PVD Melanie has accepted a job with Aramark as division manager of premium services at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.

LUCY KELLIHER MBA PVD MANSFIELD, MASS.

Lucy is a senior benefits administrator at the Tenor Apex Company in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

JAMAR PHARR CLT CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Jamar is co-owner of Fit Bye Pharr in Charlotte.

STEVEN QUEEN NMI DADE CITY, FLA.

Steven is the chef and owner at Kafe Kokopelli in Dade City.

www.jwu.edu

33

CLASSNOTES and retention. Developed after a summer spent researching economics at the University of Oxford, this position will serve as a tool to inspire and promote economic growth.

8

PASCHA BELNAVIS CLT CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Pascha is a talent acquisition recruiter for Compass Group, North America.

ANDREW FINN PVD

Autumn Sterling (right) at the Charlotte Campus career carnival

JULIE SPILLER CLT NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.

Julie is the dining room manager for Charleston Grill in Charleston.

[8] AUTUMN STERLING CLT

LEWISTON, MAINE

started a blog called My Stiletto Life & Lipstick Rules, a how-toguide that speaks to the girl transitioning from college life to the career world.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

ANTHONY ROBERTS NMI

Autumn is a staffing manager with Robert Half in Charlotte.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.

KRISTOFER STEWART DEN CRAWFORD, COLO.

Kristofer was recently promoted to the position of investigator at the Delta County Sheriff’s Office in Delta.

ZULEIKA VARGAS PVD PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Zuleika is the executive chef at Flik Lifestyles.

2009 RYAN JUDGE DEN POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.

Ryan has published his first book,”Getting Students Seasoned: An Educator’s Guide to Teaching Students of All Ages to Cook and Maintaining Your Professional Shelf-Life.”

WHITNEY KIDD NMI CORAL SPRINGS, FLA.

Whitney is an account executive at New River Communications in Fort Lauderdale. It is a full-service ad agency dedicated to nonprofit organizations. She has also

34

Winter 2016

Anthony is a social media specialist for John Snow Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia.

AMY SAMAHA PVD BOSTON, MASS.

Andrew recently earned an MBA from Northeastern University and is now an account executive and executive director at McKenna Management Inc., in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

KA-MAN FUNG DEN AURORA, COLO.

Ka-man was recently promoted to human resources and accounting coordinator at the Renaissance Denver Hotel.

9

THACH TRAN DEN DENVER, COLO.

Thach is the culinary director at the newest location of Platform T, a tea lounge located in Denver’s Baker neighborhood.

2011 CORYNNE LEBLANC PVD QUINCY, MASS.

Corynne is a food service management specialist for Compass Group.

CHRISTINA MANIPON PVD QUINCY, MASS.

Christina is an executive chef at Newbridge On The Charles in Quincy.

LOGAN MCCOY ’13 MBA RICHMOND, VA.

Logan has accepted a position as director of culinary and business manager at KOR Food Innovation in Richmond.

NATHAN PENHA PVD

Amy is executive vice president and accessories showcase director at StyleWeek North East in Providence, Rhode Island.

TAMPA, FLA.

Nathan is a financial planner for Edward Jones in Tampa.

MICHAEL WATSON CLT

2010

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Michael is the executive chef at Libations, located in the DoubleTree by Hilton in Charlotte.

LEVI BARNETT DEN FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Levi (Seth) has developed and accepted the new position of diversity development and engagement manager for the Promotional Products Association International. In this role, Levi will seek to help businesses better prepare for the present generational shift occurring in the workforce and through the global consumer market. He will be helping those in the younger generation become the leaders of tomorrow that companies seek.

He will also be educating businesses about the need to solidify channels of recruitment

running, and she gets to teach kids and their grownups all about healthy cooking and eating habits.

2012 [10] JESSICA CALLAN DEN FOUNTAIN, COLO.

[9] RENEE PETRILLO DEN DENVER, COLO.

Renee received the Young Alumni Award during homecoming weekend on October 17, 2015.

Now that renovations at the Children’s Museum of Denver are complete, the kitchen she helped design in her role as teaching kitchen coordinator is up and

Jessica is the assistant concierge manager at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. She was recently recognized as Emerging Leader of the Year at the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association’s 2015 Stars of the Industry luncheon and conference.

CARLY FISCHER ’13 MBA

11

OBITUARY

PVD

WARWICK, R.I.

Carly was recently named one of the “Stars of the Industry” by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association.

PAUL FULMER CLT

Grossi “never missed a JWU Commencement in 25 years” re-

[11] JONATHAN KASPER

council member, JWU trustee

SARA LEHMAN PVD FREEHOLD, N.J.

Christopher and Rand Carswell ’12 have opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Press Gourmet Sandwiches, in Fort Lauderdale. Chris says, “Over the past three years, we’ve built a loyal following of foodies in South Florida, and we’re looking forward to providing a permanent home for our gourmet chef-inspired sandwiches.”

Wales University is an inspira-

Paul is the head distiller of Dark Corner Distillery in Greenville, South Carolina.

Jonathan is working at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster and the family has started their own hot sauce company (whitehousesauce.com).

HIGHLAND BEACH, FLA.

whose dedication to Johnson & tion to the community. Michael

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.

NMI

THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE

SPOTSYLVANIA, VA.

PVD

CHRISTOPHER DELPRETE

MICHAEL GROSSI ’95, ’99 M.A.T., ’01

Sarah is a private chef and sommelier in New York City and the owner of Somm In The City (somminthecity.com).

EL MAATI SALMOUNI MBA

PVD

BOSTON, MASS.

El Maati is a general manager with Bruegger’s Enterprises.

calls his good friend and fellow Clay Snyder ’93, ’15 Hon. Grossi, who passed away on January 24, 2016, began his JWU career in 1991. As a student, Grossi spearheaded the chapter formation of the fraternity, Tau Epsilon Phi, Omega Alpha Chapter. After graduating in 1995 with his bachelor’s degree, he continued on with

Clay Snyder ’93, ’15 Hon., left, and Michael Grossi ’95, ’99 M.A.T., ’01

Johnson & Wales, receiving his M.A.T in Business Education in 1999, and then completed another bachelor’s degree in Financial Services Management in 2001. Grossi also married fellow alumna Diane Mannolini ’90, ’99 M.S., who passed away in 2014. The couple is survived by their two children, Marissa and Matthew.

His love for the university continued beyond graduation. Since 2012, Grossi served as an adjunct faculty member. His courses ranged from real estate to fundamentals of estate planning; his presentation of real-world scenarios was among the many reasons his classes were so popular.

After a successful career with MassMutual as a financial advisor, Grossi became an agency sales manager in MassMutual’s Providence agency in May

10

2003. Grossi received various industry awards in the financial services industry including being a member of the Million Dollar Round Table, the premier association of financial professionals. In 2004, Grossi transitioned from MassMutual to Guardian Life Insurance, where he worked as a financial advisor and career development supervisor.

A Rhode Island native, Grossi also served in various leadership roles for community organizations: As board of director for the Rhode Island Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, president of the Greater Providence Kiwanis Club, as well as serving on the School Improvement Team at Nathan Bishop Middle School in Providence. From 1992–2001 he was also vice president of Symphony Limousine, a family-owned business.

From 2004–07, as the vice president and then president of the Alumni Council, Grossi was determined to increase visibility and promote alumni awareness for the Johnson & Wales University Alumni Association. In addition to championing the Alumni Council Scholarship Fund, he was the Jessica Callan (right) and Alex Brady, manager of alumni relations at the Denver Campus

council’s largest donor.

www.jwu.edu

35

CLASSNOTES the 2016 South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

12

ASHLEY WELLS PVD BRIDGEWATER, MASS.

Ashley is the office manager at Energy Geeks in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

ALBERTO WOMACK CLT KISSIMMEE, FLA.

Ashley Stout ’12 (right) with Christopher Plano, ’91, ’93, ’95, manager of JWU alumni relations for the Southeast region

[12] ASHLEY STOUT CLT

THADDEUS KORNEGAY NMI

Alberto was recently promoted to restaurant guest service manager at Walt Disney World Resorts.

2014 BRANDI GEISER DEN

GREENSBORO, N.C.

WINTER GARDEN, FLA.

Ashley is the catering manager for the Holiday Inn Charlotte Airport in Charlotte.

Thaddeus is working full time for Tekontrol Inc. which is headquartered in Orlando and has a second office in the Phillippines.

Tekontrol provides global engineering, logistics, information technology, training and management support services to the Department of Defense, as well as domestic and international clients in more than 40 countries.

Thaddeus is also a member of The Central Florida Urban League for Young Professionals.

AURORA, COLO.

CONNOR LANGTON PVD

JULIE KUSKA PVD

2013 ALEXANDER DEL VALLE

DEN

HENDERSON, COLO.

Alexander has opened a new bakery named Cinna Box, which specializes in cinnamon rolls, in Northglenn. The bakery is seeking employees and interns; if interested, email résumés to Cinna.bx@gmail.com.

CARLOS DORADO SANCHEZ

NMI

MIAMI BEACH, FLA.

Carlos is the chef and owner of The Lunchbox, in the Wynwood section of Miami, which opened its doors in May 2015. The restaurant is zero waste and focuses on local organic ingredients.

SAMANTHA KLATT DEN

MANASQUAN, N.J.

Connor is a corporate sales manager at The Reeds at Shelter Haven Resort in Stone Harbor.

LYNNETTE MARTINEZ PVD PAWTUCKET, R.I.

Lynnette is a staff accountant at Blum Shapiro in Providence.

MICHELLE MEEHAN ’15 MBA CLT NEW YORK, N.Y.

Samantha is a marketing assistant at Cherry Creek Mortgage Co.

Michelle is an assistant director with the Flik Hospitality Group in New York City for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

HAGEN KNOSHER PVD

ANTHONY SITEK PVD

DENVER, COLO.

BETHESDA, MD.

Hagen is the assistant food & beverage manager at the Bethesda Country Club in Bethesda.

36

Winter 2016

DELRAY BEACH, FLA.

Anthony is the executive chef at both locations of Apeiro Kitchen & Bar in South Florida. He and other restaurant representatives will be participating in two events during

Brandi is an event coordinator at The Liniger Building at CU South Denver.

BELMYS HIDALGO NMI NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA.

JOSHUA LASHARR DEN KENT, WASH.

Joshua is a project manager with Herzog Glass in Seattle.

MARIO LIMADURAN DEN PHOENIX, ARIZ.

Mario is a performance sous chef with EXOS, a high intensity training center for athletes.

Previously he was at Cornell University cooking for the Cornell Wrestling Team and working with the Cornell Sports Nutrition Department.

ASHLEY MCCALLA NMI WASHINGTON, D.C.

Ashley is a guest services agent at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington.

13

Belmys has joined the Chef Agency as a talent acquisitions specialist. Her primary focus will be identifying and selecting executive, mid-level chefs and upper-level executives for hotel, food and beverage operations across the globe.

MOHNTON, PA.

Julie is the housekeeping manager at The Inn at Penn, a Hilton Hotel.

[13] KIMBERLY LALIBERTE ED.D. PVD LINCOLN, R.I.

Kim was recently named assistant principal at Lincoln High School in Lincoln. This new role affords her a variety of experiences in an academically progressive school district. Kim continues to serve as an adjunct professor for JWU’s College of Arts & Sciences and College of Online Education.

[14]SARAH (BESS) LAMAY

CLT

MATTHEWS, N.C.

Bess is a premium services associate with the Charlotte Knights AAA baseball team.

14

IN MEMORIAM CECILE L. PRIMEAU ’40 Jan. 6, 2016

CHARLES H. O’DONNELL III ’80 SOCHEATA KOLBER ’94 Aug. 31, 2015 Dec. 15, 2012

DAVID J. RAMELLA ’06 Dec. 1, 2015

BEATRICE M. SPIRITO ’43 Jan. 10, 2016

REBECCA K. RAYMOND ’81 Sept. 17, 2015

DONALD M. BOWICK ’95 Oct. 6, 2015

DAVID PIACITELLI ’07 Jan. 13, 2016

ROGER H. CROTEAU ’72 Nov. 19, 2015

HUGH W. SHERIDAN ’81 Sept. 19, 2015

CHRISTOPHER TAPKEN ’97 May 22, 2014

TARIN M. BYRNE ’08 Jan. 9, 2016

WALTER A. KANIA ’73 Sept. 4, 2015

JAMES DUHAMEL ’82 Oct. 17, 2015

CHRISTOPHER D. HEGE ’99 Dec. 1, 2014

ANN-MARIE DANSICKER ’08 Dec. 10, 2015

PAUL A. LAQUERRE ’76 April 9, 2015

ALBERT J. NADEAU ’82 Jan. 6, 2016

STEPHANIE RAINEY ’99 Nov. 28, 2015

SHAYLA GREGORY ’08 Dec. 2, 2015

KUNO N. GROSSKURTH ’77 Sept. 12, 2015

MARY L. WARD ’83 Oct. 7, 2015

MICHAEL C. JONES ’00 Nov. 30, 2015

KIMBERLY A. MITCHELL ’08 Sept. 1, 2015

PETER G. MAXON ’77 Sept. 7, 2015

PETER E. HAMILTON ’84 Aug. 27, 2015

MANDIE ZUCKERMAN ’00 Dec. 17, 2015

PHILLIP D. PUCCIARELLI ’08 Sept. 20, 2015

JOSEPH R. MUZZY ’77 Nov. 27, 2015

TIMOTHY CORDEIRO ’85 Dec. 9, 2015

JOHN P. KLINE ’01 Jan. 15, 2016

SHAWN L. ZAVODJANCIK ’08 Nov. 5, 2015

JOHN A. KROL ’78 Dec. 29, 2015

WILLIAM J. CUNNINGHAM ’86 Oct. 23, 2015

KEITH C. ROBBINS ’03 Dec. 17, 2015

FACULTY, STAFF AND FRIENDS

JOSEPH O. LOURENCO ’79 Dec. 15, 2015

PAUL G. HANSEN ’86 Aug. 30, 2015

TAVIS J. SCHAFER ’04 Jan. 6, 2016

EVELYN LAGARDE ’80 Jan. 11, 2016

MELVIN J. LOSOVSKY ’86 Sept. 28, 2015

DOUGLAS M. AUSTIN ’05 Dec. 22, 2015

THOMAS L. LEWIS ’80 Dec. 6, 2015

ROBERT T. WHITE ’88 Dec. 31, 2015

JASON M. CROCKETT ’05 Nov. 3, 2015

FORREST MERRILL ’80 Oct. 11, 2015

MATTHEW BENCIVENGA ’91 Jan. 25, 2016

ALISS AGBOOLA ’06 Nov. 13, 2015

[15] JOSHUA MERSFELDER

PVD

CAMILLUS, N.Y.

ALFRED KOZAR April 26, 2006 FREDERICK H. QUARRY, JR. Nov. 12, 2015

RANDOLPH VIALVA PVD

15

PAWTUCKET, R.I.

Randolph is a training coordinator at Citizens Bank of Rhode Island.

Josh is head of brewing operations at Local 315 Brewing Co., a new farm brewery.

2015

MY NGUYEN PVD SILVER SPRING, MD.

IRENE BARRERA DEN

My is a restaurant supervisor at the Bethesda Country Club in Bethesda.

DENVER, COLO.

Irene is a line cook at the Yard House in downtown Denver.

DERRICK STROTHER NMI

MICHAELA BRINKLEY PVD

NORTH LAUDERDALE, FLA.

Derrick has been promoted to account executive at MSC Cruise Lines; he also recently won their Top Sales Support Partner of the Year award.

CLYDE L. DELANDE Nov. 6, 2015

PAWTUCKET, R.I.

Joshua Mersfelder (left) and Local 315 co-owner Dan Mathews

Michaela is the customer service and marketing coordinator at Revival Brewing Co. in Rhode Island.

www.jwu.edu

37

CLASSNOTES MOLLY GOZLAN PVD

MARYROSE RUDZINSKI

JAMAICA PLAIN, MASS.

DEN

Molly is working with Marriott International at Boston Marriott Long Wharf as an assistant manager of housekeeping.

CANYON COUNTRY, COLO.

GREGORY HALLETT DEN

MaryRose is the new AmeriCorps program coordinator at Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters Colorado.

DENVER, COLO.

ANN STEFANEY CLT

Greg is the chef de partie at Footer’s Catering in Denver.

CHESAPEAKE, VA.

ANDREW JEWESAK NMI TAMPA, FLA.

Andrew is a sales associate and event assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

BRYAN LAMAESTRA DEN

Ann is the pastry chef at Heirloom Restaurant owned by Clark Barlowe ’09 in Charlotte.

BREILYN THIGPEN NMI LAKELAND, FLA.

Breilyn is the owner of Cupcake Conniption in Lakeland.

LAS VEGAS, NEV.

RAYMOND VARGAS PVD

Bryan is the assistant manager at the Julian Serrano tapas restaurant located inside the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

WILLIAM LONG DEN

Raymond is a sales support specialist with Princess House Inc. in Taunton, Massachusetts.

MICHAEL WEBER DEN

DENVER, COLO.

REDONDO BEACH, CALIF.

William is a sous chef at Baur’s Restaurant and Listening Lounge in Denver.

Michael is the VIP leisure sales coordinator at Terranea in Los Angeles.

ALEXIS MCCRAE CLT

2016

PORTSMOUTH, VA.

Alexis is attending Old Dominion University working on her master’s degree in Lifespan and Digital Communication.

DURAND WINTON PVD

2007

JACQUELYN PENECOST GATTI ’96 M.S. CHS and Dan Gatti September 19, 2015

[19] MALLORY KELLY PVD and Doug Kelly ’08 (PVD) June 13, 2015

2011

1997

AMANDA BECK MCCLEERY

CLT

[16] ROBIN BASS FRASIER

PVD

and Neil McCleery July 10, 2015

and Walt Frasier December 17, 2015

2012

2006

CHRISTOPHER VIAUD PVD and Emilee Tobin ’14 June 13, 2015

[17] ANTHONY CAPOZZOLI

PVD

and Julianna Kendziorski ’05 (PVD) August 15, 2014

2007 [18] CHRISTINE (BENIGNI ) DELUCA PVD and Peter DeLuca ’07 (PVD) June 27, 2015

Durand is intermediate baker at The 10th with Vail Resorts in Vail.

AURORA, COLO.

Ebrahim is the development lead cook at Food and Drink Resources in Centennial.

SUBMISSIONS If there’s news in your life you’d like to share with fellow alumni, please send us photos and announcements about recent weddings, unions and additions to your family.

Images: To submit images from your event, please provide high resolution digital files (minimum one megabyte [1 MB] in size, in jpeg format), or actual photographs.

Entries may be emailed to jwumagazine@jwu.edu or mailed to: JWU Magazine c/o Johnson & Wales University, 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI 02903.

Winter 2016

1992

AVON, COLO.

EBRAHIM REHAMAN DEN

38

MARRIAGE AND UNIONS

BIRTH AND ADOPTIONS 2001 SANDY FINKLIN MITCHELL PVD Amora Mitchell

2006 [20] JENNY FLANAGAN

DEN

and Brian Charles Henry

20

16

17

18

Posing proudly with the Johnson & Wales banner: front row , l - r : Alex (Parker) DeJesus ’07, Lauren Hackett ’08, Kirsten Yeo ’07, Peter, Christine, Sarah Cresta ’07, Mallory (Clayton) Kelly ’07, Lisa (Bock) Fann ’07, and Sarah (Hoffman) Czepizak ’06. back row , l - r : Joe Falzone ’07, Jon Pastor ’07, Kevin Rutledge ’07, Kevin Polizzatto ’07, David Hood ’07, ’08 MBA, Doug Kelly ’08, Ryan Ruthinoski ’06, Lee Fann ’05, ’07 MBA, Andy Vroom ’11, and Kevin Fogarty ’07.

19

front row , l - r : Sarah Cresta ’07, Christine Benigni ’07 and Peter DeLuca ’07, Sarah (Hoffman) Czepizak ’06, Michele (Pope) Kahn ’05, Mallory, Doug, Alex Hurley ’07, Julia (Skwarski) Markowitz ’08, Brooke Hutchinson ’09, Rebecca (Berta) Kreke ’07, and Laura Jean (DeFillippo) Henault ’07. back row , l - r :: David Hood ’07, ’08 MBA, Sam Tyree,

Deirdre Faherty ’05, Greta Bodenstab, Victor Silva ’07, and Michael Pendergast ’07.

www.jwu.edu

39

CAREER UPDATE Lessons Learned

B

Leslie Ferrier ’90 on how to turn a waitlist into a shortlist ACK IN 1990, I WAS 76th ON THE WAITLIST to meet with Hilton Hotels Corporation during on-campus recruiting at Johnson & Wales’ Providence Campus. That meant 75 people had to lose interest or leave the planet for me to get a shot at an interview. With that knowledge, I set up a few interviews within a certain radius of the Hilton recruiter. I had no luck breaking in. As I left the career development office empty-handed, there was a handsome guy in the seating area. I figured if I wasn’t getting a job with Hilton, I would at least get a lunch date. As I was chatting up this charming individual, he asked if I was interviewing with Hilton. I said no and explained my plight. He asked what I was interested in and I told him human resources. The stranger asked if I could wait until after lunch. I asked why because I thought we would have lunch together. At that point, he explained that he was the Hilton Hotels college liaison and he thought I should meet with the visiting VP of human resources. So I waited. I was given 10 minutes to state my case to the VP. A week later, I was sent an airline ticket to Chicago for a second round of interviews. A couple weeks after that, I was offered the East Coast placement for the Hilton Professional Development Program HR training rotation. Those were my first two lessons in career management: First, you NEVER know who you’re speaking with, and second, always have your “elevator pitch” ready.

I’ve been in human resources now for 25 years. (I can’t believe I just wrote that.) In the course of this wonderful, amazing and often ridiculous career, I’ve learned a shocking number of things along the way.

You’ve already read the first two. Here are a few more highlights.

Everyone says money isn’t important. I’m here to tell you it IS. My mother always told me to have enough money to provide for yourself and two kids (I don’t have kids), but I took her advice and found a career that could provide a comfortable living. However, your happiness is also extremely important. It is up to you to decide how to balance these two (often warring) factions. If you fail to figure this out, you will be destined for a lifetime of frustration and potential heartache.

Be kind and be honest. Those traits are very important when you’re dealing with people. And they are NOT mutually exclusive. Some of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in this business have resulted from a failure to have crucial conversations about real issues. Indeed, I’ve found that every broken system, process, issue or relationship can be traced to a

40

Winter 2016

Leslie Ferrier ’90

failure to have a candid conversation about the things that matter. This is true for business as well as your personal life. Learn to speak honestly while preserving and building relationships. It isn’t easy, but it is an art that will pay you back in spades your entire life.

Finally, it is later than you think. We are only here for a short time.

There’s no time to be wait listing: I’ll wait until I have more money. I’ll wait until the timing is better. Find your passion and your joy. Find the career that is right for you. You cannot wait for someone to give it to you.

YOU have to go get it and manage the process. The world doesn’t owe you anything, but you owe it to yourself to make your own way. It will not be handed to you.

I’m not the same brazen young woman I was back in the career development office that day, but I do admire her. I’ve had my bumps, disappointments and bad news along the way. But, like that day so long ago, I’ve always found a way around the dreaded waitlist.

Leslie Ferrier (linkedin.com/in/leslieferrier) graduated in 1990 with a degree in Hospitality Management. Prior to Momofuku she worked for Hilton Worldwide, ABC Carpet & Home and various other companies.

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Be in the know before everyone else — and transform lives forever.

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Students at Harborside Campus in Providence celebrate the first snowfall with a game of football.