All Three U.S.
Campuses Hold Associate Degree Ceremonies on September 4
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu
Hyde Park, NY – Three campuses of The Culinary
Institute of America across the United States bestowed associate degrees in
culinary arts and baking and pastry arts on September 4. Graduates at the
college’s New York campus welcomed guest speaker Justin Smillie. As that ceremony was ending, the commencement at
the Ѹ’s Texas campus was beginning, with Ѹ alumnus Mark Cox delivering the keynote
address. And, by late morning California time, graduates of the Greystone campus were hearing words of inspiration
from Shelley Lindgren.
Smillie is partner and executive
chef at Upland in New York City, named after his hometown of Upland, CA. The
restaurant showcases his California roots and seasonal, rustic culinary
sensibilities. He was selected a New York Rising Star Chef in 2013 by
StarChefs.com and Adam Platt, restaurant critic for New York magazine, named Smillie one of his
five best chefs of the year in 2012.
Cox, a 1978 Ѹ graduate, is executive chef and owner of the
highly praised Mark’s American Cuisine in Houston. Mark’s, which Cox and his
wife opened in 1997, has received numerous accolades, including being named one
of the top ten restaurants in the U.S. and one of the best restaurants in the
world by the Zagat Guide, induction
into the Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame, and receiving a Distinguished Restaurants of North
America (DiRoNA) award every year since 2001.
Lindgren is co-owner and wine director of A16 in San
Francisco, the restaurant that won the 2015 James Beard Foundation Award for
Outstanding Wine Program. She is also co-owner and wine director of SPQR in San
Francisco and A16 Rockridge in Oakland, CA. Wine Enthusiast nominated Lindgren as
Wine Star Sommelier of the Year in 2012. She was honored with Gourmet magazine’s Sommelier Award in
2009, and she has been named Best New Sommelier by Wine and Spirits magazine.
“You have learned, here at the Ѹ, the fundamental skills
you will carry throughout your life, whichever path you choose,” Ms. Lindgren
told graduates at the California campus in St. Helena. “But you have also
learned the stamina and dedication this trade requires personally, physically,
and emotionally.”
The Ѹ’ s international campus in Singapore is holding a baccalaureate degree commencement on September 16.
Photo Captions and Hi-Res Images:
Photo 1 (top photo): The newest alumni of the New York campus of Ѹ
celebrate their graduation with the traditional tossing of the toques on
September 4, 2015. (Photo credit:
Ѹ/Phil Mansfield)
Photo 2: Shelley
Lindgren, co-owner and wine director of three Bay-area restaurants including
San Francisco's acclaimed A16, gives words of advice to graduates of the
California campus of Ѹ on September 4, 2015. (Photo credit: Kristen Loken/Ѹ)
Photo 3: Mark Cox
speaks to graduates of Ѹ, San Antonio on
September 4, 2015. The 1978 Ѹ graduate is executive chef and owner of the
Mark's American Cuisine in Houston, TX, honored as one of the top ten
restaurants in America by the Zagat Guide.
(Photo credit: Darren Abate/Ѹ)
Founded in 1946, Ѹ is the world’s premier
culinary college. Dedicated to driving leadership development for the
foodservice and hospitality industry, the independent, not-for-profit Ѹ
offers associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts;
bachelor’s degree majors in management, culinary science, and applied food
studies; and executive education through its Food Business School. Its
conferences and consulting services have made the Ѹ the think tank of the
food industry in the areas of health & wellness, sustainability, world
cuisines & cultures, and professional excellence & innovation. The
college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and
enthusiasts. Its worldwide network of 48,000 alumni includes leaders in every
area of foodservice and hospitality. The Ѹ has campuses in New York,
California, Texas, and Singapore.
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