Info: The Culinary Institute of America
165 Receive Diplomas in Poughkeepsie Ceremony
Hyde Park, NY, October
24, 2012 – In a commencement held off campus to accommodate 165 graduates
and their families, Plate magazine
editor Chandra Ram delivered the address to baccalaureate degree recipients of
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
on Thursday, October 18, 2012. It was the 55th and largest baccalaureate
commencement since the CIA began offering bachelor's degrees in culinary arts
management and baking and pastry arts management in the early 1990s.Ram, a 1999 CIA graduate, shared with her new fellow alumni some thoughts about how the role of a chef is changing and how their education enables them to be the next generation of leaders in the food world.
"When I started, it was thought you could only cook with a CIA degree. This group knows better than that," Ram told graduates at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. "I see future tastemakers and thought leaders. You can do more than blanch a tomato or fillet a fish. Chefs and industry professionals have an unprecedented power to use their position for good in society—to change the course of history, far beyond the walls of their kitchens.
"You don't have to be an overt advocate," she continued. "When you decide to serve strawberries only in spring, you say something about the importance of seasonality and using ingredients at peak flavor. When you remove a species of fish nearing endangerment from your menu, you are opening your guests' eyes to environmental issues. By cooking, by planning a menu, you are making a statement to the people who will follow your lead."
Ms. Ram, an Indian-American raised in Lexington, KY, is
often a presenter at her alma mater1s Worlds of Flavor® International Conference
and Festival at the CIA's Greystone campus in California's Napa Valley.The CIA holds 16 associate degree and three bachelor's degree graduations each year. Large graduating classes soon will no longer have to leave the Hyde Park campus for their commencements. The on-campus Marriott Pavilion, to be completed in fall 2013, will include an 800-seat theater that will host all graduation ceremonies, along with industry conferences and other major events.
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