The Research Chefs Foundation (RCF) announces the addition of a new scholarship funded by the Gum Technology Corporation. Beginning in 2012, the RCF-Gum Technology Hydrocolloids Culinology® Scholarship will provide financial assistance in the form of a $4,000 scholarship for qualified individuals who exhibit a demonstrated interest in the application of gums, starches and gum-starch blends in developing food products. Culinology® is the blending of culinary arts and the science of food. The deadline for scholarship applications is November 1, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.culinology.com/scholarship-opportunities.

The U.S. restaurant industry continues to recover after several economically challenging years. During this time in which many culinary professionals are seeking work or are striving to validate their skills to employers, many find that professional certification is key to maintaining a competitive edge in the industry. Now, professionals who hold the Certified Executive Chef® (CEC®) designation through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) can boast that their certification is accredited by Washington, D.C.-based National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation is encouraging restaurant-industry professionals to identify and nominate outstanding candidates for its 2012 awards: the College of Diplomats, the Michael E. Hurst Lifetime Achievement in Education Award and the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award.

Submissions can be made online, mailed or faxed to (312) 566-9733. The nomination deadline is Aug. 31.

For the second consecutive year, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts students took home gold medals as winners of the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) National Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl. The students beat finalist teams from Colorado, Georgia and Pennsylvania at the event, which was held today during the 2011 ACF National Convention at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas on July 24.

The Kendall College team, representing the ACF’s Central Region and consisting of Gabriele Ausraite, Robert Baki, Jacob Clara, Paige Rogers and Jacqueline Wallner (captain), competed against teams representing foodservice-training programs at schools in the ACF’s Northeastern, Southeastern and Western Regions.

This fall, the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) is offering its first workshop on catering operations and curriculum at Sullivan University. The school’s National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) will host the event featuring keynote speaker Michael Roman, president and founder of Catersource Magazine, Conference and Tradeshow, from Friday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 23. Registration is $374 per person through Sept. 1 ($474 after) and includes a welcome reception, two breakfasts, two lunches, a chef jacket and all educational materials.

The Culinary Institute of America's (CIA) Board of Trustees announced the renewal of the contract of Dr. Tim Ryan, CMC, as president of the CIA for a 10-year term.

Ryan has led the world-renowned, degree-granting CIA for a decade, stewarding the college through a period of enormous innovation and growth. Major advances have included the opening of new campuses in San Antonio, Texas, and Singapore; the expansion of the CIA's gold-standard degree programs from its main campus in Hyde Park, N.Y., to these new centers and the CIA at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif.; and the rapid growth of CIA thought leadership for the foodservice and hospitality industry through new research programs, industry conferences and publishing.

Chairman of the Board Richard Bradley summarized the board's unanimous decision: “We are delighted that Dr. Ryan will be at the helm as we embark on some of our most ambitious plans yet for The Culinary Institute of America. The board is thrilled with the CIA's leadership and strategy. We look forward to continuing the college's traditions of excellence in culinary education and thought leadership under Dr. Ryan's visionary direction.”