Division of Food, Fermentation and Culinary Production

Division Chair: Alma Kessing-Vaux, C.E.C. · Kitchen 1 Office · ext. 2320

The Division of Food, Fermentation and Culinary Production prepares students for employment in food manufacturing, fermented goods production, traditional dairy operations, culinary supply chain, and related commercial food work. Division chair Alma Kessing-Vaux oversees the division's programs and instructional facilities.

The division offers the Associate of Applied Science in Fermentation and Brine Sciences, which covers the microbiology, chemistry, and process management of lacto-fermentation, vinegar production, cheese aging, and controlled-environment brine systems. Technical diplomas are available in Traditional Dairy Processing and in Sandwich Production and Line Operations. Technical certificates are offered in Culinary Product Photography and Spice Importation and Grading. The Technical Certificate in Enclosed Confectionery Copywriting is currently suspended; students seeking enrollment should contact the Office of Enrollment Services regarding program status.

Instruction takes place across several dedicated facilities. The teaching kitchen supports line operations coursework and food production practicum. Fermentation and brine coursework uses the division's fermentation cellar, which maintains temperature- and humidity-controlled environments for multi-week production cycles. The dairy processing laboratory is equipped with heritage churns and small-batch pasteurization equipment used in the Traditional Dairy Processing diploma. Culinary Product Photography instruction is conducted in the food photography studio, which is outfitted with adjustable tabletop lighting, a variety of surface and background materials, and tethered capture capability for commercial production workflows.

Students in programs involving food handling complete ServSafe Food Handler or ServSafe Food Manager certification as specified by program requirements. The A.A.S. in Fermentation and Brine Sciences includes coursework addressing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles as applied to fermented and acidified food production. Completion of certification examinations is the student's responsibility; examination fees are not included in tuition.

Faculty include Professor Solveig Trapp (Food Science), Instructor Emory Klatt (Dairy Processing), Assistant Professor Nadine Broshear (Commercial Photography), and Adjunct Instructor Pascal Wendt (Spice Importation and Grading). Program outcome data are maintained by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and are available through the Consumer Information disclosures.

Programs

Suspended and teach-out programs are not accepting applications. Enrolled students are taught out under the published teach-out plan, available from the Registrar. Programs approved by the Board of Trustees and pending accreditor action are listed separately at Proposed Programs.