Sullivan University Students and Faculty Travel to Beijing to Turnup the Heat at the 2008 Olympic Games

U.S. Olympic athletes and sponsors will experience a touch of Kentucky hospitality this year, as Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) will send a team of 22 students and three chef instructors to Beijing to cater at the 2008 Olympic Games. The NCHS is the only culinary program in the United States to have been formally invited to cook for the 2008 Olympic athletes and sponsors.

"We are honored to have been chosen to work with Framboise Catering at the Olympics in Beijing," says Sullivan University president Glenn Sullivan. "Our students and faculty have been preparing for this singular opportunity for several months and are excited and energized. They all look forward to serving their countrymen and representing the United States in China."

In collaboration with New York's Framboise Catering, Sullivan University representatives will perform such diverse culinary tasks as maintaining athletes' diets at the United States Olympic Committee High Performance Training Center and creating decadent spreads at the USA House for Olympic sponsors and guests. Sullivan's Olympic team is excited to serve as goodwill ambassadors for the United States, and to represent the rich culinary heritage of Kentucky.

Chef Kimberley Jones CPCE CEC, NCHS Professional Catering Chair, is a member of the board of the International Caterers' association, and through her industry connections she established the collaboration with Frank Puleo, President of Framboise Catering. Chef Jones will be the lead chef at the USA House, overseeing catering for U.S. Olympic sponsors' entertaining. Chef Becky Woehrle will be responsible for all baking and pastry for both venues and Chef Collen Engle will be the lead chef at The High Performance Training Center.

"I was thrilled when Framboise invited Sullivan to participate in this exciting project," said chef Jones. "The most difficult aspect of the project was choosing the 22 students to represent the university out of 100 plus who applied originally. Framboise visited the campus and conducted group interviews and ultimately made the final decision. Since the team selection in January we have completed leadership training through Dale Carnegie and will continue to train with a variety of programs to prepare us for a month in Beijing. Honestly some days I am so excited I can hardly wait and other days I am absolutely terrified! But it is truly an honor to represent Sullivan and Louisville on an international stage."

The USA House will provide a business center for USOC staff, sponsors and national governing bodies of various teams. With its multi-level restaurant-night club facility, The USA House will also be used to host many special entertainment events. The menus will change daily and will include interactive stations, buffets and grill stations, as well as "small plates," cocktail receptions and plated lunches and dinners. Students will be working both front and the back of the house. The group is comprised of students from all over the country who are currently undergraduates at Sullivan University.

The NCHS prepares students for careers in the hospitality field by offering five Associate of Science (A.S.) degree majors and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Students can earn an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts; Baking & Pastry Arts; Professional Catering; Hotel & Restaurant Management; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration concentration in Hospitality Management. The University also offers Professional Cook, Professional Baker and Travel & Tourism diplomas. All programs of study are taught by highly qualified faculty using the latest contemporary facilities. For more information, visit www.sullivan.edu.