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MDCC Cuts Ribbon on Culinary Arts Technology Program at Greenville Higher Education Center
Moorhead, Miss. (Dec. 1, 2023) - Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) celebrated the grand opening of its Culinary Arts Technology program at the Greenville Higher Education Center (GHEC) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 16. The event, hosted by MDCC in collaboration with the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and the Washington County Economic Alliance, marked a significant expansion of career-technical offerings in the city.
MDCC President Dr. Tyrone Jackson welcomed community members, educators, and business leaders. In his opening remarks, Dr. Jackson expressed his excitement for the new culinary program: “Today is an exciting day for Mississippi Delta Community College, the Greenville Higher Education Center, our culinary arts technology program, and the Greenville community as a whole.”
The Culinary Arts Technology program at the GHEC offers students the opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Science, an Advanced Technical Certificate, or a Technical Certificate in culinary arts. In his address, Jackson highlighted the importance of providing diverse educational pathways for students in the region.
Dr. Jackson also addressed the history of the GHEC, “The Greenville Higher Education Center was initiated in January 2001 as a collaborative effort between three state-supported higher education institutions: Mississippi Delta Community College, Mississippi Valley State University, and Delta State University. MDCC assumed ownership of the facility in March 2007 and continues to foster the collaborative agreement with the senior-level institutions.”
Chef David Crews, the Culinary Arts Technology instructor, shared his enthusiasm about the program’s new space, stating, “This is 100% my dream kitchen. We now have a formal dining area, a lecture room, and all commercial appliances, including a full restaurant line for the sophomore students.”
The state-of-the-art facility is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in culinary arts. Chef Crews highlighted the impact of the new, modern equipment, saying, “With all the new technology, such as combi-ovens and immersion circulators, we now have the ability to expand the curriculum to keep up with the ever-changing needs of our market.”
In addition to the Culinary Arts Technology program, the GHEC hosts various University-Transfer programs, adult education courses, and the college’s health science program on its Greenville campus, Physical Therapist Assistant. The facility also serves as a hub for workforce training and non-credit programming, offering professional development for the community and businesses and acting as a conferencing center for the Delta area.
Dr. Jackson also announced MDCC’s plans to expand career-technical offerings in Washington County further. “We will soon begin construction on a career-technical building at the GHEC to house two new programs: carpentry technology and commercial and residential technology.”
Initiative Four of the MDCC Strategic Plan, focusing on infrastructure, played a crucial role in bringing the culinary arts program to fruition. The vision of the initiative includes goals to ‘maximize college infrastructure,’ ‘improve existing systems,’ and ‘address increased capacity,’ all evident in the state-of-the-art culinary space.
Other MDCC representatives, including Vice President of Effectiveness and Enrollment Dr. Ben Cloyd, also addressed the audience.
The Culinary Arts Technology concentration provides students with a solid foundation in cooking methods and science, covering classical, American, and international cuisine, as well as baking and pastries. The program emphasizes hands-on lab instruction in a commercial kitchen, guided by a chef instructor. Completion options include a Technical Certificate, an Advanced Technical Certificate, and an Associate of Applied Science degree.