SCENE
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Spring
2018
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
For Friends and Alumni
Culinary Cool
C
ome this September, the biggest
new name on the Nyack culinary
scene will be Rockland Community
College.
Construction work is underway to
transform a landmark building in the heart
of downtown Nyack into a new hub of
food-related activity. The
Hospitality and Culinary
Arts Center, approved
late last year by the Board
of Trustees, will benefit
students, industry and the
local community.
The site of the Center, at
the corner of Broadway and
Main Street, is the former
headquarters of Orange & Rockland
Utilities. This unique space offers an
expansive storefront, plus a number of other
features that will be adapted to serve the
needs of students and visitors.
“This is truly the premier location in
Rockland County for exposure and traffic
flow,” said David Kimmel, the Center’s
Interim Director. Months ahead of its
debut, the buzz around the new RCC
facility is such that the Journal-News
listed it among the “15 coolest restaurant
openings” in the Rockland/Westchester
area.
One of the special features of the
building is a pre-existing amphitheater,
previously used for product demonstrations
and company meetings. Once renovated,
this space will host classes, tourist-oriented
HOSPITALITY AND CULINARY ARTS
CENTER OPENS THIS FALL IN NYACK
food programs and local cultural events. For
students, much of the activity will revolve
around a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen,
featuring 10 full cooking stations. Two
Work is underway to construct RCC’s new Hospitality and
Culinary Arts Center, located in a historic building at an ideal
location in downtown Nyack.
additional classrooms and other student
facilities will help support the goal of
increasing the number of students enrolled
in RCC’s Hospitality degree and certificate
programs.
The most visible part of the Center
will be a year-round farm to market retail
store, featuring local New York products. A
seating area will allow customers to enjoy
their food onsite, and will occasionally
transform into a pop-up student-operated
restaurant.
The need for skilled workers in the
Mid-Hudson Valley’s hospitality, food
and beverage industries shows no signs
of slowing down, with projected strong
growth over the next decade. The Center will
provide real-world, practical experiences for
RCC students that will prove beneficial to
their careers.
To learn more about the Hospitality
and Culinary Arts Center, visit www.
sunyrockland.edu/go/
culinarynyack. For
more on Hospitality
and Tourism degree
and certificate
programs at RCC,
check out www.
sunyrockland.edu/go/
hospitality.
Inside
Saving on Textbook Costs 2
New Path to Pharmacy Degree 3
SCENE Wins Two Awards 4
RCC Earns Gold 5
This Spring @ RCC 6-7
Alumni Spotlight 8-9
Passings 10
Hawk Highlights
11
SCENE | 1