At the age of 42 and born in the city of Moise Lake, Washington, Chef Robert J. Harrington works as the new dean of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute here at Nicholls. Harrington started his position as the new dean on July 1. He replaced Dr. Grace Monk Gueydon who was the acting dean of the institute but is currently the dean of Life Science and Technology.
Although Harrington just began his position as dean, he has had many experiences in other parts of the United States and in other countries.
“I was a faculty member at Washington State on the state campus and the Switzerland campus. I enjoyed the interaction between the student body because it would be a 40-student class, and 22 of the students would be from other countries. It was a great experience to have met the many mixtures of cultures,” Harrington said.
However, Harrington has also taught at Nicholls before as an assistant professor from 1996 to 1998. Harrington spoke of his experience here while he was teaching.
“There are a number of reasons for me coming to Nicholls. First, my family lived here before and enjoyed the climate, culture, and atmosphere. Professionally, I came here because of the high quality of the culinary institute and the enjoyment of the years before when I taught at Nicholls,” Harringtion said.
Even though Harrington thinks highly of Nicholls, he still says he has many goals to improve the institute and himself.
“Professionally, in general my goal is to utilize research to promote the culinary field of study,” Harrington said.
“My specific goals for the culinary institute is to basically utilize the unique resource of having great food in Louisiana and continuing to differ across the United States. Also, to have the first only student design and operation radio show about cooking. We also would like to be the first culinary department and college to offer a research chef and master’s degree in the culinary institute,” Harringtion said.
Harrington said his goals are to improve the institute even though he thinks highly of it. He bases some of his experiences by what he has accomplished throughout his life.
Harrington earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration at Boise State University in 1994. He also received a master’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in management and hotel and restaurant administration, from Washington State University in 1996.
Harrington said he has also earned many awards and honors for his work.
“I won the champion of the Custom Gold Label Table side Cooking Contest in 1998, several research papers in Conferences and a research paper in Washington in the college of business,” Harrington said.
His experiences and achievements helped him to finalize his feelings about Nicholls and the culinary institute.
“I feel that it is great to be back at Nicholls and that it is great to have an assemble of a great group of faculty, staff and students for the program. The culinary in general has had great progress over the last five years and is the fastest growing program on campus and internationally,” Harringtion said.
Harrington said that he is very grateful of the job.
“I think that the fact culinary is a part of Nicholls makes it a part from any other US. program. Also, what makes it different is the surrounding culture and food, and the support of the faculty and staff on campus helps the students prepare themselves to be successful in life and in the culinary careers they have chosen,” Harrington said.
