Meet the Experts Reception – March 20, 2013
“Experiments at the Interface of Chemistry & Cuisine”
Immediately following School of Science Colloquium on “Experiments at the Interface of Chemistry & Cuisine,” there will in be a “Meet the Experts” reception designed to provide the opportunity to extend the dialogue about science & cuisine specifically, and interdisciplinarity more generally. In addition to our renowned guest speaker, Dr. Kent Kirshenbaum, several other distinguished experts will be available to engage with attendees in informal conversation during the reception.
The reception menu will include some special items created by our visiting guest chefs and TCNJ’s own executive chefs.
Meet the Experts
Kent Kirshenbaum, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry, New York University; and Co-founder of the Experimental Cuisine Collective
Kent Kirshenbaum was born in San Francisco and was raised amidst fog and hippies. He studied Chemistry at Reed College and then obtained a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. Following post-doctoral studies at Caltech, Kent joined the faculty at New York University, where he is an Associate Professor of Chemistry. His research explores biomimetic chemistry and macromolecular design. His laboratory pursues new antibiotics and cancer therapeutics. Kent co-founded the Experimental Cuisine Collective in 2007 with Professor Amy Bentley (Food Studies) and Chef Will Goldfarb (Pastry). His television appearances include Food Detectives (Food Network) and Sid the Science Kid (PBS).
Additional Resources:
• Experimental Cuisine Collective
Rieko Yajima, Ph.D.
Project Director, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Rieko Yajima is a biochemist with interests that lie at the intersection of science with society including policy, design, and culinary arts. She has organized symposia on emerging interdisciplinary topics for national scientific meetings including the science of delicious food and research collaborations at the intersection of art+science+design, which have been covered by the Associated Press and CNN.com. Her recent symposium brought together four national art + science initiatives, including three that are funded by the NSF, that illustrate how art and design are affecting the practice of science education, public engagement, and research collaborations. Rieko has a Ph.D. in chemical biology from The Pennsylvania State University, where her research on the structural biology and chemistry of RNA enzymes was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. She is currently a Project Director with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C., where she leads teams of national experts in advising states and institutions on strategies for developing stronger capacity for research and innovation. Rieko has completed coursework at L’academie de Cuisine and the Corcoran College of Art & Design.
Additional Resources:
• The Science of Eating: A Symposium on Human Taste Perception and Preference
– Taste: It’s in your nose and memories
– The Science of Food and Flavor
• New Concepts in Art and Science Research Collaborations: A Symposium for a Global Knowledge Society
Thomas Hagedorn, Ph.D.
Co-Chair and Professor of Mathematics; and Coordinator of the First Seminar Program, The College of New Jersey
Tom Hagedorn has taught at TCNJ since 1996 and is Co-Chair and Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He also serves as the Coordinator of TCNJ’s First Seminar Program. He has taught FSP courses in mathematics (“The Mathematics of Voting”) and more recently, an interdisciplinary course on food (“Does What We Eat Matter: The Culture, Politics, and Science of Food”). His academic interest in the relationship between food and science originated when he read Harold Magee’s “On Food and Cooking” while learning to cook in graduate school. Hagedorn’s FSP course seeks to analyze the many ethical and policy issues that arise in connection with food, and how society’s responses often reflect underlying cultural concerns more than objective analysis or current scientific knowledge. Hagedorn completed his baccalaureate degree at Princeton University, his masters and doctoral degrees at Harvard University, and conducted postdoctoral study at the University of Montreal and Princeton University.
Additional Resources:
• “Does What We Eat Matter: The Culture, Politics, and Science of Food” Course Syllabus
• Department of Mathematics and Statistics, TCNJ
Nick Pawlowski
Campus Executive Chef – Fairfield University
Nick was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan where his first job was a dishwasher at Calvin College. He holds a BA in creative writing and English literature from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor as well as a culinary degree with the American Culinary Federation’s apprenticeship program. He has lived and worked as an Executive Chef in fine dining for 15 years on all four coasts: West Michigan, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Chicago, Naples (FL), Seattle (WA), and Connecticut. Previous to becoming the Executive Chef at Fairfield University in August of 2011, he was the Executive Chef at University of New Haven for six years. Nick’s professional interests include sustainability initiatives, support of local/regional farmers and producers, molecular gastronomy, and promoting healthy diets. Nick is in the process of building a small, self-sufficient farm in the Guatemalan highlands where he plan to grow small batches of shade-grown coffee, vanilla beans, olives, and blue agave.
Jim Turner
Executive Chef, Fairfield University
Jim attended Grinnell College & holds an AS from Marshalltown Community College. He has continued his education throughout the years with classes at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and Greystone – Helena, CA. His professional interests include seafood, molecular gastronomy, Mediterranean cuisine, and advanced sauces. Jim has worked at Fairfield University for 24 years in retail, front of the house, production and catering. He is married with three children and two adorable grandchildren.
For More Information:
• Colloquium on “Experiments at the Interface of Chemistry & Cuisine”