On March 29, the Dean Luke Schultheis of the Monroe College School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts and College of the Bahamas (COB) President Janyne M. Hodder signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing an exchange program between the two schools that will feature faculty and students. To kick off the collaborative, later this month Monroe Professor Chef Tracy Zimmerman will teach Culinary Arts at COB and Professor Chef Christina Moseley will be a visiting professor at Monroe. "The Bahamian government is putting significant resources into international hospitality and culinary education," noted Dean Schultheis, "and especially considering the vitality of their tourism industry, it's important for their students to be exposed to different cultures. In turn, Chef Moseley will bring a different dimension to our kitchens: a Caribbean flair often associated with Southern American and African Cuisine." A versatile chef whose forte is highlighting foods' natural flavors, Chef Zimmerman will expand COB teaching capability and cooking styles by emphasizing ingredients like organically raised beef and chicken and others that are not normally imported to The Bahamas. It's expected that many COB Associate Degree students will ultimately study for their Bachelor's degrees at Monroe. In fact, several COB students are already enrolled to study in Monroe's state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Center in the Fall, 2007. The relationship between the two colleges was initiated by Monroe Professor Chef Wilson Njenga, who was a graduate of COB. Chef Wilson has a number of Monroe College Hospitality and Culinary students working at a variety of positions at his recently opened Caribbean Island Restaurant on City Island in the Bronx. For further information on enrolling in the Monroe/COB exchange program, call 800-55-MONROE. | 
