WVU Tech culinary program announces partnership with Chef Paul Smith
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia University Institute of Technology announced a partnership with Chef Paul Smith relating to the University’s two-year culinary program.
The partnership will be related to the school’s two-year culinary program that is hosted at the WVU Tech’s Beckley campus that opened in 2020, and is offered through Potomac State College.
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Developing and building a more extensive network of culinarians and hospitality workers in West Virginia is a must if we are going to be a hospitality-driven state. We have wonderful restaurants, a designated national park and tourism is on the rise. We need to make sure that we have the workforce and the infrastructure that this requires.
Chef Paul Smith
According to WVU Tech, Paul Smith was the first West Virginian to be a James Beard Foundation award finalist. He has various restaurants in Charleston, West Virginia, some of which are Ellen’s Ice Cream, The Pitch Sports Bar & Grill, and the 1010 Bridge Restaurant & Catering. He is a chef partner with Barkadas in Charleston, West Virginia, the Humble Tomato in Lewisburg, West Virginia, and Retro Hospitality, a hotel management group based in Richmond, Virginia.
The partnership with Chef Paul Smith will promote and facilitate our goals of improving culinary skills of students, diversifying our curriculum and fostering community involvement through enhanced hospitality opportunities in our state. Chef Paul not only brings enhanced culinary techniques but also creativity, dedication and passion that will greatly enhance student experience at WVU Tech.
Chef Devin Noor | Program Director and Teaching Assistant Professor of Culinary Arts
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The opportunities Chef Paul will bring our culinary students, while also providing community partnerships with local restaurants and the hospitality industry, will continue to set our program apart from others and provide students with real-world readiness.
Dr. T. Ramon Stuart | President of WVU Tech
Smith’s connections and his network of restauranteurs that he has across both the state and the country can help give students and graduates jobs and learning opportunities. A formal announcement will be on January 24, 2024 at 410 Neville Street, and Chef Paul Smith and other culinary partners will be there.
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