The Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center is a building like no other at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.
The center creates an immersive experience and focuses on hotel and restaurant management, culinary science, brewing science and operations, wine appreciation, distilled spirits and event management.
The 142,000-square-foot, six-story facility at the corner of East Thach Avenue and South College Street is the first campus building to blend a major academic component with revenue-generating elements.
The massive complex exemplifies experiential learning by providing students with traditional lectures and real-world experiences under one roof, unlike any other place in the world. Two notable areas include The Laurel Hotel & Spa, a teaching hotel and spa, and 1856, a teaching restaurant. Revenue generated from these areas and others will pay for features such as a master sommelier and a chef-in-residence, among other aspects.
“A favorite catch-phrase at Auburn is that we are an 'everything school,’” said Susan Hubbard, dean of the College of Human Sciences. “We experience success and make headlines in multiple ways. The Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center has everything under one roof for an elevated education and hospitality experience. This new academic and commercial environment will provide a level of engagement for our students that already has the hospitality industry taking notice.”
Mark Traynor, an associate professor and director of culinary science in the college's School of Hospitality Management, explains, “The center dramatically enhances critical thinking opportunities for students in hands-on courses. Students will be presented with real-world problems and challenges to solve each day.”
As Alabama's only professionally accredited hospitality program, Auburn hospitality management students take a series of courses designed for them to work in 1856 and The Laurel.
Learning By Doing
Martin O'Neill, head of the School of Hospitality Management, described the center as “a hive of activity,” given the variety of teaching facilities and amenities, such as a culinary exhibition laboratory, where faculty and visiting chefs hold demonstrations for students and community members, and culinary laboratories, where students develop skills before working in the food outlets.
In 1856 and The Laurel, students experience various roles and progress experientially, starting their sophomore year, to supervisory roles in their senior year.
Besides traditional classes, O'Neill said the school is working with a number of beverage-oriented bodies to offer a range of student, industry and community-oriented courses and certifications in wine education and distilled spirits.
Auburn has successfully offered a graduate certificate in brewing science and operations for nearly a decade. With a microbrewery in the center, faculty and graduate brewing students have the opportunity to hone their craft and grow their educational experience with hands-on practice. Recipes developed and produced in the brewery are sold to the public.
Student, community and private events are held on the center's rooftop garden and street-level green spaces. Students in the event management track of the hospitality management degree assist in planning and execution of these events.
Additional Expertise, Chef in Residence Program
A unique feature of the Rane Culinary Science Center is the utilization of a chef-in-residence program. The inaugural chef-in-residence for 1856 is Chef Tyler Lyne, co-owner of Tasting TBL in Birmingham.
“Gaining this sort of exposure, working with the best culinarians year after year, is unmatched as no other school offers this type of experience in the traditional learning environment,” said O'Neill.
Thomas Price serves as the restaurant's master sommelier. Only 269 people have earned the title worldwide, with 172 in the Americas chapter.
“The level of knowledge that a master sommelier brings to the table is extraordinary and will absolutely set our students apart,” said Associate Professor David Martin.
The College of Human Sciences works in partnership with Ithaka Hospitality Partners in providing exceptional engagement opportunities for students, as Ithaka employees support the college faculty throughout the center.
The experiential learning process for students is enriched every time a guest stays at The Laurel, eats in 1856, or attends an event on the rooftop. These actions train future hospitality experts.
“The Rane Culinary Science Center promotes education first,” explained Martin. “From day one, the entire team has been focused on how this new facility would enhance student learning. We created a learning environment unlike any other that is going to make our graduates even more sought after, while providing the community with an unparalleled hospitality experience.”
To learn more about the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center Auburn University, visit RaneCenter.Auburn.edu.
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