A project that turned a portion of the third floor of the Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Family Life Center into a cutting-edge food production laboratory is complete. And officials, students and supporters of the NDSU College of Human Development and Education are ready to unveil the finished product.
An open house and ribbon cutting ceremony have been scheduled to celebrate the renovated food production laboratory and adjoining classroom/restaurant space. The open house is set for Friday, Oct. 10, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Family Life Center rooms 310 and 312. The ribbon cutting is slated for 2:30 p.m. The events are part of Homecoming week at NDSU.
Major components of the project include the renovation of six individual learning stations; the addition of a commercial food production laboratory; and converting existing space to a foodservice area complete with tables and chairs, a service station and the flexibility to function as a dining, service and lecture classroom.
Key features include energy efficient LED lighting and a built-in sound system that allows students to customize the entire dining atmosphere.
The renovated space is essentially two separate but interconnected rooms designed to provide flexibility of use. The space also hosts the 800 Café, a student-managed restaurant that is open to the public during the spring semester.
The project benefits approximately 200 students in NDSU’s dietetics and hospitality and tourism management programs. Both programs are nationally accredited. Students cannot become a registered dietitian without a degree from an accredited program.
The $750,000 project was funded in part by a matching grant program established during the 2013 North Dakota legislative session. The state awarded $1 in matching funds for every $2 raised since the project is dedicated exclusively to the advancement of academics. A commission appointed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple awarded $203,000 to the project.
Many of the college’s faculty and staff made personal donations to help fund the project. Student organizations also supported the renovation.
A Food Production Laboratory Endowment also was created to provide funding for lab upkeep.
“Alumni and friends of the college were supportive of the project from the beginning and have been supportive of the endowment,” said Virginia Clark Johnson, dean of the College of Human Development and Education. “We are proud to be able to share the finished project with them.”
Interior design students also will use the renovation as a case study, said senior lecturer Ann Ragan, who served as an interior design consultant for the space.
Renovation of the space began in May 2014. The dining room can serve up to 44 customers at a time. The kitchen is designed to host 18 food preparers at one time.
“Having the updated space will make a huge difference in the quality of our classes,” said Sherri Nordstrom Stastny, associate professor in health, nutrition and exercise sciences. “Student learning will be greatly enhanced by thoughtful design and layout of state-of-the-art food production, service and cleaning/sanitation equipment, not to mention student safety.”
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.
