The National Association of College & University Food Services honored the contributions of 10 individuals with its annual awards and recognized the culinary excellence of collegiate dining chefs via its annual competition. The organization also recognized member institutions with the Grand Prizes for its Loyal E. Horton Dining, Nutrition and Sustainability Awards.

Culinary Competition

Chef Jeffrey MacDonaldChef Jeffrey MacDonald of the University of Massachusetts took first place in the NACUFS 2024 Culinary Challenge. Representing the Northeast region for the second year in a row, MacDonald, chef de cuisine at the University of Massachusetts, also received an American Culinary Federation gold medal. Notably, all the competing chefs received the honor of an ACF gold medal as well. Chef Bouakhanh “Bou” Greene of the University of Michigan placed second in the annual competition.

More than 40 collegiate chefs from NACUFS member institutions in six regions qualified to compete during March and April during the NACUFS 2024 Spring Conference Series. Each of the winners, representing the Pacific, Continental, Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southern NACUFS regions, advanced to the final competition, which took place during the organization’s annual conference in Louisville.

Dining and Sustainability Awards

The following NACUFS member institutions were the recipients of the organization’s 2024 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards:

• University of North Texas: Innovative Dining Program of the Year, Residential Special Event of the Year and Catering Program of the Year
• Liberty University: Residential Dining Facility of the Year and New Facility of the Year
• University of California-San Diego: Renovation of the Year
• Marywood University: Catering Special Event of the Year
• SUNY at Buffalo, Campus Dining and Shops: Retail Sales – Single Concept of the Year
• University of California–Davis: Employee Development Program of the Year
• Pennsylvania State University: Outreach & Education Program of the Year

The gold, silver and bronze award winners were announced in June.

In addition, Boston College was the recipient of the Grand Prize for the NACUFS Nutrition Awards. And Simon Fraser University earned the Grand Prize for the Sustainability Awards.

Distinguished Service Awards

Patti KlosNACUFS presented the Theodore W. Minah Distinguished Service Award to Patti Klos, senior director of dining services at Tufts University. Klos’ career spans more than 35 years at Tufts University. Her resume also includes stops at Indiana State University and Northern Illinois University following an internship with the University of Michigan. Klos served as NACUFS president in 2017 and first joined the association as a college intern. Klos has served on campus review teams, judged awards, planned conferences, and much more.

NACUFS also honored 10 individuals for “their outstanding service to the association” with a trio of awards: the Richard Lichtenfelt Award, the David R. Prentkowski Distinguished Lifetime Member Award, and the Daryl Van Hook Industry Award.

Selected by the association's chairperson, the Richard Lichtenfelt Award honors individuals who have provided outstanding contributions to NACUFS at the national level. This year’s winners are the 2023-24 NACUFS Regional Ambassadors, who represent the members from each of NACUFS’ six regions: Pacific, Continental, Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern.

The 2024 Richard Lichtenfelt Award winners are:

• Emily Eason, The George Washington University
• Jill Flores, Montana State University-Bozeman
• Crista Martin, Harvard University
• Evan Olsen, Florida Institute of Technology
• Andy Simonsen, University of Washington
• Andrew Watling, The University of Alabama

The 2024 Daryl Van Hook Industry Award was presented to Sojo Alex of Envision Strategies. Nominated by peers and colleagues, the Daryl Van Hook Industry Award honors an industry member who has provided educational support, product innovation, and outstanding service to the association.

The David R. Prentkowski Distinguished Lifetime Member Award, also nominated by peers and colleagues, honors individuals who have retired from college and university foodservice leadership or other positions that supported the betterment of college and university foodservices.

The 2024 David R. Prentkowski Distinguished Lifetime Member Award winners are Mona Milius, University of Northern Iowa; Rich Neumann, Ohio University and Cam Schauf, University of Rochester.