Alum Advises CIA Grads of the Importance of Contributing to Society
Hyde Park, NY 鈥 Sustainable seafood innovator and food policy influencer Barton Seaver returned to his alma mater on February 9 to deliver
the commencement address at the New
York campus of The Culinary Institute of America. During his remarks, he
challenged the college鈥檚 newest graduates to accept their responsibility to
sustain both the environment and people.
鈥淎 chef will always be more than the sum of the ingredients
that we put on a plate,鈥 Seaver told recipients of
associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. 鈥淭he
role of a chef鈥攁nd the success that will define your career鈥攊s how you act as a
citizen and how you act as a neighbor.鈥
After graduating from the CIA in 2001, Seaver rose to become executive chef at top seafood restaurants, including the highly
regarded Hook in Washington, DC. Esquire magazine named him its Chef of the Year in 2009. He brought his environmental
consciousness to his menus, but eventually left the restaurant world to speak
and write full-time about seafood, sustainability, and health.
Chef Seaver is now director of the
Sustainable Seafood and Health Initiative for the Center for Health and the
Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In his
position, Seaver spearheads initiatives to teach how our
diet and menu choices can bring about healthier people and more secure food
supplies. A fellow with the National Geographic Society, he has been named to
the United States Culinary Ambassador Corps, a designation he uses to lead international
conversations about sustainability and the role of food in public health.
Seaver is the author of seven
books, including For Cod and Country, The
National Geographic Kid鈥檚 Cookbook, and Two
if by Sea: Delicious Sustainable Seafood, winner of a 2017 International
Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Award. His newest book is American Seafood: Heritage, Culture &
Cookery from Sea to Shining Sea. During his visit to the CIA, Chef Seaver also held a book signing for students and the
public.
The entire CIA commencement ceremony, including Chef Seaver鈥檚 address, can be .
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image:
Chef and sustainability advocate Barton Seaver delivers the commencement address at the New York campus of The Culinary
Institute of America on February 9, 2018. (Photo
credit: CIA/Phil Mansfield)
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Writer
845-451-1372
Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu
About The Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, The
Culinary Institute of America is the world鈥檚 premier culinary college.
Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the
independent, not-for-profit CIA offers bachelor鈥檚 degrees in management,
culinary arts, culinary science, and applied food studies, and associate
degrees in either culinary arts or baking and pastry arts. The college also
offers executive education through its Food Business School along with
certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its
conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA
the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of nearly 50,000
alumni includes innovators in every area of the food business. The CIA has
locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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