October 08, 2009

David Hickok, a senior Culinology major at California State University, Fresno, is one of five students nationwide selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Research Chef’s Foundation.

Hickok will be honored at the association’s annual conference, Culinology Expo, in Seattle on March 8 along with Klaus Tenbergen, Culinology program director and assistant professor of Culinary Science at Fresno State.

Hickok, 23, from Paso Robles, also will be recognized in the official 2008 RCA conference program and in the next issue of Culinology Currents, RCA’s official newsletter.

“This is a great honor not only for David, but also for the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology here at Fresno State,” said Tenbergen.

Hickok is equally excited not just about the honor but also the upcoming experience in Seattle.

“I will meet many accomplished chefs,” said Hickok. “After graduation I hope to do product development for a major food company. I’d like to see products I’ve worked on in grocery stores across the country or on menus at restaurant chains.”

He is among the first students in Fresno State’s Culinology program begun in fall 2006 semester.

With the new program, the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology joined a growing number of universities and colleges around the country offering culinology degrees, offering students a rare opportunity to practice and study culinary research.

Culinology chefs and food scientists work in research and development, food manufacturing, chain restaurants, hotels, ingredient supply houses, consulting and academia.

“I have always had a love for cooking and have been doing it for a while,” said Hickok, “So when I heard about the major it just seemed a natural fit for me.