More New Students for Spring 2016
The MLA in Gastronomy and Food Studies Certificate programs are happy to welcome a new cohort of student for the Spring 2016 Semester. Here is your chance to get to know a few of them:
Christian Kapeller was born in the region of Carinthia, which lies in the south of Austria, bordering Slovenia and the Italian regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto, which are famous for their food and wine. He grew up with the Austro-Italian way of life regarding culture and culinary habits. He enjoys exploring and getting to know other cultures with their culinary characteristics and different business environments. During his Bachelor studies in International Business Administration at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, he took the opportunity to work as an intern for a travel agency in Hong Kong for two months and to participate in the International Summer University program in Austin, Texas, organized by the McCombs School of Business. This experience abroad piqued Christian’s interest for the gastronomy sector.
While in Texas, Christian realized how enormous the innovation potential within the food and beverage sector could be. He writes “After one of our intensive meetings regarding our marketplace simulation at the McCombs School of Business I went out with one of my colleagues with the goal to taste one of the famous Berlin-inspired Kebaps from Austin, Texas. The innovative products offered by a specially developed distribution system of VertsKabap, founded by two German business students some years ago, were fresh, delicious and healthy. For my colleague and me it was obvious that the highly professional and well organized start-up could become successful in the future. Nowadays, VertsKebap is a symbol of the “Kebap eating habit” as the young and creative brand offers its products at many locations all around Texas.”
Christian plans to focus in Business and Entrepreneurship during his time in the Gastronomy program, and looks forward to meeting and learning from lots of student colleagues, professors and industry professionals from various backgrounds with different views.
Morgan Mannino was born in the land of Omaha Steaks and sweet corn, but among the six states (and counting) she’s lived in, the state where pork barbecue is king, Cheerwine is his queen, and Texas Pete is the outlaw roaming the beautiful landscape is where she feels most at home. She currently lives in Jamaica Plain and originally came to the Boston area almost 6 years ago to pursue her BFA at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. During her time at the SMFA and Tufts almost all of her artwork and academic research was rooted in food studies. There she had the opportunity to study abroad at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris where she fell in love with gastronomy even further. After completing the program, she began working full-time in the Sponsorship department at America’s Test Kitchen where she still works today by day. She still keeps up her art practice on the side and taught painting to adults at Newton Community Education up until being admitted to the BU Gastronomy program. She loves the way food can be a vehicle in which to experience personal histories, public histories, cultures, etc and is excited to be in an environment that will foster her love of food further. She is also excited to be surrounded and inspired by her peers and professors to take that love and knowledge to another level. Through the program she would like to pursue both a focus in history and culture as well as business and entrepreneurship. Follow her adventures on Instagram: @momannino.