The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Art Institute of Pittsburgh Adopts US Navy Aircraft Carrier

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Chef Odette Smith Ransome and Industrial Design faculty member Bill Farrell will board the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN75) on September 8. Each with a unique academic challenge, the two will kick off The Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s participation in the US Navy’s Adopt-a-Ship program. Scroll to the bottom for the link to TALES FROM THE TRUMAN

With 6500 Navy sailors on board, 120 Culinary Specialists (CS) on the TRUMAN prepare OVER 26,000 MEALS EACH DAY. Chef Odette’s mission is to provide enriching training sessions so that the CS staff can benefit from her knowledge and experience. She’s planning to deliver power-packed daily presentations on nutrition and American regional cuisine. BY THE REQUEST OF THE SAILORS, Chef Odette is also planning an emphasis on SOUPS OF THE NATION. “Everyone can identify with the soul-enriching power of a really good bowl of chicken noodle soup, but I plan to take it much further in preparing lessons for soups that offer the feeling of home, something their grandmothers would have made. She’ll be focusing on recipes for the creamy clam chowder indigenous to the north-east, the she-crab soup of the Carolinas, hearty beef-barley of the American mid-west, cabbage and kielbasa of Chicago and gumbo made famous in the New Orleans region.

Simultaneously, Bill Farrell will be conducting first-time research to develop academic projects for his Industrial Design special topics classes at The Art Institute. He will be researching the working, living and recreation aspects of military life on board an aircraft carrier by conducting interviews. "I want to leave the TRUMAN with a select group of design challenges my students can sink their teeth into," said Farrell. “That’s what industrial designers do and extreme conditions are my specialty.”

Historically, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh embraces projects like the Adopt-a-Ship program because it gives students a rare chance to be involved in extreme applications of their creative skills. According to George Pry, President of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, the college thrives on academic challenges that create real benefits for community members as well as enriching the educational experience of its students. "We’re sending two of our most talented faculty to support the mission and services that the US Navy provides to American citizens," said Pry. "If we can make life on board the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN a little better for everyone and our students learn more in the process, that’s what we consider a perfect partnership."

The Art Institutes’ national system of schools is currently reviewing the possibilities for expanding the Adopt-a-Ship program to a variety of its 31 campuses and creative disciplines nationwide.

About The Adopt-a-Ship Program

The Adopt-a-Ship program, which is managed by the Navy Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), began as a partnership between NAVSUP and the American Culinary Federation (ACF) to provide training to CSs who may otherwise not have had the opportunity to experience industry practices. Adopt-a-Ship is actively recruiting chefs and cooks from the ACF and has expanded the search into other professional food service organizations including the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), the Retailer’s Bakers Association (RBA), the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and the International Food Service Executives Association (IFSEA), reaching out to all culinary professionals to support Navy Culinary Training. This voluntary program provides chefs and cooks the opportunity to spend time shipboard with CSs by sharing their culinary knowledge and industry experience.

The Adopt-a-Ship program is not intended to take the place of a formal education, but rather is intended to support the training CSs receive. Adopt-a-Ship training will build on the foundation skills that are necessary for a successful career in any food service arena.

For more information on the Adopt-a-Ship Program contact Chef Michael Harants at (717) 605-6323, or michael.harents@navy.mil. Media should contact Mike Randazzo, NAVSUP Public Affairs, at 717-605-3338 or michael.randazzo@navy.mil.

TALES FROM THE TRUMAN

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