Brian Lindberg, Brewing Operations Manager at Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College has been offering classes in sustainable brewing for less than two years, but recent recognition is putting the program in the same league as those that have been offered for much longer.
KVCC’s Sustainable Brewing program is one of the first to receive recognition from the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA). KVCC is among eight other schools in the United States and Canada to meet or exceed the guidelines and learning outcomes set by the MBAA.
“Our program, which was launched less than two years ago, continues to grow in popularity with students and with area employers,” says Associate Vice President for Instruction and the Bronson Healthy Living Campus Dean McCurdy. “This recognition puts Kalamazoo Valley up there with other institutions that have been doing this a lot longer.”
Earlier this year, Kalamazoo Valley was the top winner the U.S. Open College Beer Championship, a craft beer competition for beers brewed exclusively by college and university brewing and fermentation programs.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the top brewing programs in North America,” McCurdy says. “These awards reflect the creativity, artisanship, and attention to detail that we've built into our award-winning curriculum. Competing successfully against the top colleges and universities throughout North America is a validation of the investments we have made in recruiting excellent brewers and scientists to teach in our program."
McCurdy says the success also is an acknowledgment of the strong partnerships we've built with the local brewing community, and of the state-of-the-art brewery opened at the Kalsec Center for Sustainable Brewing Education on the college’s Bronson Healthy Living Campus.
KVCC offers a Certificate, Associate of Applied Science degree, and an Associate in Science degree in Sustainable Brewing. Program options are designed to prepare students for employment in brewing and related industries. Students can also transfer coursework to complete a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Applied Science or Bachelor of Business Administrator (Management) degree.
Source: Kalamazoo Valley Community College
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