Sustainable Brewing college program gets big gift from Kalsec

Students in the new brewing science program at Kalamazoo Valley Community College will soon be the beneficiaries of a major gift from Kalsec, which includes multiple program resources for use in the newly named Kalsec Center for Sustainable Brewing Education. Kalsec is a global producer of natural spice and herb flavor extracts, colors, antioxidants and advanced hop products for the food and beverage industry. Kalsec is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Mich., with facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia.

The Kalsec Center for Sustainable Brewing Education will be located in the new culinary/allied health careers building on Kalamazoo Valley’s new downtown campus. “Kalsec’s generous gift of resources and talent will enable the college to provide brewing science education in the first and only U.S. sustainable brewing school developed from the ground up,” said Marilyn Schlack, the president of KVCC.

In addition to financial support, Kalsec will contribute pilot brewery equipment, curriculum development and instruction by Mike Babb, Kalsec hops research fellow and master brewer, and evaluation of student beers through the Kalsec professional sensory panel.

Babb, a former Coors brewer, served as a consultant in the development of Kalamazoo Valley’s Certificate and Associate of Applied Science degree programs in sustainable brewing and the “two-plus-two” Bachelor of Science program being offered by the college and Western Michigan University. According to Babb, “This collaborative effort between a community college, a university, and an industry partner group with representation from brewing community members is unique. This collaborative will provide a comprehensive learning experience for students seeking jobs in brewing and allied industries.”

Classroom work in Kalamazoo Valley’s sustainable brewing program will be reinforced through hands-on experiences in the operation of the small-scale teaching brewery in the new Center for Sustainable Brewing Education. The teaching brewery is designed to mimic, on a small-scale, the capability found with industrial brewing equipment, including education about the importance of sustainability including water and energy savings.

“We are excited to contribute and partner with Kalamazoo Valley in the advancement of brewing education and innovation,” says Joanne Martz, Kalsec’s hops global business director. “The brewing industry is an import part of our local, national and global economy.”

Beginning in fall 2015, Kalamazoo Valley will offer three options for students interested in sustainable brewing. The 30-credit Certificate program will provide students with specific competencies considered critical when working in the field in a variety of roles and can be completed in about a year.

The Associate of Applied Science “go-to-work” degree combines the competencies in the Certificate program with additional coursework in the sciences, business, sustainability studies, and allied fields. The program is designed to prepare students for technical and entrepreneurial careers in the brewing industry.

The Associate of Sciences for Transfer degree is designed for students planning to transfer to Western Michigan University. Students will complete the brewing program at Kalamazoo Valley and then transfer to complete sciences and general education electives toward a Bachelor of Science at WMU.