FLORENCE, AL - In a ceremony Friday afternoon at UNA on Sixth in Tuscumbia, the Culinary Arts Management program in the School of the Arts at the University of North Alabama was officially named for 1996 UNA graduate Jeff Eubanks.

"The program is unique in the state as there are no other four-year degree programs in Alabama in the culinary field," said Dr. Sara Lynn Baird, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "The endowment in Jeff's name that paved the way for the naming of the program recognizes a member of our community who generously provided his time and expertise in support of culinary students."

Eubanks was the executive chef at the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa at the time of his passing in February 2020. He often mentored culinary students from the UNA program as a part of his other responsibilities, sharing his expertise and knowledge gained from his years in the industry. As part of their enrollment, students in the program must complete two internships that comprise 350 hours in the field to earn their degree.

"Our culinary faculty bring excellence, widely diverse backgrounds, and exceptional dedication to student success to the field of culinary arts at UNA and in the region," Baird said. "They are currently in the process of developing a post-graduate certificate in the culinary arts."

The site of the ceremony, UNA on Sixth, was chosen as it houses a demonstration kitchen that will be used by students in the culinary arts management program. The facility, which was opened in late 2020, will also be home to programming from the School of the Arts. It is indicative of the success of these key areas at UNA, according to Dr. Ross Alexander, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

"Due to a relatively recent move to a new academic college, school, and department; some curricular changes and improvements; and an increasing emphasis on workforce development, I am pleased to report that Culinary Arts Management is thriving at UNA," he said. "The myriad gifts that facilitated this naming today will have a direct impact on the program, its students, and numerous Shoals-based hospitality employers."

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I's ASUN Big South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/