Current Roles:
Professor:
Whole Foods Production Lecture and Lab
Food Safety and Principles of Quanlity Food Production
Food Service Management 3
Perspectives in Leadership Management
Cooking Demo
Education:
MS Food Systems and Society: Marylhurst Univeristy, Marylhurst, OR 2015
AOS Culinary Arts: Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY 1996
BA Humanities: Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 1992
Teaching/Healing Interests:
My recent research investigates diversity, equity, and inclusion as expressed in the food system in the setting of education, labor and community access to food. I am particularly interested in how the culinary industry is affected by student diversity in culinary education and if there are greater impacts in the food system at large.
Additional Areas of Research:
Farm Bill and Lacey Act; Federal School Food Policy; Genetically Modified Agrigculture; Supplemental Nutrition Benefits; Tribal Nutrition and Food Sovereignty; Lumber Resource Sustainability in International Trade and Product Manufacturing; Equity and Inclusion in Culinary Education and Industry; Food System Sustainability in Urban Development and the Built Environment;
Teaching Philosophy:
My teaching philosophy is based on the belief that each student is unique and possesses a unique motivation for pursuing knowledge. Each student has a unique definition of intended goals. Therefore, my teaching philosophy is that it is important to meet each student where they currently exist in their knowledge of the subject. I seek to understand what each student is bringing to the table, so to speak.
Food, in many ways, is higly personal and is often an expression of ones value system and unique past experience: Food is a reflection of such things as our cultures; experiences with proximity to and the availability of ingredients; our current state of knowledge and skill in handling it; and out choice about what defines food. Individuality is apparent in beliefs about how food shoulf br grown, bought, sold and utilized. This individuality in food studies drives my teaching.
Classes Taught:
Hospitality management and catering; nutritional cooking in a public health setting (hospital); Numerous community cooking classes.
Facilitator of graduate level courses on Food Policy; Community Food and Food in Literature.
Current Research:
June 2016: Presented research at the University of Toronto, at the joint conference of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS); the Agrigculture, Food and Human Values Society (AFHVS); and the Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS).
Research: Perlot, N. (Aala): Diversity in Culinary Education: Measurable Impacts on Society.
Past Professional Experience:
Professsional restaurant and private estate chef; culinary and industry researcher; educator in the commmunity, classroom and public health (hospital) setting; mentorship of culinary and hospitality business intern students.
Professional Affiliations:
Society of Agriculture, Food and Human Services
Equity Council: North Kitsap School District
Awards/Recognition:
Service to Institution Award, Culinary Insitute of America, Hyde Park, NY 1996
Elected Class Sppeaker 1996, Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY 1996