PITTSBURGH - Chatham University has launched a new professional certification designed to transform how commercial kitchens are built and operated.
Developed with sustainability leader EcoChef, the EcoChef Practitioner program trains chefs, architects, engineers, and designers to create high-performance commercial kitchens that prioritize energy efficiency, electrification, indoor air quality, and long-term operational value.
“At Chatham, sustainability has to be both innovative and practical,” said Emily Heffernan, Ph.D., Dean of the Falk School of Sustainability and Environment. “This program prepares professionals to lead the next generation of commercial kitchen design—where performance, health, and sustainability work together.”
The 12-module, self-paced online program explores electrified kitchen equipment, energy and waste optimization, ventilation and refrigeration systems, worker health, and the financial and policy considerations shaping modern foodservice operations.
The curriculum was developed by EcoChef co-founders Gerard Kenny, John Harrison, and sustainability chef Christopher Galarza, a leading voice in the green foodservice movement.
Learn more at chatham.edu or ecochef.org.