UAPB’s Dr. W. Jinnings Burruss Jr. Awarded Master Chef Credential by World Association of Chefs’ Societies

Dr. W. Jinnings Burruss Jr.

Dr. W. Jinnings Burruss Jr., assistant professor of food service and restaurant management for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Human Sciences, was recently awarded the Worldchefs Certified Master Chef credential. The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, also known as “Worldchefs,” is a global network of more than 100 chefs’ associations that represents chefs at all levels and across all specialties worldwide.

According to Worldchefs, the holder of a Worldchefs badge is a professional chef with an in-depth knowledge of culinary arts and a proven track record in creating dishes that have been recognized for culinary excellence. This individual has extensive professional cooking experience and is either employed as an executive chef or corporate executive chef or runs their own business.

“I grew up in the food industry,” Dr. Burruss said. “My parents owned grocery stores, and when I was young, I always enjoyed helping out in the deli. When I was eight or nine, my grandmothers started teaching me how to cook. That’s how my interest really started to form.”

Dr. Burruss began his professional culinary journey at Cove Creek Scout Reservation near Damascus, Arkansas. He was responsible for teaching Boy Scouts outdoor cooking skills such as open-fire cooking and the use of cast iron cooking vessels.

“I started out working as part of the camp staff as a teenager and went on to manage the camp’s foodservice operations,” he said. “I was 17 years old and managing the dining hall, where we served 300 people a meal. At the time, I was the only cook.”

Dr. Burruss went on to earn two bachelor’s degrees in home economics and a master’s degree in family and consumer sciences from the University of Central Arkansas. While completing his doctoral degree in education at Oklahoma State University (OSU), he developed the foodservice and conference operations at the Wes Watkins Center for International Trade Development.

During his time working at the Wes Watkins Center, Dr. Burruss oversaw dinners and events for distinguished guests such as Steve Forbes, the editor-in-chief of Forbes, Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State, Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, and Boone T. Pickens, business magnate and OSU alumnus.

Dr. Burruss said one of the most memorable moments of his career occurred when he was responsible for hosting Major General Myles L. Deering of the Oklahoma National Guard. In planning the menu for the private dinner, he decided to cook a traditional southern classic.

“We prepared chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes and green beans, but with an elegant spin,” he said. “The idea was to take a humble comfort food dish, but step it up a bit. The general said that was the best chicken-fried steak he ever tried and suggested that I should become his personal chef. At the end of the dinner, he ended up presenting me with an Army National Guard challenge coin. It was a great honor.”

Before coming to UAPB, Dr. Burruss was the department chair of hospitality management at the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute for University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College. In that role, he worked with high schools to recruit students and served on community committees and taskforce groups to promote hospitality in the state of Arkansas. It was also at this time that he became a Worldchefs-certified hospitality educator and culinary educator.

Dr. Burruss was hired at UAPB in the fall of 2022. He is working on revising the food service and restaurant management curriculum, updating the campus teaching kitchens, writing grants for funding for hospitality and culinary projects and developing partnerships to assist UAPB graduates in finding employment while in school and after graduation.

“In my classes, I teach students about the importance of using local products and planning menus based on what is currently in season,” he said. “This approach is usually more cost-effective and helps guarantee you are using quality ingredients.”

He recommends undecided students consider majoring in hospitality because of the diverse range of job opportunities in the industry. A degree in hospitality does not limit one to having to find work in a kitchen. There are many different avenues to choose from, he said.

“Someone with a food service background can open a catering business, work for a distributor, become a food company representative or work in research and development for food and beverage companies,” he said. “There are even new fields opening up – for example, culinary medicine, in which those educated in nutrition and food service are able to collaborate with doctors and teach them the health aspects of different foods.”

In addition to his work at UAPB, Dr. Burruss also works with the food and beverage department at the Saracen Casino and Resort in Pine Bluff. There, he serves as chef de cuisine for five food outlets and works closely with the Red Oak Steakhouse.

Dr. Burruss said he finds a lot of fulfillment in teaching and training others how to cook.

“I most enjoy the interaction,” he said. “There is also an instant gratification in seeing someone prepare a meal for the first time and realize they now have the knowledge and experience to prepare it again. There is a great deal of fellowship in the process of learning how to cook. You can learn a lot about people over the preparation of food.”

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.