Sarah Melo, a University Dining Services chef, took the top spot at the National Association of College and University Foodservice (NACUFS) northeast regional culinary competition. The first-time competitor swept the field on March 13 at the regional conference’s culinary challenge held in Syracuse, N.Y., bringing home the competition's sole silver medal, the highest honor awarded at this competition. Competitors were required to follow stringent American Culinary Federation (ACF) guidelines to develop a recipe and to produce four nutritionally balanced plates that include a starch, vegetable, and the chosen protein, which was tri-tip beef.

Melo heads to Dallas, Texas, in July to compete at the national level as the representative of the northeast region at the NACUFS national culinary challenge, an ACF sanctioned event in which she will face the top regional chefs of the Continental, Midwest, Mid‐Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern regions.