Dr. Jennifer Broderick, CSW hiking the vineyards of Germany!
Dr. Jennifer Broderick, CSW, grew up in two college towns: Lawrence, Kansas, then Middletown, Connecticut, where her father was a professor of Political Science. She studied English at the University of Hawaii (where her father also taught for a time), then switched paths and received her undergraduate degree in Social Work from South Connecticut State University. From there she spent several years in the restaurant business in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Graduate degrees came later in life, with an MBA from University of Phoenix in 2010 and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Johnson and Wales University in 2016.
Jennifer’s experience in the restaurant trade is both wide and deep; she had a long career as a general manager, managing partner, proprietor of some large corporate restaurant chains, and she even did a 10 year stint as a dry cleaner (so if you need a wine stain taken out, just ask).
Dr. Broderick joined the faculty of Johnson and Wales University in 2012, and is presently an associate professor in the College of Culinary Arts at the university’s Harborside Campus in Providence, Rhode Island, and has served as the department chair for Beverage and Dining Services since Edward Korry, former president of the Society of Wine Educators (SWE), retired.
For eight years, Jennifer has taught beverage and dining courses to freshmen and sophomores as well as capstone dining course to seniors. She also teaches leadership, human resources, and research courses in JWU’s College of Online Education. Having had to continue her learning while fully employed, Jennifer is a proponent of learning and teaching online. Last summer she was the faculty leader for the JWU Study Abroad 500 Corks Sommelier program in Germany and France; in March, she’ll be leading students on the volcanic wines Study Abroad program in the Azores.
Dr. Broderick is an honored member of the JWU faculty. She was recognized with the Distinguished Scholarship Award in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and she received the Dean’s Award for Professional Development in 2017. Additionally, she has been working hard on her professional credentials: she earned her Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) in 2013 (with a shout-out to Edward Korry’s preparation class and Miss Jane’s Bubbly Professor materials). She is a Certified Hospitality Educator, holds the WSET Level 2 in Spirits, and is working toward her Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) with the Society of Wine Educators.
Jennifer counts SWE as a significant influence in her life and she is excited about keeping up the association. She has been a volunteer at the summer conference every year since the 2014 conference in Seattle, and genuinely enjoys working with Shields Hood, the SWE office team, and the other volunteers. As Jennifer puts it: “I am inspired by those who have studied wine for many years, and I feel honored to be surrounded by such knowledgeable people; it is because of my involvement with the SWE that I’ve truly become hooked on learning more about wine! I truly appreciate the incredible opportunity that I have, to further my wine studies and wine appreciation by continuing my participation in SWE events.”
Guest post written by Reverend Paul Bailey
If you are a SWE certificate holder and would like to be featured in our “On the Radar” series, please contact our Director of Education and Certification, Jane A. Nickles: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org