A generous gift from Aramark Collegiate Hospitality will support an innovative teaching kitchen in the newly renovated Paley Hall, Temple University and its College of Public Health announced today. The donation will fund a cutting-edge teaching kitchen—one of the standout features of the newly renovated Paley Hall, which opens this fall as the new, permanent home of the college. Designed to inspire innovation and real-world impact, the kitchen will serve as a hub for nutrition education and community engagement.  

“As a hospitality partner, we take care of people, and this care is not confined to the meals we serve in dining halls and gathering spaces across campus,” said Jack Donovan, President and CEO of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. “We are honored to be part of the Community Teaching Kitchen in Temple University’s beautifully renovated Paley Hall, helping students and the surrounding community to learn more about health, well-being and the power of nutritious meals.” 

The donation from Aramark represents the largest gift that the university has received in support of Paley Hall to this point. In recognition of the gift, the kitchen will now be named the Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen.  

“When it opens, Paley Hall will become a signature piece of Temple’s campus. One reason is the state-of-the-art teaching spaces that are part of the new building. One of the best examples is the Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen, which will serve as a hub for nutrition education, hands-on culinary instruction and community engagement,” Temple University President John Fry said. “Spaces like this kitchen will play a key role in helping prepare our students for the evolving field of public health, and we are deeply grateful to Aramark for their support and partnership.” 

The 2,000-square-foot teaching kitchen has been optimized for instructional learning and will include six cooking stations that can accommodate 24 participants, a fully stocked pantry and a demonstration area equipped with overhead cameras and monitors. 

The space has also been designed to serve two primary purposes. It will provide hands-on educational experiences for College of Public Health graduate and undergraduate students, and it will also allow the college to further its engagement efforts with the community. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality on this exciting new space,” said Jennifer Ibrahim, dean of the College of Public Health. “Their generous gift reinforces our shared mission to promote health and well-being through nutrition education. The Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen will not only enhance the academic experience of our students—it will open doors for meaningful connections with our neighbors in North Philadelphia to address malnutrition, obesity, and nutrition that help address chronic conditions.” 

Once Paley Hall opens, the Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen will serve the following purposes: 

• Provide culinary education to clinical populations, including individuals with cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, to promote healthy eating habits and meal preparation.  
• Offer classes on heart-healthy meals, cooking with children, baby food preparation, and cooking on a budget to help Philadelphia residents make informed food choices.  
• Strengthen connections with the Barnett & Irvine Cherry Pantry, ensuring students have access to nutritious meals while learning how to make healthy eating affordable and accessible.  
• Integrate seamlessly into curriculum offerings, including 100-level Nutrition and Health classes, to enhance students’ practical learning experience.  
• Celebrate Temple’s student body by exploring and preparing culturally significant meals that reflect the university’s vibrant community. 

The kitchen will also help support the College of Public Health’s master of public health in nutrition (MPH) program. The full-time, 21-month on-campus program focuses on training future public health dietitians so that they can identify and assess population needs and gain the necessary skills to address food insecurity, urban health challenges and health disparities. 

The Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen will be unveiled later this fall when Paley Hall opens its doors. Learn more about Paley Hall and how to support the future home of Temple’s College of Public Health.