Chef Jimmy Harris, chef manager at Villanova University, won a bronze medal at the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) 2026 Culinary Challenge on March 10. The event took place in Washington, D.C., where collegiate chefs from across the country competed by preparing original dishes using required ingredients.
The NACUFS Culinary Challenge is an annual competition launched in 2001 and judged by the American Culinary Federation. It aims to recognize exceptional culinary skills in college foodservice and encourages chefs to create nutritionally balanced dishes with specific proteins and surprise ingredients chosen by NACUFS. This year’s mandatory ingredients were whole catfish and fresh okra, selected as a nod to the upcoming NACUFS National Conference location in New Orleans.
For his entry, Harris created catfish birria tacos with okra pineapple salsa and catfish dirty rice. He used two different cooking methods for the protein—poaching for the tacos and steaming for the dirty rice—to meet competition requirements. Preparing for the event involved weekly practice sessions alongside mentor Chef Chris Wiseley, who previously earned a bronze medal at last year’s challenge.
“Competing this year was definitely less nerve-wracking since I went last year and knew what to expect,” said Chef Harris. “I was able to sit in on the critique when Chris competed and hear what the judges were looking for. I got a lot of free insight that most people don’t have prior to competing.”
Harris will now mentor Chef Laszlo Lengyel, executive chef for Dougherty Hall, who plans to compete in next year’s event. This mentorship tradition has become part of Villanova Dining Services’ approach to professional development among its staff.
“The mentorship we have built into this competition creates a ripple effect across our entire dining program,” said Andrew Camuso, executive director of Dining Services. “Each year, our chefs return with new techniques, fresh ideas and a renewed sense of creativity that directly enhances the quality and variety of what we serve our campus community.”
Reflecting on his experience competing against other university chefs from around the country, Harris said: “Here inside the dining hall, this is my world and I’m completely confident in everything I do… But I got to meet and learn from those other great chefs, which was a very rewarding experience.”
Harris looks forward to continuing this cycle of mentorship as he helps prepare future competitors within Villanova’s dining program: “I’m looking forward to utilizing everything I learned and watching someone else’s recipe come together next year,” he said.
