Dru Jones is an accomplished restaurateur who imparts culinary expertise and business acumen to students in higher education, shaping the future of our industry.
Research Interests
Post Covid-19 Hospitality
Higher Education
Biography
Chef Dru Jones, a native of Houston, Texas, moved to Oxford in 1990 to attend the University of Mississippi and begin his cooking career at The Downtown Grill. He left Oxford to attend Johnson and Wales University in Norfolk, Virginia. Chef tested into an advanced standing class and completed his two year Culinary Arts degree in one year at the Charleston, South Carolina campus. Chef continued his culinary education at the Johnson and Wales University's North Miami campus and graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Food Service Management. He spent the next 25 years working across the country in positions from General Manager to Executive Chef.
He joined the University of Mississippi's Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management as the Chef Instructor/Food Specialist in 2017. Chef also completed his Master's of Arts in Higher Education at the University of Mississippi and continues to teach the Intro to Food Science and Food Prep labs as well as the student-run Lenoir Dining restaurant labs, as well as other Hospitality academic courses.
Courses Taught
- NHM 213 Introduction to Culinary Science
- NHM 472 Quantity Food and Service Lab
- NHM 462 Quantity Foods Production and Service
- NHM 462 Quantity Foods Production and Service
- NHM 381 Bar and Beverage Operations
- NHM 484 Intership in Hospitality
Education
M.A. Higher Education, The University of Mississippi (2019)