Jerry Boyd prepares fresh squid for a Vietnamese dish at his home in Fairfax, Va.

NOVA plays host to a wide variety of students and faculty. All manners of talents are displayed on campus, from musicians to football players, and from computer wizards to fashion divas. Annandale campus boasts a very special inhabitant; however, Gerald Boyd, Dean of Languages and Literature, has a talent which makes him very popular in the office. He is a professional cook.

Dean Boyd started his cooking career at the age of 15. He was a dishwasher in his home state of Pennsylvania. When his father, who was in the military, was stationed in Germany for several years, Boyd sampled the best food of Europe.

In high school, Boyd was active in sports, and always ate a healthy, balanced diet. When he attended college at George Mason University, he worked as a waiter at Fritzby’s. Working full time on top of his schoolwork, he was able to pay for his education, receiving his Bachelor’s in English and his Master’s in Linguistics, all while being promoted from waiter to bartender, and eventually to manager.

Boyd says all the skills that he learned working in the food business helped him get to where he is today. Management skills are required in both a food service and an educational environment, and therefore, he was able to quickly move up the ranks at NOVA. Starting as an ESL professor, he went on to become the Coordinator of Continuing Education, and then, eventually, to dean. He has been dean of Languages and Literature for 10 years. Boyd proudly displays his culinary awards alongside his academic awards on the wall of his office.

On top of his duties as dean, he also keeps up with his contacts in the food industry. He is often called on as a consultant for menu items at local restaurants, and always looks for ways to help support NOVA with his connections, and vice versa. He has also been the co-author on two books, The Accent of Success, and From the Classroom to the Boardroom. He has also been on a television show called “Delmarva Cooks,” on local access cable aired on the eastern shore.

Despite being an excellent cook, Boyd is very modest. He does not like to be called “chef,” as that is a title one earns from years of hard work and a degree in the culinary arts. He does admit that he could, however, most likely pass the final exams for culinary school.

Boyd has been married for 19 years. He has two daughters, both of which are very talented musicians, and have won multiple awards for their talents. His wife cooks for the kids every day, and Boyd himself cooks every night for his wife. A dish you might see on the Boyds’ dinner table would be skillet chicken with braised Brussels sprouts and stuffed poblano peppers.

Boyd is working on his PhD in Higher Education at University of Maryland. He does not plan on opening his own restaurant when he retires, but will likely continue working in the field which he enjoys so much.

By: Chris Pilcher

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