FEATURE
SERVING FUTURE EAGLES
After years in the culinary world, Dr. Annette Graham returns to Morehead State Dr. Annette Graham (Class of 1985) has held impactful positions that blended culinary arts and academia. Most notably, the 2019 MSU Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee was the former dean of the School of Business and Management Studies at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York City. During her career, Graham always remembered the rolling campus and how it helped lay the foundation for her success. Now, as assistant director of admissions, internal operations for MSU’s Office of Enrollment Services, Graham is able to recruit, guide, and encourage the next generation of Eagle students. Graham’s parents served as faculty at Morehead State. Her late father, John Graham (Class of 1965, 1970), served as comptroller before becoming vice president of fiscal services and later an accounting instructor. Her mother, Nancy Graham (Class of 1973, 1980), was a nutrition and hospitality instructor and director of the Cornucopia Room before she and her husband retired from MSU in 2002. Graham was a member of the last graduating class of the Breckinridge Training School in 1982. She developed a knack for hospitality working at the Adron Doran University Center and managing the Brass Eagle restaurant, a historic Morehead staple, on her way to graduating from MSU in 1985 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management. After a conference with her mother in New York, she networked with some of the world’s greatest chefs and decided to pursue a career in the culinary world. She enrolled in CIA, and earned an associate degree in occupational studies, culinary arts, in
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MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY THE MAGAZINE
1988. Graham continued her education, earning a master’s degree from Purdue University in 1990 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality Administration/ Management from Penn State University in 1995. In 2023, Graham left CIA and moved back to Morehead to help her mother care for her ailing father, in return for their sacrifices toward her success. “My parents cared for my daughter Sydney when I accepted the position at the Culinary Institute of America. She lived with them here in Morehead; I flew home every three weeks to visit,” Graham said. “Their support and care of my daughter allowed me to flourish in my professional career. It was time for me to step up and take care of them.” Even though she returned home to support her family, Graham knew she still wanted to be engaged with the academic community. The Office of Enrollment Services at MSU was looking for a new team member and Graham’s experience made her a great fit to manage the MSU Welcome Center. She works closely with prospective students and Eagle Guides, demonstrating the importance of a college degree and introducing families to MSU’s campus. As her daughter, Sydney, continues her education at MSU, Graham sees her current contribution to MSU as a small part of a more significant legacy. “I understand that MSU is core to my family’s success, and in many ways, my family is core to the University’s regional impact and the success of hundreds of alumni,” she said. “It is an honor to share this campus, my home, with prospective students.”
