Paul Muscente steps into Director's role
Nearly 21 years after first joining Cornell Dining as Assistant Manager at Robert Purcell Marketplace Eatery, Paul Muscente has taken on the role of Director of Cornell Dining, effective immediately. He reports to Dustin Cutler, named two months ago to the role of Senior Executive Director overseeing Cornell Dining, The Cornell Store, and Print Services within Campus Life Enterprise Services. “I could not be more proud of Paul as he takes on this new role,” Cutler says. “I am confident that his dedication to this team and vision for its continued success will shape this program for many years to come.”
Paul holds a business degree from St. Bonaventure, worked in food service in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and owned Celebrations Banquet Facility just outside Ithaca before joining Cornell Dining in 2001. Prior to his most recent role as Associate Director, Paul rose through the ranks as Operations Manager at RPME, Interim Director of Cornell Catering, Senior Operations Manager for our retail cafés and coffee shops, and Assistant Director overseeing our residential dining rooms on West Campus and Central Campus.
Just last year, Paul guided Cornell Dining’s Operational Excellence team of chefs and managers through the development and opening of our newest eateries, including Crossings Café and Novick's Café, Morrison Dining, an expanded Okenshields, and a fully renovated North Star Dining Room, and our new Catering and Commissary Kitchen. He looks forward to sustaining that culture while continuing to enhance the Cornell Dining experience.
“The responsibility of serving the individuals in this organization is a privilege I do not take lightly,” says Paul. He is excited to bring his philosophy of leadership by example to this new role, and to continue to guide the work of the Cornell Dining team in shaping its culture for the future.
About Cornell Dining
Cornell Dining is consistently ranked in the Princeton Review's top ten for best campus food among all colleges and universities in the country! That high rating comes from customer surveys, and reflects Cornell Dining's commitment to serving high-quality foods that are healthy and creatively prepared with genuine care for a diverse community. Cornell Dining operates over 30 on-campus eateries -- which include residential dining rooms, cafés, coffeehouses, food courts, and convenience stores -- and serves more than 23,000 meals a day to members of the Cornell community. For more information, visit dining.cornell.edu.