Comings & Goings
Rafi Taherian
Residential and Dining Enterprises has announced that Rafi Taherian, executive director of Stanford Dining, will step down after 12 years at the university to head dining services at Yale. Taherian's last day at Stanford is Friday.
Taherian, who started as the senior chef manager for Manzanita, Branner and Schwab dining halls in 1996, has served as executive director of Stanford Dining since 2004. Prior to that, Taherian spent five years as associate director of residential dining. His focus throughout has been to bring excellence to food service on campus and establish Stanford as having one of the top dining operations among colleges and universities nationwide.
In recent years, Taherian has played a leadership role in infusing environmental sustainability throughout Stanford Dining by working with student groups on campus and organic growers locally. Other examples include its composting program and its support of projects such as the recycling of used cooking oil from its kitchens for biodiesel.
"Under Rafi's leadership, Stanford Dining's accomplishments garnered many distinguished culinary, hospitality, industry and sustainability awards," said Shirley Everett, associate vice provost for residential and dining enterprises. "My vision, to transform Stanford Dining into a student- and customer-focused premiere program, would not have been realized without the support, passion, hard work and innovation of Rafi and the Stanford Dining team."
Taherian joins Yale at an important time. At the end of this month, the university will end its nine-year relationship with the Philadelphia-based food conglomerate Aramark and begin operating its dining services in house.
Eric Montell, senior associate director of Stanford Dining, will serve as the program's acting director until Taherian's replacement has been named.
"The Stanford Dining team is composed of some of the hardest working and committed people in the industry, and they will continue to embrace the vision of being the best in the industry," Taherian said. "I will miss Stanford but, rest assured, Stanford will have one more friend at Yale."
