Coffee Scholars

By
Appears in the October 2024 issue.

By Peter Gianopulos

This college lab creates plenty of academic buzz

Students in the Coffee Lab at North Central College

Visit the Coffee Lab at North Central College, and you’re guaranteed one of the smoothest—and most thought-provoking—cups of coffee you’ll drink all year. Since 2019 North Central students have been experimenting with high-end coffee equipment and a professional-grade roaster, donated by Probat Inc. in Lincolnshire, in hopes of brewing the perfect cup of joe. The student-run coffee shop doubles as a hands-on workshop across all academic disciplines (like science and economics) and imports 75 percent of its coffee beans from Guatemalan family farmers.

A student pouring coffee in the Coffee Lab at North Central College

Suffice to say, the kids have nailed it. Whatever blend you choose—consider a brew made from honey-processed beans—the purchase is bound to bring you good karma. The growing Coffee Lab roasts 1,500 pounds of coffee per month, creating opportunities for additional family farmers in Latin America to increase their coffee outputs. “We don’t use the word ‘help,’ ” explains Amy Rogers, the lab’s operations manager. “It is a true partnership. We rely on each other. We want to develop a cycle of mutual empowerment.”

Students from North Central College reap benefits as well, given that the lab encourages them to explore their academic interests through the lens of coffee production. Thanks to the lab, business students have gained a clearer understanding of the challenges of running a small coffee shop. Aspiring nutritionists are currently using the space to study the health benefits of coffee consumption. And young environmental scientists are investigating carbon sequestration and the ecological advantages of responsibly run coffee farms. “Through the lab, we’re helping students to develop real-world business skills,” says lab founder and accounting professor Jerry Thalmann. “But we also take students from a wide variety of backgrounds down to meet with our partners in Guatemala, which is a learning experience like no other.”

For more info or to order, visit northcentralcoffeelab.com.

 

Photos: North Central College