Image credits: Lakewood Brewing Co., The University of Texas at Arlington. |
Lakewood's latest collaboration is with The University of Texas at Arlington, an institution offering a new Brewing and Fermentation Science Certificate. Dylan Parks, Ph.D., biology assistant professor of instruction and former Lakewood lab technician, is head of the four-course certificate program, and the brewery is helping provide hands-on experience for participants (students, hobbyists, or those simply curious).
Designed to teach concepts from the ground up, Dr. Parks has developed a curriculum including the following courses:
- The Science of Brewing
- Fermentation Science
- Brewing Lab
- Sensory Evaluation, QA/QC, and Product Design
“Hands-on experience is critical to anyone that is going to go on and work in a production facility, whether it be a winery, brewery, cidery, or distillery,” says Wim Bens, founder and president of Lakewood. “It’s important to have an educated workforce, or to even power someone’s future hobby – that’s how I started, and I’m stoked to help others go that path.”
Bens is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, a school he also worked with following the launch of Pony Pils, a beer Lakewood made for Mustang fans. After a successful debut this summer, SMU added Pony Pils to its concession offerings at home football and basketball games. The beer also has an associated scholarship, with $1 from every case sold going to the LBC Future Brewer STEM Scholarship.