DUBAI – QAHWA WORLD

The University of Kentucky is set to introduce its first academic certificate dedicated entirely to coffee, marking a notable step in the growing recognition of coffee as both an agricultural system and a global cultural force.

The new Coffee, Science and Culture Certificate is led by David Gonthier, associate professor in the Department of Entomology at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. The program is designed for undergraduate students and aims to explore coffee from farm production and global trade to roasting, sensory evaluation and cultural history.

  • From Origin to Academia

Gonthier’s connection to coffee began through family ties in Honduras, one of the world’s leading coffee-producing countries. Time spent with relatives involved in coffee farming provided early insight into the realities of production and the economic pressures facing smallholder growers.

His academic path later focused on coffee systems in southern Mexico, alongside continued involvement in a small coffee operation in Honduras. He also earned certification as a Q Grader, a professional credential that qualifies specialists to assess and score coffee quality through standardized sensory evaluation.

Recognizing that few U.S. universities offer structured coffee education, Gonthier developed a program that integrates agriculture, economics, science and culture into a unified academic framework.

  • A Multidisciplinary Approach to Coffee Education

The Coffee, Science and Culture Certificate provides students with a comprehensive view of the coffee value chain. Coursework addresses:

The history and cultural significance of coffee

Global trade and smallholder production systems

Roasting science and brewing techniques

Sensory analysis and flavor evaluation

Two core undergraduate courses anchor the program:

Not Just Coffee, which examines coffee’s historical roots and cultural impact

Coffee Sensory Science, focused on flavor perception, tasting methodology and quality assessment

  • The UK Coffee Lab: Hands-On Training

Practical learning takes place at the UK Coffee Lab roastery, located at the university’s Horticulture Research Farm (South Farm). There, students observe roasting in action, study coffee varieties and analyze how roast profiles influence aroma, acidity, body and overall cup character.

The lab and curriculum were developed with the support of Briana Bazile, part-time instructor and graduate fellow in the Gonthier Agroecology Lab, and Viktor Halmos, research analyst at Martin-Gatton CAFE and alumnus of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science.

  • Launch Timeline

Pending final approval, undergraduate students are expected to begin enrolling in the Coffee, Science and Culture Certificate in Fall 2026.

For more information about the certificate program or the UK Coffee Lab, inquiries can be directed to David Gonthier at [email protected]
.