Macomb Culinary Institute teaching restaurant reopening showcases legacy of longtime Macomb Community College professor

Macomb Community College is honoring the legacy of accounting professor Shirley Glass, who taught at the college for more than 55 years, with a newly constructed outdoor dining terrace adjacent to the newly imagined Macomb Culinary Institute teaching restaurant. She gifted the college her estate, making the $3.2 million donation the largest individual contribution in the college’s history. A commemorative plaque will be located near the terrace to honor her impact on the college community.

“While up-to-date resources, technology and facilities are vital to supporting the work of Macomb Community College, it’s the people the college that truly make a difference in the lives of our students, residents and community,” said James O. Sawyer IV, president, Macomb Community College. “Shirley Glass is a shining example. She was wholeheartedly committed to her students, to her colleagues and to the critical role Macomb plays now and in the future of Macomb County.”

Glass, who died in 2021, served on Macomb’s faculty from 1966 to 2021, teaching more than 600 classes. She influenced thousands of students and mentored countless Macomb faculty and staff during her time at the college.

Instrumental in developing and expanding the accounting program, Glass helped the department grow into the largest community college accounting program in Michigan. Beyond the classroom, Glass had a deep passion for the arts, supporting the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Opera House. Known as an avid art collector, Glass loved to support local artists by attending art fairs and collecting beautiful things.

“She didn’t have to work as much as she did; she taught because she loved it,” said Brian Newman, accounting professor and executor of Glass’s estate. “Macomb was her family, and she gave everything she had back to it.”

The Shirley Glass Terrace is part of a major renovation to the Macomb Culinary Institute’s teaching restaurant on the college’s Center Campus, which celebrated its reopening on Sept. 24 with the cutting of a ribbon sculpted out of ice. The terrace was “opened” with remarks and a toast to the legacy of Glass.

Upgrades to the student restaurant include an expanded and modernized dining area, a new open-concept kitchen, a fully functional beverage service and training bar, and a formal entrance. The goal of the renovation is to better simulate real-world industry conditions and provide Macomb’s students with hands-on professional learning experiences and the community with first-class dining experiences.

“This project brings together Shirley’s three great passions—education, food and community,” said Mike Balsamo, dean of Business, Information Technology and Culinary. “It’s a space where students will learn and grow for years to come and that’s exactly what she would have wanted.”

As part of the reimagining of the restaurant, culinary arts, pastry arts and hospitality management students were invited to submit suggestions for a new name to replace Center Stage. The winning entry,onarque, was from Christina Thompson, a pastry arts student who will be graduating in December. A Mount Clemens resident, Thompson won a $250 Macomb scholarship.  She notes she chose the French spelling of the word monarch to reflect the roots of fine dining while following in the tradition of the name that the college’s student athletes are known as.  A design competition for the restaurant’s logo is being launched this semester for students in Macomb’s Media and Communication Arts program.

According to Diane Banks, director of the Macomb Community College Foundation, the Shirley Glass gift as well as two additional legacy gifts received in 2022 reflect the deep, lifelong connection many Macomb employees feel to the college and its mission. Beverly Datzi, who served as a counselor at Macomb for 46 years, bequeathed $774,000 to the college, endowing a memorial scholarship she had established to honor her husband’s memory and also creating a new fund to support the college’s greatest needs.  Christine Piet, who had taken several classes at Macomb, left $906,000 to Macomb to increase funding of an endowed scholarship for study abroad that she had established in her husband’s memory, John Piet, who had taught humanities at Macomb for 25 years. Both artists, one of their sculptures was also left to the college, which has been installed on Center Campus near the Shirley Glass Terrace.

These donations as well as contributions from current college employees are part of why Transforming Tomorrows: A Macomb Community College Campaign to Create Pathways to Prosperity, has already exceeded its $15 million goal. The campaign will conclude June 30, 2026. While this milestone has been reached, every gift helps the college respond to emerging needs and expand opportunities

“These legacy gifts are incredibly moving because they come from individuals who dedicated their lives to teaching at Macomb,” said Banks. “Their generosity reflects a deep belief in the power of education and in the students we serve. It’s an honor for the foundation to steward their legacies and ensure their impact continues for generations.”

About the Macomb Community College Foundation

Established in 1999, the Macomb Community College Foundation engages friends of the college to enhance its impact in transforming lives and communities. The foundation offers tailored opportunities for individuals, foundations and corporations to invest in the work of the college and in the success of Macomb’s students.

About Macomb Community College

Macomb Community College (www.macomb.edu) is about transforming lives and communities through the power of education, enrichment and economic development. Macomb grants the largest number of associate degrees in Michigan and is the largest community college in the state. The college provides programming for youth through seniors, including early college for high school students, university transfer and career preparation programs, workforce education, continuing education and certification, and a wide range of enrichment opportunities encompassing arts, culture and lifelong learning.

Media contact: Katlyn Holtvluwer, 586.349.8737, holtvluwerk281@macomb.edu