Idaho Potato Commission Honors Innovations in Teaching

Four teachers of culinary arts and everything that entails today--from food purchasing to training techniques to sustainability to communicating through video--were recognized at the 9th annual Leadership Conference of the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFE) in Miami in June.

"Thinking ‘outside the box’ leads to new ways of learning, greater understanding of fundamentals, and breakthroughs in process and application,” says Don Odiorne, IPC vice president-foodservice. “The Idaho Potato Commission is proud to support these extraordinary educators.”

Two educators from Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts, North Miami campus, received the top award. Dr. Colin Roche, CEC, CCE, CHE, FMP, department chair and assistant professor, and Bruce Ozga, CEC, CCE, CHE, dean of culinary education, won with the Edible Landscape Project.

The project moved in phases and was launched in 2010. Existing campus landscaping was replaced with edible plants and spice, and also fruit trees such as mango, banana and citrus. Culinary students see foods in their natural forms, while the project supports the global farm-to-fork movement.

Two runners-up received registration and travel to the conference.

Annmarie Chelius, CCE, CWPC, CHE, a chef-instructor at Atlantic Cape Community College, Mays Landing, N.J., sought an effective teaching vehicle to reach two disparate generations—Baby Boomers and Millennials—that exhibit highly different learning styles. Realizing that both groups rely on smartphones, Chelius stars in her own Web-based videos as a rapper, “The Queen of Lean” and other characters, entertaining both audiences while meeting course objectives for training in pastry techniques and ingredients usage.Students also make their own videos from the course, graded on baking/pastry techniques, creativity, delivery and attention to communication skills.

Dr. Bill Franz, PHR, assistant professor in the Hospitality Management program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, received a runner-up award based on several innovations including the student-staffed and operated Aspen Grille restaurant, where students who complete a training module train incoming students about to embark on that module. Students perform on-the-ground case studies with food producers in the state.

Two recipients were awarded scholarships from the IPC to attend the conference based on their use of technology in the classroom: Melanie Stamper of Jessamine Career & Tech, Nicholasville, Ky., and Cary York, East Jessamine High School, Nicholasville.