Peter Lehmuller, Ed.D., has been appointed dean of the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University (effective July 1, 2013). He was most recently the dean of Academic Affairs at the university’s Charlotte campus and has relocated to the university’s flagship campus in Providence, R.I.

Lehmuller assumes his new position at a time when culinary-arts education is undergoing a profound assessment by both its peers and critics. The field is increasing in scope, requiring both experiential education and a more extensive college education to succeed. JWU is at the forefront of this turning point as it advances its academic programs to reflect the trends and demands of the industry.

During the past three decades, JWU’s culinary academic programs have evolved from an associate-degree program to include bachelor-of-science degrees in Culinary Nutrition, Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management. Currently, JWU culinary faculty and administration are developing a new curriculum expected to deepen a student’s knowledge required by the foodservice industry, as well as the fields of science and health. The university is also exploring post-graduate programs that will raise the level of a graduate’s value in the workplace.

In his role as dean of the College of Culinary Arts, Lehmuller says, “This is a phenomenal time to be in the hub of culinary academics. I am looking forward to the changing direction that JWU has set to achieve in the near future. We are at a crossroads where the demands of the industry and the betterment of society require graduates to have more complex set of skills and knowledge in order to succeed.”

Entries in the 2013 Discover Duck Recipe Contest prove great tastes come in small packages. Sponsored by Maple Leaf Farms, the annual contest challenged professional chefs and culinary students to produce an original appetizer or small plate recipe showcasing Maple Leaf Farms duck. Nearly 250 entries from across the country were submitted, competing for more than $15,000 in cash prizes.

Duck Doughnuts with an Apple Honey Sauce captured the Chef Category Grand Prize, earning Chef Geoff Kelty of Eddie Merlot’s Steakhouse in Columbus, Ohio, $5,000. Chef Keoni Chang, corporate chef and director of prepared foods for Foodland Supermarket in Honolulu, Hawaii, claimed the second-place prize of $3,000 with his Duck & Lemongrass Skewers with Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce recipe. Duck Liver Crème Brûlée took the $1,500 third prize for Chef Barry Greenberg, executive chef for the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Open Faced Duck Pastrami Sliders Deconstructed and Smoked Duck Arancini with Hazelnuts and Truffles (pictured) each captured $500 for Gary Ullman, commissary chef of Barnies Coffee Kitchen in Orlando and Eric Stein, RD, CCE, former chef-instructor at Kendall College, Chicago, respectively. 

Thomas Recinella, CEC, ACE, AAC, program director for Baker College of Port Huron’s Culinary Institute of Michigan, has been inducted into membership of the prestigious Disciples Escoffier International-USA. 

This premier gastronomic society was founded to honor renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier (1847-1935). Its members are culinary professionals who maintain French haute-cuisine standards, promote relationships between professionals and students, organize culinary events, collaborate closely with schools, and unite all Disciples Escoffier from around the world in the true “Esprit Escoffier.”

“Chef Recinella’s induction into Disciples Escoffier honors his dedication to the culinary arts and his vast contributions to our culinary-arts program,” said Dr. Connie Harrison, Baker College of Port Huron president. “We are proud of his accomplishments and are excited about what his association with this elite gastronomic society will add to our students’ experience while at the Culinary Institute.”

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) is proud to announce that its Certified Executive Pastry Chef® (CEPC®) credential received accreditation through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) under the Institute of Credentialing Excellence. This is the third ACF certification program accredited by NCCA.

Accreditation by NCCA provides independent validation that the CEPC® program meets or exceeds 21 standards concerning various aspects of the certification program. Accreditation validates the integrity of the program and is a sign of quality. The additional certification programs accredited by NCCA are Certified Executive Chef® (CEC®) and Certified Sous Chef® (CSC®).

As students go to college this fall, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is offering them exciting new education options. These new concentrations—in beverage management, farm-to-table cooking and Latin cuisines—give students the chance to focus their studies on a particular area of interest in the food world.

Students enrolled in the bachelor’s-degree-management programs at the CIA’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus can choose a concentration that includes 15-credit semesters at the college’s campuses in St. Helena, Calif., or San Antonio, Texas. Visitors to those campuses can reap the rewards of the students’ lessons with new and exciting dining experiences.

“The rapid pace of foodservice innovation is creating new demands for specialized skills and knowledge, and opportunities for students to get this knowledge within their broader education are critical for career success,” says CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan, CMC. “Professions develop specialties as they advance—which is very evident in medicine and law. This is also true for the culinary profession, where specialized cuisine and management knowledge are key for restaurants seeking new ways to sharpen their competitive edge and profitability.”

The concentrations expand upon the college’s bachelor’s-degree programs that pioneered culinary-management education in the 1990s.

Students in the Advanced Wine, Beverage, and Hospitality concentration spend a semester at the CIA’s Greystone campus in the heart of California's Napa Valley wine country. Throughout the program, they get an upper-level wine-and-beverage education and study the advanced principles of management as they relate to hospitality and restaurant service.

Kendall Collegeannounced in August that itsaccreditation has been reaffirmed by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for 10 years—the maximum amount of time allowed. In addition, Kendall’s School of Culinary Arts’A.A.S. in Baking and Pastry and A.A.S. in Culinary Arts programs’ accreditations from the AmericanCulinaryFederationEducationFoundation’sAccrediting Commission (ACFEFAC) have been renewed and awarded “exemplary” status. Exemplary status means programs meet the highest possible educational standards recognized by the ACFEFAC.

“HLC’s reaffirmation of our accreditation for 10 years is an endorsement of the quality, reputation and student-centeredness of our programs,” says Emily Williams Knight, president of Kendall College. “In commenting on the strengths of our programs, the HLC team noted, ‘the staff, leadership, advisory and executive board shared a consistent passion for how Kendall is focused on being a student centric organization.’ The team also noted that ‘since the last HLC visit in 2004, Kendall College has made significant—and in some cases exemplary—progress with its institutional and learning assessment processes.’”