Ongoing Fermentation

Developed a presentation with CIA colleagues for the Menus of Change Conference, in collaboration with the Harvard School of Public Health. The presentation shed light on the impact of sustainable practices within the pastry industry and how our institution incorporates those principles in an educational setting.

Engaged with colleagues at Hyde Park to further my competencies as an active CIA faculty member, fostering connections, bridging gaps, and promoting collaboration between our campuses, specifically for baking and pastry programming.

Currently collaborating with Kirsten Tibbles of Savior School in Melbourne, Australia, to create Hands-On classes and applications targeted at a professional audience. The aim is to disseminate knowledge and skills effectively.

Earned my CHEPStudent

Presentation on Sustainable Pastry - SPD 2023

April 2024, Peninsula Pastries with Chef Anne Corbule: In this three-day hands-on course, I learned how to make a number of her signature desserts, including petit gateau, plated desserts, cookies, and petit fours. I brought the recipes back to share with the B&P department, and am also excited to incorporate some of the new techniques I learned into curriculum to benefit our students.

April 2024, Craft Chocolate Expo: This exposition included a number of presentations and tastings pertaining to craft chocolate. Topics ranged from technical recipe demonstrations by leading industry chefs to panel discussion with cocoa cultivation and sourcing experts. I gained valuable insights into the state of the industry, trends, and innovations in cocoa and chocolate that I can incorporate into my teaching.

Laminated Pastry R&D

- Dedicated significant time to mastering the science and techniques of laminated pastry, refining my skills and understanding of best practices.

- Developed innovative shapes and techniques in lamination by building on traditional methods.

- Engaged E&L students in the R&D process, providing hands-on exposure to advanced lamination techniques and a deeper understanding of research and development in pastry.

SCHOLARSHIP ACTIVITIES

July 2024: Bread Baker's Guild Professional Lamination Class

- Developed and taught a 2-day professional-level lamination class in collaboration with the Bread Baker’s Guild of America, hosted at CIA partner Central Milling's Artisan Baking Center.

- The development of this class involved significant preparation, including practicing and refining techniques during weekends and days off.

- Strengthened our relationship with the Bread Baker’s Guild of America (BBGA) and our long-time partner, Central Milling.

August 2024: Professional-Level 3-Day Hands-On Course at the Chocolate Academy NYC

- Developed a course that included plant-based pastry, viennoiserie, and individual pastries.

- The course was attended by top chefs from establishments such as Per Se and other distinguished restaurants, hotels, and patisseries across the country.

- Provided visibility for the CIA and reinforced our reputation as having cutting-edge, current faculty, while strengthening our relationship with a key GIK partner, Barry Callebaut.

November 2023: Plant-based Pastry Collaboration with Kirsten Tibbals: Delivered hands-on and lecture presentations to professional chefs on plant-based desserts.

February 2024: Australian Ingredients Student Presentation, bringing back knowledge and ingredients from my trip to Australia to benefit Greystone students and faculty.

April 2024, Plant-Based Pastry: Presentation at Conference focusing on sustainability and innovations in food at Johnson & Wales University. I led a hands-on session for professional chefs highlighting techniques and knowledge pertaining to plant-based pastry.

SCHOLARSHIP ACTIVITIES

June 2025: Central Milling Professional Lamination Class

-Developed and taught a 2-day professional-level laminated dough class in collaboration with CIA partner Central Milling’s Artisan Baking Center.

-Invested substantial time outside of regular duties to refine content and techniques for this course, with an emphasis on advanced shaping and consistent production methods.

-Continued to build on strong relationships with both Central Milling and the BBGA, reinforcing CIA’s leadership role in culinary education.

Upcoming: September 2025: Presenter – International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), Las Vegas

- Invited to present on advanced lamination techniques at IBIE, North America’s largest baking and pastry exposition.

- This high-visibility opportunity highlights the CIA’s leadership in professional education and showcases our commitment to innovation in laminated dough.

Upcoming: August 2025: Professional Course – Savour School, Australia

-Teaching a professional laminated dough course in collaboration with celebrity chef Kirsten Tibballs at the Savour School.

-This international partnership reflects our global reach and reinforces the CIA’s leadership having distinguished, knowledgeable faculty in the pastry and baking community worldwide

Student Involvement:

Through the E&L program, I involved our students in these scholarship activities, giving them real-world experience in recipe development and testing while also developing their skills.

Service:

Volunteering to serve on the technology committee for AY 2023-2026, contributing to the improvement of technological resources at the institution.Taking initiative to support my department in the development of a comprehensive list of equipment and tools needed for enhanced learning experiences.Facilitating student seminars, such as leading a session on pastry and sustainability during a special student project day.Authoring an article for the Napa Valley Register on behalf of CIA Greystone, sharing insights and knowledge with the wider community.Overseeing work studies, ensuring smooth operations and meaningful learning experiences for students.Revising and implementing Earn & Learn student documents for the bake shop, streamlining processes and ensuring clarity for students.Assisting in hosting Beth Nielsen Massey at a student special projects day, fostering networking and learning opportunities.Bringing a valuable donation to the CIA through my relationship with Silikomart, contributing to the institution's resources.Actively participating in curriculum-related discussions and offering solutions to enhance the learning experience.Supporting the program review process, particularly aiding the Greystone representative, Angela Salvatore, in developing and refining relevant documents. I am committed to continuing my involvement in the community, seeking new opportunities to enrich student experiences and actively contributing to curriculum development. As I grow in my role, I look forward to making a positive impact both within the classroom and beyond.

E&L Students: During the Spring semester, I spearheaded the development of checklists and training materials for our E&L students, overseeing both onboarding and initial training sessions. Additionally, I provided supervision for E&L students in the Cafe for 6 weeks.

Academic Technology Committee - Greystone Representation: Contributed to the Program Review process by supporting Angela in the development and revision of documents.

Bakeshop E&L: Developed training materials and conducted training sessions for our E&L students.

I've also played a pivotal role in fostering industry partnerships:

Introduced Silikomart to our GIK team, facilitating the provision of free molds to the CIA.

Faciltated free Bread Baker's Guild of America memberships for all CIA students.

Continuously support our relationship with key chocolate sponsor Barry-Callebaut, which provides valuable professional development opportunities to our faculty and serves as a significant product sponsor.

Having managed this partnership in my previous role at Barry-Callebaut, I'm pleased to maintain a positive connection with their team.

I am committed to ongoing community involvement, seeking new avenues to enrich student experiences, actively contributing to curriculum development, and look forward to making a positive impact both within the classroom and beyond."This year, I have focused on contributing to the ongoing development of the college and community. My involvement in departmental activities, faculty development, community engagement, and industry partnerships has allowed me to support both students and faculty. This includes:

Committee Work: Academic Technology Committee and Program Review

- Contributed to discussions aimed at improving technological resources and systems for student learning.

- Supported the Program Review process, collaborating with the committee and Chef Salvatore to refine key documents.

Departmental Support, Operations, and Faculty Engagement:

- Played an active role in overseeing the hiring, training, and supervision of Bakeshop E&L students.

- Actively participated in department meetings, collaborating with faculty colleagues to streamline processes and enhance student outcomes.

- Assisted in sourcing new equipment for the Bakeshop.

- Acted as faculty mentor to Yvonne Ruperti, helping her understand course delivery, processes, and procedures at Greystone.

- Assisted Aleishe Baske during her visit to Greystone, organizing her sessions and coordinating support.

Supported Industry Partnerships:

- Supported numerous activities with key GIK partner Ghirardelli at a high level.

- Facilitated the IRCA GIK partnership by connecting IRCA with the Advancement team, resulting in approximately $10K worth of product donations for curriculum delivery at Greystone.

- Facilitated the Silikomart GIK partnership by connecting Silikomart with the Advancement team, resulting in a $10K per year GIK contract for pastry molds (although Greystone has not yet been able to fully utilize this partnership).

- Organized a free BBGA membership for our students by developing the idea with the BBGA and connecting them with Marc Haymon for dissemination to the B&P faculty.

Supported Student Engagement and Revenue Steams:

- Introduced the Pastry Nook by offering student products from the Applied Pastry and Chocolates & Confections courses for sale. - The goal of this initiative was to provide students with a practical learning experience while helping offset the cost of course delivery.

- Supported the Gatehouse by supplying mignardise from the Chocolates & Confections course, which reduced product waste while providing students with a meaningful learning experience.

Pastry Sustainability Course Development:

- Spent over 50 hours developing a new course that will benefit Greystone by expanding the availability of the Baking & Pastry concentration to bachelor’s pastry students, increasing enrollment. This involved developing course descriptions, topics, learning objectives, activities, assignments, resources, and rubrics. The course aligns with CIA’s mission to strengthen its reputation in sustainability and enhance students' competencies in this important area.

These contributions reflect my commitment to supporting the growth of the college and enhancing the student experience. I look forward to continuing to serve the department and contributing to the success of the CIA community.

I continue to contribute to the ongoing development of the college and community. My involvement in departmental activities, faculty development, community engagement, and industry partnerships has allowed me to support both students and faculty. This includes:

Committee Service Work: Academic Technology Committee

- Contributions to meetings and discussions aimed at improving technological resources and systems for student learning with a foucs on representing Greystone's needs.

Departmental Support, Operations, and Faculty Engagement:

- Played an active role in overseeing the hiring, onboarding, and supervising of Bakeshop E&L students.

- Actively participated in department meetings, collaborating with faculty colleagues to streamline processes and enhance student outcomes.

- Assisted in sourcing new equipment for the Bakeshop.

Supported Industry Partnerships:

- Supported numerous activities with key GIK partner Ghirardelli at a high level.

- Continued to maintain and strengthen relationships with other key GIK partners, including Barry Callebaut and Central Milling

Supported Student Engagement and Revenue Steams:

- Maintained the Pastry Nook by offering student products from the Applied Pastry and Chocolates & Confections courses for sale.

- Expanded Nook to Copia

- Provide students with a practical learning experience while helping offset the cost of course delivery.

- Supported the Gatehouse by supplying mignardise from the Chocolates & Confections course, which reduced product waste while providing students with a meaningful learning experience.

Sustainable Food Systems Course Calibration and Re-building:

- Collaborated with Professors Hilla and Chef Kedan to develop a revised course outline that clearly differentiates content from Ecology of Food and Chef Community Relations.

– Rebuilt the course from the ground up while aligning with approved learning objectives. Developed ten distinct weekly topics, each with clearly defined objectives, key terms and definitions, and curated resources to support student learning.

– Designed a new set of assignments aligned with course outcomes and responsive to varied learning modalities. Examples include creating infographics to raise awareness of farmworker food insecurity and conducting systems-based evaluations of Greystone’s sustainability practices, with solution-driven proposals.

– Integrated scaffolded learning opportunities throughout the course. For example, “Pre-Class Prep List” worksheets prompt students to engage with materials in advance, enabling deeper discussion and applied learning during class (flipped classroom model).

– Created an organized and visually engaging Moodle shell, structured by topic and featuring weekly objectives, key vocabulary, visual aids, video content, and supplemental resources.

These contributions reflect my commitment to supporting the growth of the college and enhancing the student experience. I look forward to continuing to serve the department and contributing to the success of the CIA community.