Hyde
Park, NY, July 6, 2010 – Dr.
Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA),
talks about the advantages of a formal culinary education, leadership,
food
trends, and more in the newest "Insight from the Inside" podcast.
"Insight from
the Inside" is a series of chats with CIA
alumni and other luminaries who have exciting jobs in the food world.
During the 22-minute podcast, Dr. Ryan discusses how the restaurant
and hospitality field is more competitive, sophisticated, and complex
than it
was when he joined the industry in 1977 upon graduating from the CIA.
In this environment, education and leadership go hand-in-hand.
"Back in the day when I was entering the industry as a
graduate from the CIA, basically all you
needed to do was to be a really good cook," Dr. Ryan recalls. "Today,
if you're
going to be a successful chef, restaurateur, or entrepreneur, you need
to know
not only how to deliver great quality food, but how to manage people,
how to
communicate, how to manage finances. You need to know about the legal
issues,
about marketing, about technology. It's so much more complicated. As
things
become increasingly more complex, one needs more education."
As president of the CIA since
2001, Dr. Ryan has been instrumental in generating the sustained
growth,
innovation, and quality improvements that have shaped the college. A
leader in the American Cuisine
movement, Dr. Ryan helped develop the American Bounty Restaurant while
a
faculty member in 1982. He has championed support of local
agriculture, the
integration of nutrition and healthy eating practices in the college's
curriculum and conferences, and more in-depth study of global cuisines
and cultures.
During the podcast, Dr. Ryan talks about initiatives in CIA classrooms
and new innovations that
will keep the college in the leadership position it has held since its
founding
64 years ago. He also speaks about trends in food, the success of
fellow
alumni, and the future of the hospitality industry.
"What all this spells for people that are entering the
industry or graduating from the institution is opportunity," says Dr.
Ryan.
"You can be very successful; you can be critically acclaimed in a
wider variety
of venues and opportunities today and in the future than in the past."
Dr. Ryan speaks from experience when advising aspiring
culinary professionals how to prepare for a career in food. He began
working in
restaurants at an early age, and soon knew he wanted to make
foodservice his
career—a decision he never regretted. He went on to captain the first
U.S.
team to win a Culinary World Cup and
the team that won the World Championship at the 1988 Culinary
Olympics. Dr.
Ryan was the youngest person to become a Certified Master Chef and the
youngest
president of the American Culinary Federation.
"Make sure this is the industry for you. You have to have
real passion. It's an industry full of passionate people—at least
those that
are successful," Dr. Ryan says. "When everyone else is playing, that's
when
we're working...Once you are sure you have the passion for the
industry...go to
school. And choose the right school."
"Insight from the Inside" has featured CIA
graduates Grant Achatz, Nate Appleman, John Besh, Anne Burrell, Scott
Conant, Cat
Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Duff Goldman, Johnny Iuzzini, Sara
Moulton, Charlie
Palmer, Michael Ruhlman (honorary), Michael Symon, and Top Chef
winners Ilan
Hall and Hung Huynh. To hear the
interview with Tim Ryan or receive future podcasts, visit www.ciachef.edu/podcasts.
Photo Caption:
Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America.
(photo credit: The Culinary Institute of America)
Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu
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