I’m an Associate Professor of Food Science at Johnson & Wales University, where I’ve spent the past 25+ years teaching and leading in the Culinary Science & Product Development program.

My work sits right at the intersection of food science, culinary arts, and real-world product development, with a strong focus on experiential learning and industry partnerships that help students connect what they learn in the classroom to how food products are actually developed and brought to market. I currently serve as Program Lead for Culinary Science & Product Development, working on curriculum design, student outcomes, and new program initiatives.

Before JWU, I earned my MS in Food Science and built a foundation in chemistry and food systems that still shapes how I teach today. One of my earliest formative experiences was participating in a School for Field Studies program in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where our student team documented the medicinal plant pharmacopoeia of the Quichua community—that experience continues to shape how I think about food systems, education, and the value of immersive, place-based learning.

Favorite SFS Memory: Some of my favorite memories from my SFS experience are traveling by dugout canoe down the Río Napo to meet with the shaman, documenting his pharmacopoeia; shaking out our Vietnam army boots each morning to make sure no scorpions were hiding inside; bathing in the Río Napo, fighting the current; and staring at the silhouette of toucans gathered in a distant tree. Evenings were often spent on Alejandro Suarez’s open-air porch singing and talking with my fellow explorers. It was an incredible experience that has stayed with me ever since.