Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) culinary arts program is heating up this semester under the leadership of new program director Carl Conway, with online course options and a revamped curriculum driving record enrollment numbers.
Conway, a retired Army master sergeant and award-winning chef, said the program is also expanding from the Austin Peay State University Center at Fort Campbell onto the Clarksville campus next fall – making an associate degree in culinary arts more accessible for students.
“We want people to leave here ready to step into the industry and make a difference,” Conway said, adding that approximately 50 students are enrolled this semester. “So my big things right now are infrastructure and accreditation and getting a curriculum alignment where our folks can finish this degree in two years.”
Under the new program structure, students start with sanitation and nutrition courses and spend four weeks learning the fundamentals before any initial work in the kitchen. Afterward, the program’s three adjunct professors lead students through more advanced classes.
“Cleanliness matters because of how many things people can get sick from, and that’s a huge part of what I’ve learned from the program,” said Chandler Wood, a freshman culinary arts student. “I also want to know the right way and how to do things – the right way to hold a knife, how to cook something, how it’s cut. They’re simple things, but I want to know the right way to do them.”
Wood said she was inspired to study culinary arts by spending time in the kitchen with her grandmother, who taught her several recipes as a farm cook. Wood has worked at Traveler’s Lantern Market and Café in Trenton, Kentucky, preparing food and serving tables for the last two years.
“I have vision problems, and I’m legally blind, so I appreciate that I’m able to do this stuff,” she said. “I can still cook because there’s a lot of feeling and touching involved, even if I have to work harder at some things or get more into the details.”
After graduating, Wood plans to open a bakery because of her passion for making cakes. Freshman culinary arts student Kristopher Glore, a retired Army sergeant first class, has a similar goal in mind.
“My wife and I are planning on opening a bakery and café specializing in locally sourced ingredients with a rotational seasonal menu,” Glore said. “I love being in the kitchen with her … she’s definitely the creative genius. She comes up with all the recipes, so she’ll be the executive chef, and I’ll be her sous.”
Glore originally wanted to pursue a career in culinary arts before joining the Army and currently works as the sous chef for Nicoletta’s Catering and Takeaway. His wife graduated from a culinary arts program two years ago, and they have built a strong connection through their shared love of cooking.
“I won my wife over by cooking a Beef Wellington for our first meal, and I’ve always been able to cook by following a recipe,” he said, noting that his mother taught him how to cook as a child. “But this program is giving me a lot of initial knowledge and filling in the gaps from what I didn’t know growing up or my wife teaching me. Some of the types of equipment that are used in the industry, I’ve never seen before.”
One of Conway’s major goals is to replace the kitchen’s outdated appliances with state-of-the-art equipment to help students like Wood and Glore better prepare for their careers.
“I want my students to be able to learn about and work with the equipment they’ll see when they go out and work in the industry,” he said. “It’s going to be expensive, and it’s going to take some time, but I have the support to do it … whatever it takes, we’re going to do that.”
Kim Barker, a sophomore professional services major with a concentration in culinary arts, said Conway’s overall vision for the program has helped it develop into a more effective curriculum.
“Now that we have a head chef, things are getting more organized, and I’m learning a lot of what I need to know,” said Barker, who has worked at Blackhorse Pub & Brewery for nearly two years. “I’d say it’s put a lot of structure around the knowledge I already have about the industry.”
Barker developed an interest in cooking through an internship with Manna Café Ministries and aims to become a sous chef or restaurant manager after graduation.
“The creation of food is just an interesting concept, especially since there are so many different ways to produce it from the same ingredients,” Barker said. “The environment is also really fast-paced, and it will keep your attention for hours on end. I prefer to work around different stations … I’d like to be somewhere that needs a jack of all trades.”
Through the culinary arts program, APSU aims to give students like Barker a solid foundation to succeed in various roles.
“The thing about all culinary schools is that they teach you the basic skills,” Conway said. “What I try to emphasize is the professionalism part of it. Your chef, wherever you go to work, will teach you what you need to know as far as the hard skills. I want my folks to go in and be knowledgeable enough to understand what their chefs are telling them.”
Conway plans to work with community partners to create internships and work-study opportunities for aspiring chefs to further that mission. Another long-term goal for the program is to become accredited through the American Culinary Federation Educational Institute.
“In addition to what we’re doing academically as part of APSU, we also want to serve the community,” Conway said. “We’re looking at opening what I call classes for enthusiasts – people who don’t want to be professional cooks but want to be better cooks. One of the things I’ve done for years is called Thanksgiving 101, where I teach people how to roast their turkey and make sides.”
“Mediocre is just not something I’ve ever strived for,” he said. “I used to have this tagline on my emails, ‘We are not here to play a role; we are here to steal the show,’ and that’s what we plan on doing here. We plan on becoming the outstanding academic program at Austin Peay State University.”
