AiP Puts Itself "On the Map"

by: Tim Brower

For such a young program, the Culinary Department here at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh has been attracting some big attention. From our national gingerbread championships, to hosting the American Culinary Federation (ACF) convention this winter, to having two of the ACF educators of the year within the past three years, AiP is getting its name out in the industry.

One interesting and telling sign of AiP’s reputation is the number of students who transfer here from other culinary and hospitality management programs. Believe it or not, there are several, and they come from all over the Mid-Atlantic region.

Brian Kemp originally earned his Associates of Culinary Arts degree at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) in Arnold, MD. “I came to AiP because not too many schools offer a Bachelor’s in the hospitality industry, especially not as focused as this one is.” He cites several things he likes about the program here at AiP, but stresses that “the chefs here care so much about the students.”

Also earning her Associates of Culinary Arts before coming to AiP is Mihaela Balan from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York, NY. She says that even though the atmosphere here is much more relaxed than at the CIA, it still has the same great reputation. “I like that we’re a close knit family here,” says Balan, “it’s a lot easier to network with each other and get to know the chefs.”

Tyron Ridley came to the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute (PCI) in Pittsburgh, PA from his home in Virginia to earn his Associate’s of Culinary Arts from the Le Cordon Bleu program. He says he is “looking forward to brushing up some of [his] skills in Art Culinaire,” and chose AiP because of its location and the quality of its Bachelor’s program.


Unlike the others, Rachel Svavek attended Penn State University in State College, PA as a Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management major and transferred to AiP as one of the first students pursuing the Bachelor’s of Hotel and Restaurant Management degree. “I really like the small classes here, and the hands on culinary classes are something we didn’t have at Penn State.”

Finally, I too have come here from another program. I stated out as a Hospitality and Tourism Management major at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA and am grateful for my experiences there as I feel they have given me greater perspectives on different types of academics.

AiP’s small size allows it opportunities not available to larger programs and its reputation has grown dramatically in recent years. The curriculum is very specific yet allows graduates any number of career paths. With these attributes, our community is becoming known across the nation.