For the first time ever, the majority of CIA student body is female. The public radio program 51%, which is dedicated to providing a women’s perspective on various issues, used this fact to take a fresh look at women in the food world.
Host and producer Allison Dunne visited the New York campus and spoke with Chef Cynthia Keller, CIA associate dean for culinary arts and a former restaurant owner, along with senior Culinary Science major Stephanie Smida. They both spoke honestly of the advancements made by women in recent years, as well as the challenges that remain.
The full 25-minute episode was devoted to the Culinary Institute of America and the history of women at the college and in the hospitality field. Founded by two women in 1946, the New Haven Restaurant Institute (later CIA) had one woman enrolled in the first class. Seventy years later, there are now more women than men studying in CIA’s bachelor’s and associate degree programs.
Produced by Northeast Public Radio, 51% airs on public radio stations throughout the United States.