Articles
October 31, 2024
CIA’s Ryan receives Ambassador of Hospitality award
Legendary educator honored for empowering industry’s future generations.
Dr. Ryan says mentoring, helping young people achieve their dreams, and giving back to others are his greatest rewards.
As a youth, Dr. Tim Ryan dreamt of becoming a lawyer like Perry Mason, the fictional character he watched on television.
But, as luck would have it, Dr. Ryan, Chancellor of the Culinary Institute of America, landed a job as a dishwasher and followed a different dream, first as an American-cuisine chef and then helping future generations navigate success in the hospitality industry. He says he knew almost instantly that working in hospitality was going to be his calling.
“I really thought I wanted to be a lawyer,” he says. “But I came from a poor background and my family didn't know any lawyers. I started working as a dishwasher in this restaurant, and it didn't take too long for me to see it was a fantastic place. The chef was a wonderful guy, who became like a second father to me, a real mentor. It was just a wonderful family, so dynamic, and it was clear we were in the business of making people happy.”
“When I started working at that restaurant, washing dishes, I absolutely loved it,” he recalls. “I’d never been in the back-of-the-house of a restaurant, but then and there I knew what my career would be. I wanted to be the best chef in the world, but once I started teaching at the CIA, I saw the power of education. It was then I had a second revelation in my life. I realized mentoring young people, not becoming the world's greatest chef, was what I had to do. Dedicating myself to helping them achieve their dreams, giving back and investing in others, would be my greatest reward ever.”
This year, Ryan was recognized for his more than 40 years of empowering and helping young people achieve their academic and career goals. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation honored him last month with the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award, part of its Restaurants Advance Leadership Awards program.
“Dr. Ryan has been instrumental in generating the sustained excellence, innovation, and growth that have shaped today’s CIA,” says Greg Cook, executive vice president and president, Institutional Group for Ecolab Inc., the award’s sponsor. “His thought leadership has guided the college to a position of prominence on such important matters as health and wellness, world flavors, food ethics, and sustainability.”
In addition to his duties at the CIA, the Pittsburgh native also serves on the National Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors and as a trustee for the NRAEF.
“Nothing is more fulfilling than helping others,” he says. “The dividends you get from watching a group grow, prosper and evolve is tremendous. When I began teaching at the CIA, I experienced what it was like to mentor and help young people daily. It was a moment of revelation for me, that I could help change the industry. I dedicated myself to that, and it’s been a true blessing and unbelievably fulfilling.”
Learn more about the NRAEF here
But, as luck would have it, Dr. Ryan, Chancellor of the Culinary Institute of America, landed a job as a dishwasher and followed a different dream, first as an American-cuisine chef and then helping future generations navigate success in the hospitality industry. He says he knew almost instantly that working in hospitality was going to be his calling.
“I really thought I wanted to be a lawyer,” he says. “But I came from a poor background and my family didn't know any lawyers. I started working as a dishwasher in this restaurant, and it didn't take too long for me to see it was a fantastic place. The chef was a wonderful guy, who became like a second father to me, a real mentor. It was just a wonderful family, so dynamic, and it was clear we were in the business of making people happy.”
Cooking up a career as a culinarian and educator
He asked the restaurant’s chef to teach him how to cook because he thought that's what he wanted to do, but the chef told him it was too hard of a business, that he should pursue other things. That only made him want it even more.“When I started working at that restaurant, washing dishes, I absolutely loved it,” he recalls. “I’d never been in the back-of-the-house of a restaurant, but then and there I knew what my career would be. I wanted to be the best chef in the world, but once I started teaching at the CIA, I saw the power of education. It was then I had a second revelation in my life. I realized mentoring young people, not becoming the world's greatest chef, was what I had to do. Dedicating myself to helping them achieve their dreams, giving back and investing in others, would be my greatest reward ever.”
Honored for a lifetime of service
During his tenure and leadership, the CIA introduced the world’s first bachelor’s and master’s degrees in culinary arts, opened new campuses, and expanded continuing education programs for industry professionals and enthusiasts alike.This year, Ryan was recognized for his more than 40 years of empowering and helping young people achieve their academic and career goals. The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation honored him last month with the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award, part of its Restaurants Advance Leadership Awards program.
“Dr. Ryan has been instrumental in generating the sustained excellence, innovation, and growth that have shaped today’s CIA,” says Greg Cook, executive vice president and president, Institutional Group for Ecolab Inc., the award’s sponsor. “His thought leadership has guided the college to a position of prominence on such important matters as health and wellness, world flavors, food ethics, and sustainability.”
In addition to his duties at the CIA, the Pittsburgh native also serves on the National Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors and as a trustee for the NRAEF.
“Nothing is more fulfilling than helping others,” he says. “The dividends you get from watching a group grow, prosper and evolve is tremendous. When I began teaching at the CIA, I experienced what it was like to mentor and help young people daily. It was a moment of revelation for me, that I could help change the industry. I dedicated myself to that, and it’s been a true blessing and unbelievably fulfilling.”
Learn more about the NRAEF here
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