Culinary Arts Faculty

Students in Boston University’s culinary arts program learn from the finest working chefs and food experts in the industry, including:

Chris Douglass

Chris Douglass began his career in cooking under Odette Bery at Another Season on Beacon Hill. After learning the trade, he opened Icarus in Boston’s South End. Icarus was a Boston institution for over thirty years, before closing in 2009. Douglass now owns and operates two successful restaurants in Dorchester: The Ashmont Grill and Tavolo. He is extremely dedicated to responsible, sustainable practices, and is a member of the Chefs Collaborative. He also serves on the boards of the Boston Public Market Association and Saint Mark’s Area Main Streets.

Michael Leviton

Michael Leviton’s career pathway as a chef has been forged by a belief in sustainable change. After seventeen years at Lumière, eight James Beard Foundation Award nominations and honors from Food and Wine, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, and Saveur, he has stepped away from the day to day of the kitchen. As a founder of Region Foodworks and through his work with Marlo Marketing, Michael is now expanding his reach by focusing his time and talent on projects and partnerships that demonstrate the promise of broadening food systems sustainability. He is long-time member, and former Board Chair of the Chefs Collaborative, as well as a member of the Chefs Action Network, an Impact Program of the James Beard Foundation. Having attended two Chefs Boot Camps for Policy and Change, Michael continues to build on his advocacy for a sustainable future. A longtime advocate for sustainable seafood and fisheries, Leviton is also on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Blue Ribbon Task Force.

Barry Maiden

Chef Barry Maiden, Culinary Director, Future Chefs: Chef Barry Maiden began work in professional kitchens at a young age in and around his home town of Abingdon, Virginia. Early in his career, Chef Maiden worked alongside Emile Labrousse, renowned French chef and teacher, in Nashville, Tennessee. Chef Maiden then went to the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont and as an NECI extern, he was hired at L’Espalier in Boston working under Chef Frank McClelland. He then took the sous chef position at its sister restaurant, Sel de la Terre on the Boston waterfront.

Chef Maiden’s innate need to learn and grow along with his commitment to sustainable food practices drew him to work with Chef-Owner Michael Leviton at Lumière, as Chef de Cuisine. Maiden’s five-year stint at Lumière was the final step before opening his own kitchen in 2008, Hungry Mother in Cambridge, MA. He was quickly named one of Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2009 and in 2015 he was awarded the prestigious James Beard Award of “Best Chef Northeast.” In the summer of 2015 Hungry Mother closed its doors to allow Maiden to explore new opportunities.

Chef Maiden continues to bring his unique Southern approach to cooking in the Boston area. In his current role at Future Chefs, Chef Barry Maiden is responsible for overall kitchen management and provides culinary direction for youth development programming and community events.

Kevin O’Donnell

Kevin attended Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute in 2004, before accepting an internship at Ristorante Zeppelin in Orvieto, Italy. After completing his internship, he returned to his home state of Rhode Island to cook at Newport’s first Relais & Chateaux Property, Castle Hill Inn. Kevin felt the pull of Italian culture and cuisine and decided to return to Ristorante Zeppelin in Italy where he worked as a Sous Chef for 2 years. From Italy, he moved on to work at New York City’s Michelin-starred Del Posto where he continued his focus on Italian cuisine. After refining his skills at Del Posto under Chef Mark Ladner, Kevin moved back to Europe to open the internationally acclaimed Restaurant L’Office as Executive Chef in Paris, France. In 2012, Kevin arrived in Boston and took an opportunity with owners Michael Moxley and Jim Cochener at The Salty Pig as Executive Chef. Kevin is proud of the accomplishments of The Salty Pig and is excited to see his dream of opening SRV with long time cooking partner, Michael Lombardi, come true. Kevin serves as Co-Executive Chef/Partner of SRV restaurant.

Janine Sciarappa

Janine Sciarappa discovered her love for pastry during many hours spent baking at the side of her Italian grandmother. Janine pursued her passion for the craft, earning her Certificate in Culinary Arts from Boston University, where she trained under Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, and Albert Kumin.

After graduating the Culinary Arts program Janine went on to work in various high-end pastry shops in and around Boston. Her love of pastry and all things French brought her to Lenôtre in Paris to continue her education. Janine’s creativity and skill can also be seen in the food styling she has done for the Boston Globe.

Janine is currently the core pastry instructor for Boston University’s Certificate Program in Culinary Arts. She also lends her skills elsewhere on campus in classes for the BU Gastronomy program and the BU School of Hospitality.

Janine owns and operates Sweet Lessons, through which she provides group and private instructions.

Jeremy Sewall

Jeremy Sewall may have been born in upstate New York, but he’s had the heart of a true New Englander since childhood summers spent in Maine with his family, feasting on lobsters, clams and other New England specialties. Fishing has been a Sewall family livelihood for generations.

He began his professional career in Maine at the Relais & Chateau White Barn Inn. He then moved to Europe, working for Albert Roux in London and Amsterdam before returning to Boston and a position at L’Espalier. From there, Jeremy moved to the Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, California. In 2000, as Executive Chef of Lark Creek Inn, Jeremy was one of five chefs in the country nominated as a Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation. He moved back to the Northeast in 2003 as opening Executive Chef at Great Bay restaurant (present day Island Creek Oyster Bar). But after two years, Jeremy left Great Bay to follow his dream of running his own restaurant—in February 2006, Jeremy and his wife Lisa opened Lineage. The restaurant has been recognized by many publications over the years including Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Boston Magazine and most recently The Boston Globe. In 2009, Jeremy’s friendship with Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks owner Garrett Harker led to a stint as Collaborating Chef of the heralded Kenmore Square hot spot. In 2010, they teamed up with Skip Bennett, the founder of Island Creek Oysters, to bring the Island Creek Oyster Bar to the city of Boston. In the fall of 2013, the trio opened their second restaurant, Row 34. And in the spring of 2017, Jeremy opened Les Sablons in Cambridge’s historic Harvard Square.

Jeremy released his first cookbook, James Beard Award nominated The New England Kitchen: Fresh Takes on Seasonal Recipes, with co-author Erin Byers Murray in 2014. Two years later, Jeremy co-authored a second book, Oysters: A Celebration in the Raw, with Marion Swaybill.

Cara Chigazola-Tobin

The Certificate Program in Culinary Arts is excited to welcome Cara Tobin as its newest core chef instructor. She has taught Mediterranean cuisine in the culinary program for the past four years while working at Oleana, where she is the chef de cuisine. In 2017, she opened Honey Road, a Mediterranean-themed restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. As a core chef, Cara will work with students for multiple sessions and guide them through essential cooking techniques.

Program in Food, Wine & the Arts brochure

Download a Brochure

Learn more about our Certificate in Culinary Arts by downloading our brochure.

Be the First to Know

Receive monthly emails with updates on upcoming programs and seminars.