Wayne Smith received an associate degree in Culinary Arts and a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from CMU. Smith teaches Culinary Program Fundamentals, Introduction to Foods, Center of the Place, International Cuisine, Advanced Garde Manger and Hors D'Oeuvres and Techniques of Culinary Competition.
His courses offer students a hands-on opportunity to apply their learning to the production of a wide variety of foods. He likes to share with his students not just the "hows and whats" of cooking, but the "whys" as well. Smith believes that in order for students to learn deeply they need to be as involved as possible in their education. It is his goal to provide a learning experience that is so engaging that students are motivated not by grades but by their own curiosity and passion for growth. As is common in culinary arts, Smith likes to provide his students with an opportunity to see something being made, to make it themselves and then to evaluate the finished product.
Smith has been in professional food service for more than 30 years. In that time, he has worked every position imaginable in the kitchen. The backbone of his career prior to teaching was in large resort hotels in Colorado, California and Hawaii. He owned and operated a start-up restaurant in Grand Junction called Grits. "We were well ahead of our time, relying on local farms for the bulk of our produce and offering exclusively Colorado-made beers and wines in the early 1990s." Smith said of his restaurateur days.
He is a certified executive chef and certified culinary educator through the American Culinary Federation. Smith is constantly in pursuit of perfection when it comes to the craft of cooking. As a result, he is exploring the latest trends, including precision cooking equipment. His culinary interests range from old-world techniques such as curing, smoking and picking to recent trends like sous-vide cooking. When he is not in the kitchen, Smith enjoys skiing, mountain biking, camping, golf, tennis and playing his guitar and ukulele.