Trio of HTM faculty awarded the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs National President’s Medal

Trio of HTM faculty awarded the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs National President's Medal

Friday, September 26, 2025

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On Sept. 18, Chef Reimund Pitz, the Conseiller Culinaire et des Professionnels des États-Unis for the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, presented the organization's National President's Medal to three distinguished faculty members of Oklahoma State University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

The honor from the world's oldest international gastronomic society recognizes outstanding leadership, mentorship and contributions to culinary education and excellence. The medals were presented during Pitz's visit to Stillwater for the Distinguished Chef Series, which brings world-class chefs to work alongside students for a culinary event while raising funds for student scholarships.

"It is truly an honor for our faculty to receive the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs National President's Medal, a recognition that reflects the exceptional caliber of educators we have in our program," said Dr. Lisa Slevitch, interim department head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. "Silvio Ceschini, Ashley Peterson and Chef Cochran are well-deserving recipients who fully encapsulate what it means to be true hospitality educators, consistently instilling the highest level of knowledge and practical skills in our students. Their dedication to hospitality education and mentorship exemplifies the standards of excellence we strive for in our program. We are incredibly privileged to have such distinguished faculty members who not only advance our students' learning but also bring recognition to our school through their outstanding service."

The medals were presented to instructor of professional practice Silvio Ceschini, assistant professor of professional practice Ashley Peterson and Chef Mark Cochran, assistant professor of professional practice. All three OSU faculty members play instrumental roles in working with HTM students in the Spears School of Business.

Ceschini manages Taylor's Restaurant, the full-service learning restaurant with a global cuisine located in the Nancy Randolph Davis Building on the OSU campus. Cochran is the department's lead chef who teaches the fundamentals of culinary production to OSU's HTM students, while Peterson is the interim director of the Wayne Hirst Center for Beverage Education.

Founded in 1937, the OSU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in Spears Business has evolved into a business-focused academic program that educates students and conducts research for the food and beverage, lodging, event planning, and tourism management industries. According to ShanghaiRanking.com, the program currently ranks OSU No. 8 in the U.S. and No. 22 in the world among hospitality and tourism management programs.