Faculty/Staff
Joe Askren
Professor of Instruction
jaskren@usf.edu
Campus: Sarasota-Manatee
Room: A316
Vita
Joe Askren is a professor of instruction in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of South Florida’s Muma Business College, and is also the director of the USF Brewing Arts certificate program.
He teaches a variety of food and beverage courses and was one of the creators of the Culinary Innovation Lab in Lakewood Ranch. He was a former chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. While teaching at Le Cordon Bleu, he was selected Teacher of the Year twice.
Askren received his bachelor's degree from the College of Business at the University of Florida and an MBA in hospitality management from Colorado Technical University. He is a culinary graduate of Florida State College in Jacksonville, Florida, and holds the Certified Executive Chef level from the American Culinary Federation.
Askren received his PhD in adult education from USF. His dissertation was on experiential learning theory in the classroom, which was accepted as an article in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education.
His current research interests are connected to the brewing industry and restaurant operations.
He has culinary and management experience from some of the finest hotels and restaurants in the United States. He started his professional career at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, working under Chef Donald Pleau. After graduating from culinary school in Jacksonville, he worked for Chef Anton Brunbauer at the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa, followed later at the Westin Resort in Spa; both four-star award-winning properties located in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Askren was the executive chef at the Radisson Woodlands Hotel & Resort in Flagstaff, where he led one of the largest banquet facilities in northern Arizona along with two successful restaurants, including Sakura Restaurant, a James Beard Award winning teppanyaki and sushi bar.
In 2011, Askren was the culinary creator of the Good Life Cuisine brand that has been instituted in BlueStar Resort & Golf properties in Washington, California, and Arizona. He is also a contributor to multiple editions of John Walker’s The Restaurant: from Concept to Operation, as well as several contributions in Walker’s hospitality textbooks.
Since 2015, Askren has led multiple study abroad trips, exposing USF students to the foundational food traditions within the hospitality course, International Food & Culture. His students travel to vineyards, breweries and food markets, engage in hands-on cooking classes, and experience collaborative learning with local experts in the fields of archaeology, food science, ancient history, and culture.
The trips have included stops in the Italian cities of Florence, Venice, Modena, Parma, Montepulciano, Bologna, Lucca, Cinque Terra, Luca, and Volterra; Lyon, France; Belgrade, Serbia; and the Greek cities of Athens and Kalamata. In one memorable trip, his students studied at the famous Institute Paul Bocuse, where they received hands-on learning experiences from professional chefs, sommeliers, cheese makers, and restaurateurs.
Teaching
- Event Management
- International Food & Culture
- Intro to Beer Science
- Ongoing Study Abroad Program to Italy/France
- Restaurant Management
- Undergraduate Internship
Research
- Askren, J. T., James, W. B. (August, 2020). Experiential Learning Methods in Culinary Course Can Bridge the Gap: Student Perceptions on How Hands-On Curriculum Prepares Them for Industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education. 33(1) https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2020.1791134
Service
- HospitaBull
- Brunch on the Bay
- Bull's Bistro
- Crosley Dinners