Jonathan Zearfoss
Faculty Bio
Professor—Culinary Science and Nutrition, CIA
Course: Taste, Palate, and Sensory Perception.
Chef Zearfoss is the senior faculty member at the college, as well as in the college’s School of Culinary Science and Nutrition. He chaired the curriculum development team and coordinated the development of the Culinary Science program, which launched in 2013. Professor Zearfoss currently teaches Dynamics of Heat Transfer, Flavor Science and Perception, and Research Methods.
At CIA, Chef Zearfoss has also taught Advanced Cooking and Pastry, and Advanced Culinary Principles—the precursor to the college’s Culinary Science program. He has been a chef-instructor in the American Bounty Restaurant and St. Andrew’s Café. As associate dean for curriculum and instruction, he oversaw the college’s restaurant courses and developed CIA’s advanced cooking curriculum. He was also the content leader for the second edition of CIA’s classic text, The Techniques of Healthy Cooking. Professor Zearfoss was the founding chair of the Faculty Council and currently serves as vice-chair of the standing committee on Faculty Rank and Promotion.
Before joining CIA faculty in 1989, Chef Zearfoss was an assistant chef at The Trellis in Williamsburg, VA, where he worked with Chef Marcel Desaulniers and taught an American Culinary Federation (ACF) apprenticeship program. Chef Zearfoss holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the College of William & Mary, and a Master of Arts from SUNY (Empire State College) focusing on Habitat Ecology and Ecology Education.
Zearfoss is the author of The Great Chefs of Virginia. The Virginia Chef’s Association named him 1987 Chef of the Year. Zearfoss was, along with Dr. Debra Zellner, an author of the peer-reviewed paper It tastes as good as it looks! The effect of food presentation on liking for the flavor of food. Professor Zearfoss has conducted seminars throughout the world on healthy cooking, flavor development, ethnic cuisine, menu composition, culinary education, and the pairing of food with wine and beer. He served for several terms on the board of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP).
