My Career
in the Kitchen
I’m Nathan Koscielski, a Certified Culinary Educator (CCE) and Associate Professor of Culinary Arts at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute (NFCI) at SUNY Niagara, where I’ve been teaching since 2017. Before joining NFCI, I spent nine years as a high school culinary instructor, where I was proud to receive the CAFÉ & Kendall College Green Runner-Up Award in 2015 for developing a truly farm-to-table program.
Earlier in my career, I worked as Banquet Chef at The Buffalo Club (2005–2007) and as Sous Chef under Chef Norman Hart, CEC, CCE, AAC at The Niagara Club (2002–2005). I earned my Associate of Specialized Technology in Culinary Arts from the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts (2002), followed by a Bachelor of Science (2009) and Master of Science (2011) in Career and Technical Education, both from the State University of New York College at Buffalo.
I'm proud to have created the first-ever credit-bearing culinary cannabis lecture and lab courses within the State University of New York (SUNY) system. I began teaching the inaugural lecture-style course, CUL 250 – Culinary Cannabis and Edibles, in the spring of 2021 — four months before New York State passed Bill S854A, enacting the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.
My Journey Into Culinary Cannabis
At the end of every semester at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, I routinely distribute feedback surveys to my students to assess what I did well and identify areas for improvement. In the summer of 2019, while reviewing survey responses, I received some eye-opening feedback from a few former students who had relocated to the West Coast.
Although they had an excellent experience at the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute (NFCI) and felt well-prepared for most aspects of the culinary industry, they pointed out one significant gap: they felt completely unprepared to handle cannabis in a professional kitchen setting.
💡That was my “lightbulb moment.”
At the time, recreational cannabis was still illegal in New York State. However, I realized that while our students may study in New York, many move to states where cannabis is fully legal after graduation. We weren’t equipping them with the knowledge or skills to safely and responsibly work with cannabis-infused food and beverages—something becoming increasingly relevant in today’s culinary world. I felt a responsibility to change that.
I began immersing myself in cannabis education and quickly discovered that culinary cannabis is about far more than just brownies or gummies. I learned about the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for various medical conditions and the remarkable depth of flavor and aroma that terpenes can bring to both food and drinks. This opened my eyes to the incredible possibilities within this emerging field—and the educational void that needed to be filled.
I understood that as this new industry grows, proper education around safety, consistency, and profitability is crucial. I just needed a way to present this concept to my colleagues, college leadership, the SUNY Niagara Board of Trustees, and ultimately the New York State Education Department.
Then, something remarkable happened. The American Culinary Federation (ACF)—already the certification and accreditation body for NFCI—launched a Specialization Certificate in Culinary Cannabis.
This new certification gave me the foundation I needed to present a formal case for integrating cannabis education into our curriculum. The ACF began offering the certification on February 18, 2020. Just nine days later, on February 27, 2020, I became one of the first 25 chefs in the nation to earn this pioneering credential.
On January 25, 2021, I began teaching the first-ever, credit-bearing culinary cannabis course in the entire State University of New York (SUNY) system. Then, on March 31, 2021—just 60 days later—New York State officially legalized recreational cannabis.
I’m happy to have been part of a major milestone—Niagara County Community College became the first SUNY institution to offer credit-bearing culinary arts classes focused on cannabis. I joined the inaugural cohort of the American Culinary Federation’s Specialization in Culinary Cannabis and Edibles program, earning certification in cooking with cannabis as a professional ingredient.
My Culinary Cannabis Education Timeline of Events