Professional Foodservice Design Certificate
The FCSI Educational Foundation and Western Kentucky University have opened applications for their 2025 - 2026 professional certificate program in Foodservice Design. The program is designed to provide students with essential skills needed to be competitive in the foodservice design profession, as well as to offer the opportunity to connect with foodservice design professionals. Working collaboratively, FCSI Educational Foundation and WKU, designed this program to provide student with the opportunity to learn Revit software, understand the materials and finishes used in commercial kitchen environments, learn about commercial foodservice equipment, and prepare food in a commercial kitchen.
With the working professional in mind, most of the content will be delivered on-line through the BlackBoard learning System. Built into the program are specialized days in which you meet with your cohort for an experiential learning experience (see schedule below). Applications will be open from October 15, 2025 - March 31, 2026. Once you have signed up, you can immediately start the program. In-person classes will be held at Western Kentucky University in June of 2026. During this visit you will meet other aspiring foodservice designers, your faculty and equipment manufacturers. You will also have the opportunity to work in a licensed commercial kitchen, making meals an using commercial equipment. In July, we are scheduled to meet in Dallas and visit an innovation kitchen, meet with food service consultants and work on your final design project.
Cohort Course Information
Class size is limited to 15, providing more one-on-one instruction and individualized feedback.
This program requires that your laptop be Windows-based with 16GB of memory or higher. Autodesk's design software does not have a Mac version of Revit.
Includes:
- Instruction from Certified Instructors
- Access to all materials required for the course including textbooks
- Some meals and transportation when attending in-person classes
Bowling Green, KY is about 65 miles north of Nashville, TN and 100 miles south of Louisville, KY.
Successful completion of the program will culminate in a FCSI recognized certificate of completion in Food Service Design.
| Schedule/Outline | |
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| Revit I Instructor, Sheila Flener a NCIDQ certified interior designer and your textbook author, will work with you to develop your digital design skills by teaching Revit, a design software used extensively in the industry. You will have an opportunity to work with Sheila in the design studio during your four on campus days. |
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| Upon Completion of Revit I, the Food Sanitation module and Materials and Finishes module begin | |
| Food Sanitation Food service sanitation delivers the principles of food safety, including equipment, kitchen flow, and design. The class culminates with the Nationally recognized ServSafe Manager’s exam. |
Materials and Finishes Julia Williams, an NCIDQ certified Interior Designer with over 33 years of experience in teaching and professional design work, will guide students in learning the preferred materials for kitchens, including flooring, work surfaces, walls, and much more. |
| Upon Completion of Materials and Finishes Revit II will begin | |
| Revit II Building upon the skills learned through Revit I, Ms. Flener guides you through the next phase of Revit. She incorporates commercial kitchen examples and projects into this module. |
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| Commercial food module will begin May 1, 2026, in preparation of our on-campus days in the commercial kitchen. | |
| Commercial Foods The instructor, Ann Embry, a Registered Dietitian with over 20 years of food service management experience, will teach you the ins and outs of kitchen operations as well as discuss the equipment used in the storage, production, and delivery of food. You will be on campus for four days in June where you will learn to use commercial cooking equipment in the WKU commercial kitchen, tour commercial kitchens and visit food service equipment manufacturing plants. |
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| Food Service Design module will begin June 1, 2026, and is the last section of the Food Service design program. | |
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Food Service Design Ms. Williams continues instruction with the final capstone for the program. Ms. Williams will take you through the process from the beginning of a project to the completion. You will discuss the requirements while on campus in June and work through projects while meeting together in Dallas for the second in-person meeting. |
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First In-Person Class at WKU (June 9-12, 2026) Days will include food preparation in a commercial kitchen, the National Restaurant Association ServSafe exam, one-on-one Revit software feedback and assistance, commercial kitchen tours, and commercial foodservice equipment manufacturer tours. A detailed schedule will be sent in April. |
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| On-line Classes will continue after the June campus days, including the conclusion of the Commercial Foods course and the beginning of your CAPSTONE course Foodservice Design taught by Ms. Julia Williams with integrated content from professional foodservice designers. | |
| Second In-Person Class (July 2026 – specific dates pending) Scheduled for Dallas Texas (final confirmation pending) experience a state-of-the-art innovation kitchen, learn about the newest in foodservice equipment, and hear from design professionals. |
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Foodservice Design course will continue following our in-person days with your final project completion. Projected Completion date – August 31, 2026 |
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Dr. Ann Embry
Dr. Embry earned her bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and her master’s degree in Adult Education from Western Kentucky University. Later in her career, she obtained her PhD in Hospitality Management from Iowa State University. With over 20 years of experience in dietetics and the food service industry, she now serves as the Applied Human Sciences Interim Department Chair and as an Associate Professor at WKU, where she shares her expertise with her students and colleagues. Additionally, she currently lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with her husband, Todd, and their son, James.
Sheila Flener
Sheila Sullivan Flener is a senior Interior Design Instructor at WKU and has been with the university since 2004. With 25 years of experience with AutoCAD software and 12 years of experience with Revit software, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her role. Sheila holds her NCIDQ certification and is a Licensed Interior Designer in Kentucky and Tennessee. Her research interests lie in the adaptive reuse of structures, and she has extensive experience in commercial design. She was awarded the CHHS Teaching Award in 2022 for her outstanding contributions.
Julia Williams
Julia Williams is an instructor of Interior Design. Following a three-decade career in commercial interior design, Ms. Williams focuses on preparing individuals for a professional career in the field. Ms. Williams adds to the classroom experience by incorporating exercises that focus on realistic aspects from her professional design experience. She currently teaches a variety of classes including materials and finishes, Studio I, Studio II, Business practices, Food Service Design and more.
Julia Williams is NCIDQ certified and has experience in larger urban markets as well as smaller regional markets. She has worked as an interior designer at architectural firms and commercial furniture dealerships and as a design contractor. Ms. Williams’ clients include those in the hospitality, healthcare, corporate and educational sectors as well as residential clients.
Ms. Williams earned a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska College of Architecture with a specialization in interior design, a program designed for individuals wanting to become design educators. She also has bachelor’s degrees in interior design and art history. Julia loves to travel and enjoys student trips to industry markets and events. She is currently the faculty advisor for the WKU IIDA campus center.
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