A Community in the Kitchen

In 1962, members of the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce and the Punxsutawney Area School District’s Board of Directors formed the Punxsutawney Area College Trust to pursue the creation of a college campus in their town. The group selected Indiana State College, now IUP, and established the IUP Punxsutawney Regional Campus.

The PACT has been a vital community partner ever since, supporting the campus, the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts with its Fairman Centre, and the Culinary Arts Student Scholarship. PACT also supports high school students with scholarships to pursue other career paths in higher education.

Silas Gesser ‘21 decided to pursue culinary arts in his senior year of high school in Gettysburg. He chose the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts because it checked all his boxes.

“The price was right, the five hours of kitchen time is the best around, and the kitchens were really amazing,” Silas said. “They have all of the same equipment we have in the industry.”

Silas graduated in 2021 and is employed at the prestigious Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh. He plans to return to IUP this fall, enrolling in the Bakery and Pastry Arts program in the ACA Fairman Centre.