Daina J Soto
Associate Professor College of Food Innovation & Technology Culinary Arts Charlotte
Biography and Expertise
Daina Soto-Sellers is a science-driven chef with more than 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, both front- and back-of-house. Her experience includes catering, casual, fine dining and hotel environments in Puerto Rico, Saipan, St. Thomas USVI, Florida, Maryland, Mississippi and Boston. She has been a full-time culinary instructor at JWU Charlotte since 2015 and previously taught in Puerto Rico, where she is from.
Soto-Sellers has a master’s degree in Culinary Innovation and Food Product Development from the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland. She has also trained in San Sebastian, Spain, with research and development chefs at the Basque Culinary Center. As an alumnus, it is an honor for her to teach and inspire students at the Charlotte Campus.
Education
Certificate
Orange Coast College
Professional Certificate
Culinary Research and Education Academy (CREA)
MS
Dublin Institute of Technology
Professional Certificate
Basque Culinary Center
Associate in Applied Science
Johnson & Wales University
BA
University of Puerto Rico
Chef Demonstrations Encourage More Produce Consumption (Internet)
Produce Business
December 21, 2023
https://www.producebusiness.com/chef-demonstrations-encourage-more-produce-consumption/
Chef Demonstrations at the New York Produce Show Designed to Delight and Enlighten (Internet)
Produce Business
December 4, 2023
https://www.producebusiness.com/chef-demonstrations-at-the-new-york-produce-show-designed-to-delight-and-enlighten/
UNC NRI Apetite for Life Series (Recipes) (Internet)
Fitting the Fall Season into Your Rainbow Diet
September, 2023
https://uncnri.org/cooking-demo-nutrition-talk-fitting-the-fall-season-into-your-rainbow-diet/
Research Chef Association
Soto, D.
Engaging the Senses to Learn Professional Culinary Skills Online
PCSK Blog #5
Whole Grain Latin American Baked Goods
Hands-on workshop for Asheville Bread Festival 2025
Asheville Bread Festival
Carolina Ground
Carolina Ground (Kitchen)
Hendersonville
NC
United States
Judías Verdes, Muchos Más que un Vegetal Enlatado (More than a Can of Green Beans)
Demonstration
Camino Teaching Kitchen Initiative
Camino Health Center
Camino’s Teaching Kitchen
Charlotte
NC
United States
American Culinary Federation’s Advanced Pastry Summit
Oral Presentation
American Culinary Federation’s Advanced Pastry Summit
American Culinary Federation
Hance Auditorium JWU CLT
Charlotte
NC
United States
Embedding Food Science in Your Classroom
Breakout Session
Educator Summit
JWU
JWU CLT Culinary Lab
Charlotte
NC
United States
Whole Wheat and Blitz Dough
BPA Hands-on Workshop
Educators Summit
JWU
JWU CLT
Charlotte
NC
“Whole Grain Latin American Baked Goods: The Nutritional Benefits of Whole Grains in Bread and Pastries.”
Partially Demo, Hands-on Workshop
Asheville Bread Festival
Carolina Ground
East Fork Pottery
Asheville
NC
United States
The Role of Sustainable, Climate Tolerant, Heirloom Whole Grains in Enriching Students Experiences Outside the Classroom
Poster
Charlotte University Scholarship & Best Practices Expo
Johnson & Wales University
UEC JWU CLT
Charlotte
NC
United States
The New York Produce Show Chef Demonstrations
Cooking Demonstration
Produce Business Magazine
Javits Center
New York, NY
Fitting the Fall Season into Your Rainbow Diet
Cooking Demonstration
Appetite for Life Series
UNC Nutrition Research Institute
Hance Auditorium JWU CLT
Charlotte, NC