- Faculty
Cheryl Stanley
- Teaching Professor
Biography
Cheryl Stanley is a teaching professor in food and beverage management at the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. Her lifelong passion for food began at age ten, when she launched her own chocolate business, Cheryl’s Chocolates. She later discovered her interest in beverages as a student at the Nolan School, where courses in wines, food and wine pairings and beverage management shaped her career direction.
After graduating in 2000, Stanley built experience in hotel and restaurant operations on the West Coast, working for the Four Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach and the Wine Cask in Santa Barbara. She continued her entrepreneurial path by founding a restaurant consulting company in 2008, specializing in beverage programs and service. During this period, she also taught at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), offering courses in gastronomy, food, wine and (agri)culture. Inspired by teaching, she earned a master’s degree in hospitality and retail management from Texas Tech University before returning to the CIA and ultimately to her alma mater.
At the Nolan School, Stanley teaches courses across food and beverage operations, including Introduction to Wines, Catering and Special Events and Beverage Management. She blends theoretical instruction with practical application.
Certified through multiple wine organizations, Stanley conducts research on beverage costing in hotels, bars and restaurants, as well as hospitality education. She has presented at beverage focused conferences and is active in professional organizations including the Society of Wine Educators and the United States Bartenders’ Guild. She advises Cornell Cuvée, the blind wine tasting team that has earned multiple international titles.
Stanley received the Ted Teng ’79 Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2015 and was named one of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s 40 Under 40 Tastemakers in 2017.
Education
MS Texas Tech University, 2012 BS Nolan School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, 2000