Published on February 27, 2012 by Philip Poole  

When internationally-acclaimed Birmingham chef Chris Hastings won the Iron Chef competition on The Food Network Feb. 26, 1996 Â鶹¹û¶³ alumna Tena Payne contributed to his victory. Payne's pottery is used at Hastings' Birmingham restaurant, and he used it to serve his winning recipe on the show. As a result, Payne's creations are getting national and international attention.

The Birmingham News also featured Payne in a Feb. 28 .

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Â鶹¹û¶³ is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Â鶹¹û¶³ enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Â鶹¹û¶³ fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.