Executive pastry chef Casey Shiller has proven that he is an artist in the kitchen, but another teaching honor has emphasized his wizardry in the classroom. Shiller, baking and pastry arts coordinator in St. Louis Community College's Hospitality Studies program, was named the American Culinary Federation's Central Region Educator of the Year at a recent ACF conference in Detroit. Shiller will compete against his regional counterparts (Northeast, Southeast and West) for the national award during a July 14-17 conference in Orlando, Fla. The Central Region encompasses 15 states. Last summer, he and teammate Dana Holland, executive chef of Jilly's Cupcake Bar & Cafe in University City, won the $10,000 grand prize on the Food Network's cooking competition series "Cupcake Wars." They were invited back to participate in "The Battle of the Champions" in January.