Luminita Cirstea is an associate professor of Baking and Pastry Arts at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). She joined CIA in 2025, bringing more than 20 years of experience as a culinary educator, pastry chef, and food-industry leader.
Originally from Romania, Cirstea began her culinary journey in Chicago, IL, where she enrolled in the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College and earned an Associate of Applied Science in Baking and Pastry and a professional cookery certificate. She continued her professional development at the San Francisco Baking Institute and the French Pastry School in Chicago before earning the designation of Certified Master Baker from the Retail Bakers of America in 2016 and Certified Artisan Bread Baker from the Bread Bakers Guild of America in 2017.
Cirstea has applied her expertise in diverse culinary settings, from fine dining and hospitality to higher education to artisan and large-scale retail operations. Her career includes serving as baker for Bennison’s Bakery in Chicago, IL; lead baker for Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, CA; executive pastry chef for JW Marriott in Phoenix, AZ; retail manager for Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, RI; and manager for Stop and Shop in Warwick, RI.
An accomplished educator, Cirstea taught baking and pastry students for nine years at Johnson & Wales University. During her tenure, she was recognized with multiple teaching awards, including Teacher of the Year, the Johnson & Wales Dean’s Award, and the Wallrath Award for Innovative Teaching. Her industry accolades include the grand prize at the California Raisin Bread Contest, first place in the Bread Showpiece at the New York Wine & Food Festival, honors from the Société Culinaire Philanthropique for Bakery Display and Excellence in Pastry Presentation, and third place as Pastry Chef of the Year in the American Culinary Foundation’s Northeast Regional Competition.
A passionate educator and industry voice, Cirstea shared her expertise as a presenter for more than seven years at the Chef Culinary Conference hosted by UMass Amherst Dining. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications from Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, Romania, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Food Service & Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Johnson & Wales University.
Outside the classroom, Cirstea enjoys nature and spending time with her chihuahua Lexi. Additionally, she enjoys traveling, kayaking, hiking, and skydiving.