Lumi Cirstea

Chef Lumi Cirstea
Master Baker | Associate Professor, Culinary Institute of America

Master Baker Lumi Cirstea is an educator and artisan deeply committed to inspiring, empowering, and elevating the next generation of baking and pastry professionals. With over a decade of experience in both American and European pastry labs, Lumi cultivated a comprehensive mastery of bread and pastry arts, shaped by rigorous hands-on practice, academic study, and a lifelong dedication to craft.

During her eleven years as a faculty member at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, Lumi mentored hundreds of aspiring bakers, challenging them to pursue excellence with intention and purpose. Guided by her philosophy—“Wake up each day with a desire to be better than yesterday”—she earned the prestigious Master Baker title along with an MBA focused on Hospitality. This blend of artisan skill, academic insight, and business acumen informs Lumi’s holistic approach to baking and pastry within the broader food service management landscape.

Lumi’s work has been featured in leading industry publications, including Bread Lines, Baking and Pastry of America, and The Providence Journal. She is a passionate advocate for artisan bread, known for pushing creative boundaries while holding true to the traditions, techniques, and discipline at the heart of the craft.

Today, Lumi serves as an Associate Professor at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where she continues to shape and inspire future leaders in the baking and pastry world.