CIA Alumni List | Culinary Institute of America

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Meet the CIA’s Alumni

Earn a degree from The Culinary Institute of America and you’ll join a global network of more than 50,000 alumni. That means you’ll have thousands of top professional connections on the day you graduate! Get to know some of our alumni stories below and learn how the CIA positioned them for career success.

Baking and Pastry Chef

Educator

Executive Chef

Food Business

Food Media

Hospitality and Management

R&D

Sommelier

TV Chef

For more CIA alumni profiles, visit the .
Food Business / Entrepreneur
Roy Choi ’98
Chef/Restaurateur/Author
“You have legends here. What I love about the CIA is that the professors that have been teaching here 25, 30 years...they evolve with the times.”

Jae Jung ’10
Chef/Owner, KJUN
“Maya Angelou says your legacy is every life that you have touched. For me, I feel like my legacy will be the life of every person that I have cooked for.”

Chieyen Meachem ’15
Food and Beverage Manager, Operations Support Resources, Marriott International
“Every single day I use what I learned at the CIA...I’ve been able to use all of that knowledge in my jobs.”
Baking and Pastry Chef
Sarah Baldwin ’06
Creative Director, Ron Ben-Israel Cakes
“My best memory at the CIA was coming back after my internship and feeling like I finally had a sense of focus about where I wanted my career to go. I’m currently working at my dream job.”

Duff Goldman ’98
Owner of Charm City Cakes
“Going to the CIA is like having a passport to the entire world. You can go anywhere. I can’t recommend the CIA highly enough. The chefs you’ll be learning from are some of the best in the world…it’s the best school in the world.”
TV Chef
Anne Burrell ’96
Chef and Television Host
“I loved every minute of being a student at the CIA.”

Maneet Chauhan ’00
Partner and President, Morph Hospitality Group
“I received so much support from the faculty. I had an amazing time at the CIA. The CIA was and still is my Disneyland.”

Scott Conant ’92
Chef, Restaurateur, Author, and TV Personality
“Learn to talk about food, taste, and your experience. The future is in front of you and, if you’re like me, you’ll never want to take your apron off.”

Geoffrey Zakarian ’83
Chef, Restaurateur, Consultant, Author, Entrepreneur, and TV Personality
“Going to the CIA is going to be the best decision you’ve ever made. If you haven’t visited the campus yet, you’re in for an amazing treat. It’s truly spectacular. There’s no better place to study food than at The Culinary Institute of America.”
Hospitality and Management
Adam Crocini ’00
Global Head and Vice President of Food & Beverage for the Luxury & Lifestyle Group, Hilton
“The CIA gave me the foundation and understanding of the business, from the basics to the complex, through both the associate and bachelor’s programs.”

Jules Esposito ’21

“I have been riding the wave of this new (Hospitality Management) program and it has been an amazing journey that’s opening my eyes to new cultures, foods, experiences, and some wonderful people.”

Christine Langelier ’12
Service Director, Eleven Madison Park
“The only choice for me was The Culinary Institute of America.”

Tasha Mabin ’10
Catering Director, The Compass Group USA
“I fell in love day one. Everyone who goes to the school has one common goal and passion, and you’re learning from the best.”
Sommelier
Carlton McCoy ’06
President and CEO, Heitz Cellar; Master Sommelier
“The wine class with Steven Kolpan was a revelation to me. It opened my eyes to a completely new world.”

Gretchen Thomas ’05
Vice President of Beverages, Del Frisco's Restaurant Group
“I would not have been introduced to wine if it wasn’t for the CIA. While you’re at the CIA, every door in the restaurant business is opened up to you.”
Executive Chef
Michael Henville ’02
Executive Chef, Oualie Beach Resort
“The CIA really gave me a great all-around education—all those little things community colleges and regional cooking schools just don’t provide to their students. The CIA offers that and more.”

Deuki Hong ’09
Executive Chef/Owner Sunday Bird
“No other school does it better than the CIA.”
Research and Development
James Bickmore-Hutt ’16
Culinary R&D Manager Corporate Chef, Dole
“The scientific process that you learn in this degree is second to none. You get very well prepared in the program here.”

Evan Bollers ’14
Research Development Project Manager, Custom Foods of America
“There’s a certain fraternal love that was developed between all of us and our teachers, especially in the Culinary Science Department, that I’ll never forget. It motivated me to work harder and do things I didn’t think I could do.”
Educator
Bruce Davis ’72
Culinary Arts Instructor, Production & Services Department Chair, Center for Applied Technology North (CAT-N)
“The CIA is the best culinary school in the world with the best facilities and the most talented instructional staff.”

Tim Michitsch ’84
Chef-Instructor, Lorian County Joint Vocational School, OH
“A degree from the CIA will take you as far as you want to go. The education was outstanding right from the beginning...totally hands-on, which was perfect.”
Food Media
Kersti Bowser ’01
Owner, Gourmet Butterfly Media & Special Events
“There is a clear difference in students who come out of the CIA versus other schools.”

Jesse Szewczyk ’14
Food Writer, The Kitchn
“As a food writer, I think it’s important to have a background rooted in kitchens...the CIA helped me understand the restaurant industry and connect to chefs in a way that is genuine and valuable.”
For more CIA alumni, visit .

CIA Alumni in the News
CIA alumni are always cooking up something interesting, and with a network of more than 50,000 strong, there’s never a shortage of highlights! Here are some recent examples of CIA alumni in the news.
Contact Us
The Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538-1499
Phone: 845-452-9600

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Meet the CIA’s Alumni

Food Business / Entrepreneur

Baking and Pastry Chef

TV Chef

Hospitality and Management

Sommelier

Executive Chef

Research and Development

Educator

Food Media

CIA Alumni in the News

Contact Us

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