Thao Rich
Associate Instructor
JWU Faculty Since 2016
Thao Rich’s area of expertise is cookies, as she is known as the “Cookie Goddess” by her colleagues, and she has a cult cookie following inside the JWU community.
Aside from teaching Cookies & Petits Fours, she enjoys teaching a wide range of pastry skills from basic foundations to cakes to plated desserts. She enjoys tapping into her Asian heritage by co-advising the Cooking Asia Club; she especially enjoys teaching and molding freshmen students with organized and detailed classroom demonstrations infused with everyday life skills.
An alum of JWU’s Baking & Pastry Arts bachelor of science program, Rich has honed her skills in prominent Boston-area restaurants and bakeries. In 2011, she began her teaching career at Le Cordon Bleu in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This facilitated her return to Johnson & Wales as an instructor.
She enjoys being a mom to two boys. When she is not baking, she likes cooking, crafts, home improvement projects, and yoga.
Education
- B.S. BPA, Johnson & Wales University
Courses
- BPA1701 Foundations of Baking & Pastry
- BPA1710 Principles of Cake Decorating & Design
- BPA1720 Plated Desserts
- BPA2710 Advanced Pastry Applications
- BPA2720 Artisan Café
- FSM1165 The Food Safety Manager
Extra Curricular Roles
Co-Advisor, Cooking Asia Club