Chef, restaurateur, television personality and author, Emeril’s Homebase, New Orleans, La.; president and founder, Emeril Brand, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, New York, N.Y.

With a veritable empire of restaurants, cookbooks and consumer cooking products, not to mention his television shows on the Food Network and the Fine Living Network, Emeril Lagasse has been a foundation of the culinary industry for more than a decade. Through his countless accolades and awards, and his position as one of the mainstays of primetime cable television, Emeril has become a household name among millions of food-loving Americans throughout the country.

Since his graduation from JWU in ’78, he has been involved in practically every aspect of the culinary industry. When he opened his first restaurant in New Orleans in 1990, few would have predicted the level of success that he would achieve in such a short period of time. Today, Emeril is the chef-proprietor of ten restaurants located throughout the United States. His books have sold millions of copies throughout the country, and his nationally-renowned television shows continue to appear in more than 85 million homes everyday.

In April 2008, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia acquired the assets related to Emeril Lagasse’s media and merchandising business, including the popular Emeril Live!, in a transaction that paired one of the biggest brands in food-related content with the established leader in “how to” lifestyle information. As the latest addition to the Fine Living Network's roster, Emeril joins fellow celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck and Mario Batali in entertaining fans and new viewers alike through some of television's finest culinary programming.

Additionally, Emeril is now starring in a new series on the upstart Planet Green network, simply titled Emeril Green. In this show, Chef Lagasse highlights cooking with organic, locally-grown foods, a practice he has used at home, and in his restaurants, since becoming a chef.

Aside from his love for cooking, and for sharing this passion with his fans, Emeril is proud to work with students to stress the importance of education. Through his endowed scholarship program, funded by the annual Emeril Lagasse Golf Tournament, he has raised more than $2 million for students of JWU over the past five years, a number that will undoubtedly continue to grow as the tournament enters its sixth year of existence. Emeril's hope for the scholarship is to not only influence our students professionally, but to also have a positive and lasting impact on his alma mater through tireless philanthropy.

In addition to maintaining his scholarship program, Emeril enjoys contributing his time, resources and passion to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. Through the support of countless donors, partners, and corporate sponsors, the Foundation has raised millions of dollars for numerous children’s organizations throughout the country. By primarily focusing on children who come from disadvantaged circumstances, the Foundation seeks to inspire, mentor and enable all young people to realize their full creative and productive potential.