Eric Ernest

Executive Chef, University of Southern California; Los Angeles, CA

Eric Ernest is the senior associate director of culinary excellence and campus executive chef for the University of Southern California, where he is also responsible for purchasing and logistics for USC Hospitality ensuring a robust global network and supply chain to support 40,000 meals per day on two USC Campuses. Eric oversees the vision and culinary strategy for Hospitality and surrounding departments, curating the campus’ food philosophy and value system in the face of changing social, economic, and environmental pressure on our food supply and product offerings. USC’s award-winning Teaching Garden, Chef Mentorship & Certification Program, and an annual chef conference are examples of the industry leading programs that set USC apart from other institutions. Prior to USC, Eric held positions as corporate executive chef for SBE, the Royale Group, Innovative Dining Group, and the world-renowned Citrine in West Hollywood, CA. He also worked under the tutelage of Wolfgang Puck, Lee Hefter, and Yoshi Kojima, and holds degrees in culinary management and is a CEIP graduate at The Culinary Institute of America. Eric was elevated to Master Chef in 2016 when he was awarded a diploma in culinary excellence by the World Master Chef Society and was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in 2018. Eric has degrees from USC in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Technology Commercialization. He also is a prominent figure in international cooking competitions, holding over 20 medals and several certifications awarded by the American Culinary Federation. (Los Angeles, CA)

Eric will be participating as part of the “Taking Care of Your Team to Create Sustainable Menus” session on May 27 (Week Three).