World renowned Chef Ming Tsai will deliver the keynote address at the Bentley University McCallum Graduate School of Business 37th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 19, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. on the south campus.
Chef Tsai, owner of the Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Mass., and host and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated public television cooking show, “Simply Ming,” is also an author, prolific designer and product developer, and East-West lifestyle expert. His work as a national spokesperson for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) aims to further education and research on food allergies. In addition to developing the Food Allergy Reference Book, a pioneering system that creates safeguards to help food-allergic people dine safely, Chef Tsai spent four years working with the Massachusetts Legislature to help write groundbreaking legislation that requires local restaurants to comply with specific food allergy awareness guidelines.
Tsai will receive an honorary doctor of commercial science degree at the ceremony.
“This day is such an important one in the lives of our students and their families. We are thrilled that Ming will have the opportunity to share it with them. We know that he will bring a special message to our graduates and their guests that reflects his fascinating life experiences, his creative business endeavors, and his unique perspective on finding balance in work and life.
Chef Ming Tsai
Chef Ming Tsai was raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he spent hours cooking alongside his mother and father at their family-owned restaurant, Mandarin Kitchen. He attended Yale University where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering, while spending his junior summer at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. After graduation, Tsai worked in kitchens around the globe including training under renowned Pastry Chef Pierre Herme in Paris and in Osaka with Sushi Master Kobayashi. Upon his return to the United States, Tsai attended graduate school at Cornell University where he earned a master’s degree in Hotel Administration and Hospitality Marketing. He continued to learn varied styles of cuisine, holding positions at establishments in Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and Santa Fe.
In 1998 Tsai opened Blue Ginger in Wellesley, MA and immediately impressed diners from Boston and beyond with the restaurant's innovative East-West cuisine. In its first year, Blue Ginger received 3 stars from the Boston Globe; was named "Best New Restaurant" by Boston Magazine; was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as "Best New Restaurant 1998;" and Esquire Magazine honored Tsai as "Chef of the Year 1998." The James Beard Foundation crowned Tsai "2002 Best Chef Northeast" and, since 2002, the Zagat Restaurant Guide has rated Blue Ginger the "2nd Most Popular Boston Restaurant." In 2007 Blue Ginger received the Ivy Award from Restaurants & Institutions for its consistent achievement in meeting the highest standards for food, hospitality and service. In 2009 Tsai and Blue Ginger won IFMA's Silver Plate Award in the Independent Restaurant Category recognizing overall excellence in the industry.
In 2009 Chef Tsai’s public television show, “Simply Ming,” received two Emmy nominations for 'Outstanding Culinary Program' and 'Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host,' and received two Bronze Telly Awards in the categories of 'Lighting' and 'Art Direction.'
Tsai began cooking for television audiences on the Food Network, where he was the 1998 Emmy Award-Winning host of East Meets West with Ming Tsai. Ming's Quest, his popular cooking adventure series, also aired on Food Network. In the summer of 2008, Tsai traveled to the Beijing Olympics with NBC’s Today show to provide viewers with insight into food customs and traditions that define his Chinese heritage. Tsai is also the author of four cookbooks: Blue Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai, Simply Ming, Ming's Master Recipes, and Simply Ming One-Pot Meals.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Commencement 2012 takes place on the south campus at Bentley University. The graduate ceremony will be held under the tent on the football field. Indoor viewing on a large monitor is available in the Dana Athletic Center. The event is held rain or shine. Buses will run from the parking lots on the main campus to the south campus.
Further details on Commencement 2012 can be found on the Bentley University commencement web site: http://www.bentley.edu/events/commencement.