Join the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences alumnus and Alumni
Achievement Award recipient Billy Dec as he discusses his rise to
success and a subsequent desire to return to his roots. He will take you
into his journey to the Philippines on a quest to find his last living elders, learn the recipes of his ancestors, and gain a deeper understanding of his cultural and culinary identity. A trailer of Billy’s
new PBS documentary will also be shown and time will be allowed to ask questions at the end.
Billy Dec (BA, ’95, economics) is a 2019 recipient of the LAS Alumni Achievement Award. Dec is a two-time Emmy Award winning TV personality, actor, attorney, restaurateur, and the CEO/Founder of Rockit Ranch Productions, a hospitality and entertainment company that owns and operates celebrated restaurants such as Sunda New Asian and The Underground, as well as offers elevated marketing and HR services to clients. Dec can regularly be seen on NBC’s TODAY Show and acting in films and TV shows, including “Criminal Minds” and “Empire.” He is producing a new documentary for PBS with his company Elston Films and hosts his own podcast, “The Meal of Your Life!” Dec was a presidential appointee for five years, serving on the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the White House Bullying Prevention Task Force. He also serves on many local committees, boards, and commissions to address social issues.
