Rollie Wesen, EdD, CEC

Founder, Executive Director, Jacques Pépin Foundation

Dr. Rollie Wesen is the Founder and Executive Director of the Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF), an adjunct professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, and an adjunct professor at Boston University. 

The JPF believes in the transformational power of learning to cook, and creates accessible opportunities for culinary education to promote opportunity, dignity, and connection across communities through Jacques Pépin’s joyful approach to cooking.

Dr. Wesen earned his BA from Carnegie Mellon in Literature and Creative Writing in 1990.  For 20 years, he worked in many different types of professional kitchens, from small independent eateries, to large hotel operations, to restaurants with Michelin stars, in locations all over the US and the world, including New York City, London, New Zealand, Roanne, France, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Portland, OR, and Denver. 

In 2011, Dr. Wesen joined the faculty at Johnson & Wales, teaching cooking competency, and academic food studies programming. He was instrumental in helping to create JWU’s unique BS in Sustainable Food Systems. He earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership at JWU in 2019.

In 2016, Rollie and his wife Claudine Pépin founded the Jacques Pépin Foundation, to honor and nurture the legacy of chef Jacques Pépin, and to create and promote opportunities for culinary education, particularly through Community Teaching Kitchens across the US. 

Rollie recently resigned from his professorship at JWU to focus full-time on the work of the Foundation. Rollie and Claudine live in Madison, CT.

Photo credit: Eric Vitale