Emmons completed his undergraduate psychology degree in 1980 at the University of Southern Maine, Portland.
He was an assistant professor at Michigan State University from 1986 to 1988 and came to Davis at the same rank in 1988.
[3] He was involved in a $905,000 research grant from the Templeton Foundation during 2006–2009 evaluating the effect of Young Life (a Christian youth ministry) on teens' spiritual fruits such as kindness, generosity, and selflessness, and has received other grants from them.
Emmons is known for working on multiple research projects focused on gratitude.
He has found that practicing acts of gratitude such as journaling things for which one is grateful for can promote well-being.