Mark A. Emmert, President of the University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A., received the Torch-Bearer Award from the World Harmony Run at his office on the University of Washington campus in Seattle. President Emmert received a delegation from the World Harmony Run and held the flaming World Harmony Torch.

President Emmert joined a long list of luminaries who have held the torch and supported the World Harmony Run. Other world figures who have held the Torch include Mother Teresa, President Nelson Mandela, Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Mikhail Gorbachev, and many others. The Torch-Bearer award has previously been given to leaders and community servers, including legendary Olympian Carl Lewis and tennis star and social change advocate Billie Jean King. Mark Emmert is the first university president to receive the award.

The World Harmony Run, an annual event, was founded in 1987 by spiritual leader, UN supporter, and sports philosopher Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007), who visited the UW and was honored on several occasions. The World Harmony Run is a global torch relay spreading a message of goodwill among people of all nations. This year the Run will travel through over 80 countries on six continents, passing the torch from hand to hand among thousands of runners, walkers and people who hold the torch for a moment or for many miles along the way.

After receiving the Torch-Bearer award from Professor Girilal Scott Hansen (Dept. of Medicine) and alumnus Blazej Neradilek, Pres. Emmert offered some words of thanks. "It is a great honor for me to be recognized by the World Harmony Run organization, and I appreciate it immensely. I congratulate all of you for taking on this wonderful project. There are few causes in the world more important than trying to find new and exciting ways for people to understand their interconnectedness, and you have obviously struck on a very good one." President Emmert, who previously sent greetings to Sri Chinmoy on his birthday and offered condolences on the spiritual leader's passing, added "I would love to have met him."

Prof. Nayak Polissar (Affiliate Associate Professor, Biostatistics), who nominated Pres. Emmert for the Torch-Bearer Award, said "President Emmert has made so many tangible contributions to our campus and the world, but he is first and foremost a wonderful person with a positive and compassionate view. Everything else follows from that."

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