Bellevue-based Executive Development Institute honors UW’s Mark Emmert

Published 4:21 pm Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Bellevue-based Executive Development Institute (EDI), recognized UW president Mark Emmert for supporting social justice in embracing the opportunity to award interned Nikkei or Japanese-American graduates with honorary degrees in the commemorative Long Journey Home event.

The institute partnered with the university and Union Bank of California to host a farewell reception for Emmert on Tuesday at UW’s Kane Hall.

In 2008, Emmert presented honorary degrees to all Nikkei students or surviving family members who had their education disrupted by the incarceration of thousands of Japanese-Americans during World War II. UW is the first university to advocate honorary degrees to the Japanese-American graduates of 1941-42.

About 100 guests attended the reception including Japanese Consul General Kiyokazu Ota, Tomio Moriguchi, Chairman of Uwajimaya, and other prominent members of the Asian American community. Diane Adachi, UW Assistant Vice President and Special Assistant to the Provost served as emcee.

EDI is a Pacific Northwest non-profit agency offering ethnically-tailored leadership programs focused on leveraging cultural and diverse attributes of participants to develop their full potential as community and corporate leaders.