Biography

Mark A. Emmert became the 30th president of the University of Washington, his alma mater, in June 2004. As the leader of the nation’s top public university in terms of research funding, he is committed to building on the UW standard of excellence to produce a transformative learning experience for students and improve the lives of the citizens of the state of Washington and beyond.

Since taking office, Emmert has led an array of efforts ranging from revitalizing undergraduate education to improving workplace culture. He has championed accessibility and diversity, and has strengthened the University’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. He has developed and overseen a comprehensive strategic plan to put the UW on a more competitive financial footing with its peers.

Under Emmert’s leadership, the University has achieved a number of notable milestones, including the creation and launch of the Husky Promise, a guarantee to Washington’s deserving low-income students that they will not have to pay for tuition and fees at the UW. Also during Emmert’s tenure, the University has moved boldly to help position the state of Washington as an epicenter for global health, establishing a new interdisciplinary Department of Global Health and creating the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The University recorded the largest private gift in its history—a $105 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—to found the Institute. Further, the University’s private fundraising effort, Campaign UW: Creating Futures, raised its goal by $500 million in January 2007 after reaching its original $2 billion goal 17 months ahead of schedule.

Emmert is a seasoned academic leader. Prior to assuming the presidency at the University of Washington, he was chancellor at Louisiana State University. He also served as chancellor of the University of Connecticut and held administrative and academic positions at the University of Colorado and Montana State University. He was a J. W. Fulbright Administrative Fellow in Germany and an American Council on Education Fellow.

Active in numerous professional and service organizations, Emmert serves as co-chair of the Prosperity Partnership and is a member of the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board and a charter member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. He also is involved in the Association of American Universities, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, and the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. In addition, he served on the NCAA Presidential Task on the Future of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics and its fiscal responsibility subcommittee and was a member of the Puget Sound Partnership and the Governor’s Global Competitiveness Council.

A native of Fife, Emmert attended Green River Community College before he transferred to the University of Washington. He graduated from the UW in 1975 with a degree in political science. He received his master’s degree in 1976 and his doctorate in 1983, both in public administration from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.

Emmert and his wife, DeLaine, have been married for over thirty years. They have two children, Steve and Jennifer.

Go to President Emmert's Curriculum Vitae >>