John Hagelin, is a renowned quantum physicist, educator, author, and leading proponent of peace. Dr. Hagelin conducted pioneering research at CERN (the European Center for Particle Physics) and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. He is for the development of a highly successful grand unified field theory based on the superstring—a theory that was featured in a cover story of Discover magazine. His more than 100 articles on electroweak unification, grand unification, supersymmetry and cosmology include some of the most cited references in the physical sciences.
In addition to this work, Dr. Hagelin has spent much of the past quarter century leading a scientific investigation into the foundations of human consciousness. He is one of the world’s pre-eminent researchers on the effects of meditation on brain development, and the use of collective meditation to defuse acute societal stress, reduce associated crime and violence, and promote societal peace. He serves as President of the Global Union of Scientists for Peace, an organization of Nobel Laureates and leading scientists dedicated to nuclear disarmament and evidence-based solutions to crime, terrorism, and social conflict.
As the President of Maharishi University of Management, he has pioneered the educational application of Transcendental Meditation to unfold students’ full mental and emotional potential, fulfilling the concept of higher education for higher consciousness—Education for Enlightenment. As the CEO of Maharishi Foundation USA, he oversees the teaching of the Transcendental Meditation program throughout the United States, which has grown 30-fold in the last ten years under his supervision.
Dr. Hagelin was the recipient of the 2017 Doshi Family Bridge Builder Award and the prestigious Kilby Award, which recognizes scientists who have made “major contributions to society through their applied research in the fields of science and technology.” The award recognized Dr. Hagelin as “a scientist in the tradition of Einstein, Jeans, Bohr, and Eddington.”
Dr. Hagelin received his A.B. summa cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1975 and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1981. He currently serves as President, professor of physics, and director of the Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Maharishi University of Management in Iowa; CEO of Maharishi Foundation USA; and President of the Global Union of Scientists for Peace.
Peter G. Dodge is the Founder, Board Chairman, and President of The Peter G. Dodge Foundation (PGDF), a philanthropic organization dedicated to helping people lead lives free from the effects of alcohol addiction. He is a successful entrepreneur who founded Hanover Research, one of the largest market research firms in the world, and GP Ventures (GPV), which provides funding to seed-stage enterprises.
Established in 2014, The Peter G. Dodge Foundation is a national, publicly supported grantmaking foundation that raises and distributes funds to advance the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Much like a community foundation, PGDF provides an avenue for increased donor impact; we are simply focused on an issue rather than a geographic area. Using a thorough and effective vetting process for proposals, we partner with innovative, world-class non-profit organizations to effect systematic changes to the way AUD is treated. The PGDF grant program works to increase options, elevate awareness, and facilitate access to recovery from alcohol addiction.
PGDF has been proud to partner with the David Lynch Foundation over the last several years to explore the beneficial effects of TM in supporting recovery from alcohol addiction. In 2015, PGDF partnered with DLF to initiate and fund a scientific study of TM in a clinical setting where clients were being treated for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Results from this pilot study were very promising; of the clients who adhered to the proper TM regimen, none had resumed drinking at the follow-up checkpoint. Subsequently, PGDF created a staff position at DLF in order to expand their work with at-risk populations to include those in recovery from substance use disorders. Currently, PGDF and DLF are working together on a second phase trial to affirm the results of the 2015 study.
Composer and vocalist, Chandrika Tandon has been trained by masters in Hindustani, Carnatic, and Western Traditions. Her album, Soul Call, topped world music charts, garnering great acclaim and earning a Grammy nomination. All four of her albums were released under her not-for-profit label, Soul Chants Music.
Her “limpid, serene voice” — as The New York Times describes it — has filled major venues around the world, including Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian, Olympiastadion (Berlin), Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, and the 2016 World Culture Festival in New Delhi — supporting efforts towards peace and harmony.
Chandrika is a recognized leader in the worlds of business, education, and the arts, and is dedicated to public service. In addition to being founder and head of her financial advisory firm, she is a member of the Board of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Berklee School of Music’s President’s Council. Additionally, the Berklee Tandon Global Clinics connect world-class music faculty from the US to other countries. At New York University, she is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chair of the President’s Global Council, Chair of the Board of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and she also serves on the Boards of the NYU Stern School of Business and the NYU Langone Health System.
Chandrika has received several awards for integrity and leadership — the Gallatin Medal, New York University’s highest honor for outstanding contributions to society; the Walter Nichols Medal for leadership and integrity; and the Polytechnic Medal, recognizing her involvement in science and engineering. In recognition of her efforts on behalf of higher education, she was inducted as a Sterling Fellow at Yale and into the Harold Acton Society of New York University. She was named an Inaugural Distinguished Alumnus of both the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Madras Christian College — her two alma maters. Chandrika is Chair of the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation.