December 2, 2009

Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor, professor emeritus of social work education at California State University, Fresno and community advocate of peace and justice, has been awarded the Humanitarian Award by Soka Gakkai International of the USA.

The Buddhist organization promotes peace, culture and education.

Kapoor received the award for his efforts over 40 years in promoting a harmonious bridge among all faiths in the central San Joaquin Valley and among the region’s many racial and ethnic groups.

Kapoor’s Fresno State legacy includes the Peace Garden, which he helped found and in which he still is involved. Statues in the recently re-landscaped garden pay tribute to Mahatma Ghandi, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Jane Addams and César Chávez. The memory of Dr. Richard Ford, a former dean of the College of Social Work, is honored with a grove of trees.

Kapoor retired in May 2008 from 39 years of teaching at the university.

For more information, contact Elaine Rucker at 559.824.9898 or visit www.sgi-usa.org.