Dr. Christiane Engel

Engel is the granddaughter of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and has been intimately involved in promoting her grandfather's work around the world. Engel, who grew up in Switzerland, attended the University of Zurich and earned an MD and a PhD in medicine.

Engel shares her grandfather's love for music and has played the piano around the world, including the United States, for charitable causes. She was the soloist on recordings of all of Mozart's piano concertos, recorded in conjunction with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

Engel is also on the board of The Albert Schweitzer Hospital, which her grandfather founded, in Lambaréné, Gabon.

"She has been dedicated to working on the memory of her grandfather since she was a young girl," said David Ives, executive director of the institute. "We are greatly honored to have her as chair." Engel, who has served on the honorary board since 2002, spent time with her grandfather as a youth in Europe and Africa.

"President John Lahey and I felt she was the appropriate person to become the chair," Ives said. "The fact the granddaughter of Dr. Schweitzer--who provided the motivation for all that we do--agreed to be chair says we are doing a good job promoting his values and ideas."

Engel succeeds her mother, Rhena Schweitzer Miller, who chaired the honorary board from 2002 until her death in February. Miller, the Nobel laureate's only child, was 90.

The honorary board includes multiple Nobel Peace Prize laureates, four former and one current president and some of the most respected leaders and thinkers of our age who are working for peace.

Learn more about the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Quinnipiac