From the Vice President and Vice Provost

Sheila Edwards Lange

Greetings,

Welcome to the spring edition of E-news! As we turn the corner into 2010, I am excited to inform you, our alumni and friends, about upcoming activities and share the success of past events. Based on the feedback we have received, the theme of this edition is “The Power of Giving Back” with a special emphasis on the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

We are thrilled to feature UW alumni Jeet Bindra, ’70, Dr. Anita Connell, ’68, ’75, ’80, and Derrick Mar, '85, who are engaged in the community while paving the way for current OMA&D students to have greater access and opportunity. Outstanding alumni contribute in many ways, including those who are participating in the Diversifying our Professional Workforce Speaker Series.

At the same time, we are always looking for ways to reconnect with you. After the great success of The Weekend last October we hope that you mark your calendars for Homecoming 2010, set for Oct. 15-17. More than 400 alumni of color and friends of diversity took part in the inaugural three-day event last fall.

The 40th anniversary of Celebration, a banquet and scholarship fundraiser honoring the excellence of Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students and champions of diversity will be held May 19 at the Husky Union Building Ballroom. This year we will recognize alumni Nelson Del Rio, ’84, as the 2010 recipient of the Charles E. Odegaard Award. Nelson has an exceptional record of giving back to UW and communities both local and abroad. Be sure to take a look at the information about Nelson Del Rio and Celebration 2010. We hope to see you there on this very special night for OMA&D and for Nelson.

Our Faculty and Staff Spotlight features Dr. Warren Buck, a UW physics professor who recently joined a portion of an epic sailing expedition that is circumnavigating North and South America. A former chancellor of UW Bothell, Dr. Buck has been a committed and passionate supporter of diversity in STEM. He serves on the Faculty Advisory Committee for LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) which hosted its first annual conference Feb. 26-27.

We were delighted to be the host institution for that event, which was attended by students, professionals and government advocates from all over the Northwest committed to diversity in the STEM fields. Math and science activities were also the theme of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 15. OMA&D collaborated with the UW College of Engineering to host a day of hands-on activities at the Pacific Science Center for Seattle area public school children.  

Each E-News provides updates on current facility projects related to OMA&D. Thanks to the input of interested tribal, student and community members, the House of Knowledge longhouse is taking shape in the form of architects’ building renderings. The Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) will also temporarily move its office space to Condon Hall this summer as construction gets under way to build a new center.

As you can see, there is a lot going on in and around OMA&D, including many opportunities for you to give back and get involved. In fact, we now are including a new "Wish List" for friends or alumni looking for an opportunity to lend your time and talents to students.

The generosity of our alumni and friends make it possible for OMA&D to provide opportunity and access to students. Our newly established Vice President’s Club is a wonderful way to show our appreciation to those of you who give each year. Learn more about the benefits of membership or become involved.

Please remember to stay in touch and submit your comments and suggestions to us at cpromad@uw.edu. To remain informed on the latest news and updates between issues, visit the University of Washington (UW) Diversity and OMA&D Web sites for current information. Thank you for your continued support.

Sheila Edwards Lange
Vice President for Minority Affairs
Vice Provost for Diversity