Skip to content

Message from the Vice President and Vice Provost – Spring 2013 eNews

Spring quarter is a busy time of year for all of us affiliated with the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA&D). We hope that you will take a moment read to about the latest stories and events associated with the department in this edition of eNews.

Design plans were recently approved for the Intellectual House, a longhouse-style facility to be built on the UW campus that will serve as a resource for Native American students, faculty and staff, as well as the University and surrounding community. Two of our students, Chinonso Opara and Sarra Tekola, are among an elite group to receive the UNCF/Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Award. OMA&D assistant director for advancement, Priya Frank, ’04, ’11, is busy fostering her passion for building community through the arts by hosting a series of photography exhibits. Students, alumni and supporters are working to create a Community Peace Garden on campus. These are just a sample of the outstanding stories happening here in OMA&D.

eNews-Spring-2013The next few weeks are also filled with several exciting events, starting with the ninth annual Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture on April 18. This year’s event features Amanda Lock Swarr, associate professor in the UW Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies. Dr. Swarr’s lecture is titled, “Racing the Boundaries of Gender and Sexuality: Rethinking Apartheid and Transitional South Africa.” The event is free, we just ask that you R.S.V.P. to cpromad@uw.edu by April 15.

On April 19, the University will welcome tribal leaders from across the region to engage in our annual Tribal Leadership Summit. That same day, the 42nd annual First Nations Spring Powwow will begin at Alaska Airlines Arena and run through Sunday. If you haven’t attended a powwow, I encourage you to stop by campus that weekend to experience this great celebration of Native culture.

Also upcoming is the 43rd annual Celebration, Fête and Honors hosted by OMA&D and the Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) on May 16 at the Husky Union Building. This event recognizes the achievements of Odegaard Award recipient Rogelio Riojas, ’73, ’75, ’77, and our EOP student scholars. Thanks to our presenting sponsor Wells Fargo, the funds raised at this event directly benefit student scholarships. We hope that many of you will join us for this special evening.

We were extremely sad to learn of the passing of two great champions of diversity in recent weeks. Roy Flores, the first director of the original Ethnic Cultural Center, and Lois Price Spratlen, ’76, a School of Nursing professor emerita and former UW ombudsman, made a tremendous impact both here on campus and in the community. Our thoughts go out to their families at this time.

As you browse through many of these eNews links, you will notice the OMA&D web site has been updated to adopt the new and improved UW design. Please take some time to look through the new site and while doing so, be sure to fill out the OMA&D Alumni Connect Form to share what is happening in your world.

As always, we continue to be grateful for the generosity of you, our alumni and friends, who make it possible for OMA&D to provide educational opportunity and access for students.

Sincerely,

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