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Mentorship in Medicine
December 23, 2025
Meet Dr. Estell Williams, ’13, an emergency surgeon, community builder, dedicated mentor and the UW’s 2026 honoree for Black History Month. By Malavika Jagannathan The California native eventually found her way up to Seattle for medical school at the University of Washington — and hasn’t left. Today, Wiliams is an emergency surgeon and associate professor at the UW School of…
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Charting the Path
December 23, 2025
An interview with Lydia Berhanu, OMA&D’s 2026 honoree for Martin Luther King Jr. Day This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Tell us about your journey to the UW. My parents are migrants from Ethiopia — I was the first person in my family to be born outside of Africa. [When I applied to college] it was a scary idea to leave the only…
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Paying it forward: Q&A with Ernest Balezi
January 14, 2025
Manasi Mishra Balezi moved to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of Congo at the age of 11 with his family. Inspired by his mentor to pursue dentistry as a career, he wants to pay it forward by mentoring others from a place of love and care, guided by values from the Congolese culture and faith. Balezi’s compassionate leadership and…
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Embracing Hard Conversations: Q&A with Ralina Joseph
January 14, 2025
Manasi Mishra We spoke with Professor Joseph about her career at the UW as one of the first few faculty members of color, her dedication to anti-racist education, and her community-engaged work. Tell us about your journey at the UW. For me, the UW is a place that says yes to lots of things. If infrastructure was not in place,…
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Spotlighting Black Art
January 23, 2024
We had a chance to speak with Kemi about her experience with Black art, writing about Black art, and what she looks forward to next with The Black Embodiments Studio. Q. Tell us about The Black Embodiments Studio? How did you think of it? I got my first three years of funding from the Simpson Center, which allowed me to…
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Bringing People Together
January 12, 2024
Q: We would love to hear about your initiatives and experience on campus. When I first arrived at the UW campus, I quickly became immersed in my community. I became involved with the Black Student Union when I saw how much work they were doing and came across their list of demands to the institution. I joined BSU and became…
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Pairing Equity and Excellence
January 15, 2023
Dr. Joy Williamson-Lott Dean, UW Graduate School The University of Washington and the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity is pleased to recognize Dr. Joy Williamson-Lott, dean of the UW Graduate School, for Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Day. Williamson-Lott’s contributions throughout her career and to the UW epitomize the leadership of Rev. Dr. King Jr. and pave the…
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Meaningful Connections
January 15, 2023
Calen Garrett Director, UW Black Student Commission The University of Washington and the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity is pleased to recognize Calen Garrett, director of the UW Black Student Commission, for Black History Month. Garrett’s involvement as a student leader at the UW has helped shape the college experience for countless Black students both during his tenure and…
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Showing Up For Community
December 3, 2021
Navon Morgan, ’23 Director, Black Student Commission If there’s a campus event put on by a Black student organization, you’ll find Navon Morgan, ’23, mingling with the crowd. As director of the UW’s Black Student Commission, Morgan helps the organizations get the funding they need to attract new members and create meaningful events in February and throughout the year. In…
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Opening Doors
December 2, 2021
Teri Ward, B.A. ’90, M.Ed ’99 Director, Health Sciences Center Minority Students Program Chair, Black Opportunity Fund Seattle In her 29 years at the University of Washington, Teri Ward has advised and mentored thousands of students. As director of the Health Sciences Center Minority Students Program, she teaches study skills to incoming freshmen, connects students with hands-on research opportunities, and…