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Presidential Blog

The UW’s commitment to our trans and gender nonconforming community members will not change

At the University of Washington, we are committed to making our campuses and communities a welcoming environment for ALL of our community members, including our transgender and gender nonconforming students and employees. And we are united in recognizing trans rights as human rights.

2018 Annual President’s Address — The University FOR Washington: Telling our story

Today I had the pleasure of addressing our University community from the wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ, or Intellectual House, about the incredible value that the University of Washington delivers to the people of our state. As the University FOR Washington, the time is now for public reinvestment in this resource that serves all of Washington, before we begin to erode this great institution.

Mourning the loss of Paul G. Allen, a true innovator and friend of the UW

Today we mourn the loss of Paul G. Allen, a man of extraordinary vision, leadership and generosity whose impact on our world is profound. Paul was a true innovator — co-founding Microsoft and launching the revolution that put a computer on every desktop — and what many would call a Renaissance man.

Celebrating a milestone – and the people who made it possible

Today, the University of Washington’s philanthropic campaign – Be Boundless – For Washington, For the World – passed a historic milestone. We met the campaign’s goal two years ahead of schedule thanks to the extraordinary generosity of more than 380,000 donors — including many in our own UW community — and through the collaboration of so many of our faculty, staff, alumni and students.

Professor of psychology Kristina Olson wins MacArthur “Genius Grant”

Congratulations to Kristina Olson, an associate professor of psychology and the director of the UW’s Social Cognitive Development Lab, who is the latest UW recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship – aka a “genius grant.” Kristina’s groundbreaking, long-term studies of transgender and gender-nonconforming children are a fabulous example of how methodologically rigorous research matters by helping to inform policy and support mental health.

To our community, new and returning, welcome!

There has been an undeniable uptick in our tempo over the past few weeks as we welcome new students, faculty and staff — and their families — to our community. To all of you, whether this is your first year at the UW or your 40th, welcome. You infuse the UW with a vast potential that is truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together this year.