Anouk-Belle Janess, Lorenzo McCleese and Jaycee Williford are among 65 students named 2026 Udall Undergraduate Scholars across the country. This year’s Udall Scholars major in marine biology, American Indian studies, aquatic conservation and ecology, and environmental science and informatics. They research how climate change is affecting coastal communities and habitats, and how to better work with Indigenous communities affected by the changing climate.
Category: Features
Typically longer in length and relevancy than content in the news category. Features content is more likely to be republished over time.
Student research in science, arts, humanities and more on display at 29th annual Research Symposium
The 29th Undergraduate Research Symposium is an opportunity for students and the broader community to celebrate their work and get experience presenting research to their peers, faculty, friends and the community.
UW neuroscience student recognized as 2026 Truman Scholar
Adelina Grace Sudarman, a junior majoring in neuroscience with minors in Indonesian and global health, is one of 55 Truman Scholars selected across the nation. Each year, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation recognizes students who excel in leadership, civic engagement and academics. Sudarman is the University of Washington’s 21st Truman Scholar since the program began in 1975.
Four UW juniors honored for work in science and mathematics with Goldwater Scholarship
Four UW students received Goldwater Scholarships this year, highlighting their work in environmental science, bioengineering and neuroscience. The award is another recognition of the University’s commitment to undergraduate excellence and research.
“The Power of the River” is not Ed Taylor’s first book, but it is a first for him
Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, professor in the College of Education, academic author, scholar, board member of several international and community-based organizations and former college basketball player, will soon add memoirist to his long list of accomplishments. His memoir, “The Power of the River,” will be released by Seattle-based Hinton Publishing on April 21.
Taylor has been part of the University of Washington community since his days as a graduate student more than 30 years ago. In “The Power of the River,” readers learn about his journey from a childhood marked by loss in Lompoc, California, to his rise as an educator, scholar and leader. Along the way, he invites readers into a story grounded in community, shaped by pivotal relationships and sustained by a search for meaning in the face of adversity.
In “The Power of the River,” Taylor writes in a way that is self-reflective and personal yet expansive and universal at the same time. It is a story about what it means to belong, to be guided and to grow. Through moments of doubt and determination, from navigating the pressures placed on young Black men in collegiate athletics at Gonzaga University to finding purpose in higher education, Taylor offers readers a deeply human story about becoming. His examination of mentorship, community, education and growth offer points of connection that can open pathways forward.
At a time when higher education is under fire, Taylor’s story demonstrates the purpose and potential universities can have in individuals’ lives and in the lives of our communities.
Several public events are scheduled to celebrate Taylor’s book.
Public events
Book Launch Celebration at the Northwest African American Museum
April 29, 2026 // 7:00 p.m.
In conversation with Reggie Brown.
RSVP to this event.
Third Place Books Ravenna
May 7, 2026 // 7:00 p.m.
Q&A with Taylor to follow his book talk.
Elliott Bay Book Company
May 22, 2026 // 7:00 p.m.
In conversation with Enrique Cerna.
Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum
June 2, 2026 // 6:00 p.m.
In conversation with Colleen Echohawk.
CELE Center a leading partner in national recognition for community engagement
The UW recently earned again the Carnegie Foundation’s designation of being a community-engaged campus. As a longtime leader in community engagement work, Undergraduate Academic Affairs is proud to be an integral part of this recognition. The Community Engagement & Leadership Education (CELE) Center, housed within UAA, is a primary coordinator at the UW for community-engaged learning, partnership development and student civic leadership. The Center’s broad work enabling student involvement in community engagement across campus was pivotal in achieving the Carnegie re-classification.
Celebrating the 2024–25 Undergraduate Medalists
From the thousands of undergraduate students at the University of Washington, three are selected each year for the prestigious President’s Medalist Award. Kaytlin Rose Vanderhorst, Carilyn Brandt and Luna Crone-Barón are the medalists for 2024–25, selected by a committee for their high GPAs, rigor of classes and number of Honors courses.
UW undergrad Parker Ritzmann earns international Schwarzman Scholars fellowship
University of Washington senior Parker Ritzmann, has been selected as a Schwarzman Scholar, one of the world’s most competitive graduate and fellowship programs. Schwarzman Scholars will pursue a one-year, fully-funded master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Strong partnership bridges the distance
Since its founding, the University of Washington’s Robinson Center for Young Scholars has served academically advanced students across the region. Yet for many Auburn School District families, those opportunities remained out of reach. The barrier was never a lack of talent or curiosity. It was access.
Serving through Honors: Grounded in tenacity, focused on service
For Bella Boulter, serving through Honors meant looking beyond the code to the people behind the UW’s systems. Through her Honors experiential learning internship with the Office of the University Registrar, she examined how technology shapes the student journey — and helped lay the groundwork for a new innovation lab where students can build tools, test ideas and create a more accessible Husky Experience.