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.
Tag: University of Washington
Welcome to the 2020-21 academic year
Our inter-connected and inter-dependent community is filled with people who care, and I want to remind everyone to find moments of joy and gratitude in each day.
Remembering Bill Gates, Sr.
UAA’s Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor reflects on the larger meaning of his first meeting with Bill Gates, Sr. in this remembrance and appreciation.
The 23rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium moves online
On Friday, May 15, 2020, more than 850 undergraduates will participate in the 23rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, which will be held online. When held in person, the UW’s Undergraduate Research Symposium is one of the largest in the country. This year’s online event is likely to follow suit. Student presenters represent all three University of Washington campuses as well as some community colleges, regional colleges and universities.
Registration is required to attend this year’s virtual Symposium. To register, visit symposium.uw.edu. Attending the event is always free.
Show students your support by updating your social media profile picture with a Symposium avatar, available for researchers, mentors, parents and champions of undergrad research.
Planning for the traditional event, which completely takes over Mary Gates Hall and expands into Odegaard Undergraduate Library, was well underway by the Undergraduate Research Program. Then the novel coronavirus pandemic hit, putting a halt to in-person events. More than 1,200 students had already applied to present their research, and staff were reading their applications and abstracts.
Rather than simply cancel the event outright, Undergraduate Research Program staff surveyed students to learn if they would want to present their research in a virtual format. The demands and new realities of students’ research projects varied — some projects, for example, are on hold and cannot be moved forward remotely and others are able to continue remotely — yet students’ interest in presenting was overwhelmingly positive.
“I believe it is more important now than ever to have a feeling of pride in our community,” says Hank Cheng, UW senior majoring in biology. “I can’t think of something better than bringing together hundreds of scholars to share their accomplishments.”
Organizers committed themselves to maintaining a professional Symposium experience for student presenters and to creating learning opportunities along the way, just as they have done for past symposia. Students were given feedback on their abstracts, offered workshop opportunities to learn how to put together a presentation or poster, and encouraged to participate in practice sessions to test-drive their presentation.
“I’m just so impressed and excited by the way these students rose to this challenge,” says Jennifer Harris, director of the Undergraduate Research Program. “Our undergraduate researchers, working under the guidance of world-class mentors, demonstrate resilience, creativity and truly engaged learning.”
Harris also noted that one of the benefits of being online this year is that students’ friends and family from around the region, country and world will be able to tune in to their presentation.
As in years past, the Undergraduate Research Symposium showcases the diversity of undergraduate research, which spans politics to pediatrics, astrobiology to oceanography, history to computer science, engineering to education and more, showing that undergraduate creativity and scholarship truly is boundless.
Overview of the format and registration
The Symposium begins at 9 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time, and will run to about 4:30 p.m. UW President Cauce, Provost Mark Richards and UAA Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor have each recorded videos to welcome students and guests; congratulate undergraduates on their accomplishments; share who the recipients of the Research Mentor Awards are; and recognize the invaluable role mentors play in encouraging undergraduates to transform their education through research.
Students will present their research in one of these formats, all followed by a question and answer period:
- 3-minute poster presentation or lightning talk,
- 10-minute oral presentation,
- 5-minute visual arts and design presentation, or
- 15-minute performance presentation.
Registered guests will be able to access students’ abstracts and presentation times, watch presentations by students they specifically want to see, and explore and attend multiple sessions.
All presentations will be pre-recorded and played in real time, according to the event schedule; they will not be available for later viewing. Registration is required to attend this free event.
To view the sessions, register for the Symposium and make sure to set up a Zoom account if you do not already have one. Information about how to access the sessions and a detailed Symposium conference schedule will be emailed to registered attendees the week of Symposium.
Support undergraduate researchers
There are many ways to support undergraduates presenting their research.
Through undergraduate research, students contribute to groundbreaking work and gain the experience necessary to one day lead innovative research themselves. UW undergraduates are getting involved in research in increasing numbers — more than 9,000 students participated in research in 2017–18. More than 700 faculty, post-doc, research staff and graduate student mentors supported this year’s Symposium presenters through their research, helping students develop subject area knowledge, transferable skills and an entrepreneurial perspective that will prepare them for future employment, education and civic engagement.
Join the undergraduate research ecosystem by supporting the Symposium in these ways:
Attend the Symposium and ask questions. Register here and tell your friends.
Show your support on social. Invite your friends and family ahead of time, and then post and tweet about your experiences using #UWsymp. Incorporate a new avatar and images from the Symposium social media toolkit.
Make a gift. Because of the generosity of donors, our students can continue their research and stay on track in the face of unprecedented challenges.
Francesca Lo named executive director of leadership education in Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Undergraduate Academic Affairs is pleased to announce organizational shifts designed to more proactively align the unit’s community engagement and student leadership development work.
Two UW undergrads receive the Udall Award
Juniors Ashley Lewis and Alishia Orloff will join 50 students from around the country as Udall Scholars. A competitive award, the review committee selected this year’s scholars from 437 nominees based on the student’s commitment to careers in the environment, Native health care or tribal policy, as well as their leadership potential, public service and academic achievement.
The scholarship provides each student with up to $7,000 for use on tuition, room, board or supplies. The Udall Foundation also hosts a five-day orientation in Tucson, Arizona. There, scholars will meet each other and program alumni, complete a case study and interact with community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care and governance.
For both Lewis and Orloff, this scholarship aligns closely with their career goals.
Ashley Lewis
Hometown: Elma, WA
Graduation: 2019 (projected)
Major: Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; Communications
“Being named a Udall scholar for the second time provides more opportunity to strengthen tribal nations and to protect resources of the Pacific Northwest, I couldn’t be more proud to be among a group of people that are committed to changing our world.”
Business owner and outdoor enthusiast Ashley Lewis is eager to protect the outdoors she loves so much. As a female Native American fishing guide, she is eager to show the world that leaders come in all forms. Through her fishing business, she has become a leading voice in the community: as a brand ambassador for Shimano, and as a contributor to ESPN’s show “The Outdoor Line.” Connections to her community are strong. As an active member of the Quinault Indian Nation, Lewis is dedicated to working with her tribe to advocate for our natural resources. She also volunteers with The Fallen Outdoors, where she supports American Army Veterans’ rehabilitation through connecting with nature.
The combination of her passion for the outdoors, with her drive to protect our Northwest environments, prompted her to return to college. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree, with the long-term goal of earning a master’s in aquatic and fishery sciences. Professionally, she plans to work in public policy, where she can help strengthen Pacific Northwest fisheries, and show that investing in outdoor spaces benefits the larger community.
Alishia Orloff
Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Graduation: 2019 (projected)
Major: Environmental Science and Resource Management
An active researcher, Alishia Orloff has a strong interest in terrestrial and riparian environments. Fascinated by the interdisciplinary processes that drive our environments, Orloff is dedicated to continuously learning more about these complex ecosystems. Throughout her research, Orloff has partnered with the University of Minnesota Duluth, Ojibwe Resource Management and the Tulalip Tribes. Orloff believes the management of natural resources affects each person’s daily life. She views helping people understand the source of these resources is crucial to protecting the environment. Recognizing the importance of community involvement, she currently volunteers as a Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED) executive, where she promotes sustainability on campus, and as a native plant nursery volunteer, where she cultivates native plants.
In the future, Orloff aspires to earn a doctoral degree and become a leading researcher at an organization that proactively engages the community to preserve our natural resources.
“The Udall award serves as a recognition of my stewardship in the environment with a specific focus in traditional ecological knowledge thus far. Through this award, I can more vigorously develop a stronger connection to protecting our natural resources and serving the communities that are impacted. I am greatly appreciative of this opportunity to collaborate with other great stewards from around the nation and work together to broaden our understanding and exposure of environmental and social issues.”
Learn more about scholarship opportunities at UW
The Udall Scholarship application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.
UW senior Timothy Welsh selected to be 1 of 15 Churchill Scholars nationally
A Pacific Northwest native, Timothy Welsh grew up fascinated by the natural world. Over the years, his career goals transitioned from geology to forestry, until he discovered chemistry.
“What made me finally decide on chemistry as the path for me is an appreciation for the remarkable microscopic and biochemical functions that are crucial to every aspect of interactions between the biotic and abiotic environment.”
A triple-major in chemistry, biochemistry, and applied and computational mathematical sciences, and Honors student, Welsh’s research endeavors seek to better understand some of the biochemical mechanisms underlying these processes. “Elucidating these mechanisms will not only deepen our understanding of nature, but I believe will help provide solutions to some of the biggest problems facing the human race,” he says. Welsh’s drive to discover led to his selection as a Churchill Scholar.
An extremely competitive award — Welsh is one of only 15 in the country — Churchill scholars are selected for their proven talent in research and ability to make significant contributions in the sciences, engineering or mathematics. Welsh was selected from 101 applicants for this scholarship, which covers full tuition for one year of master’s study at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge; a stipend; travel costs; and a chance to apply for a $2,000 special research grant.
“Receiving the Churchill is truly a great honor. I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to pursue research at Cambridge, and I believe that the academic environment at Cambridge will teach me what it means to be a global research collaborator and will set me up to be successful for the rest of my academic career.”
—Timothy Welsh
Welsh first worked in a lab as a high school student during a summer internship at the Oregon Health & Sciences University, and has been researching ever since, working in labs from the UW to Switzerland. In 2017, Welsh published a first-author paper, sharing the results of his summertime work in Dr. Walter Loveland’s nuclear chemistry lab at Oregon State University. Currently a member of Professor Stefan Stoll’s lab, Welsh’s research now focuses on developing techniques to determine the structure and changing shapes of proteins.
“The Churchill scholarship,” says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, “is a prestigious opportunity for Timothy to continue working toward understanding our world in critical ways. It reflects his ambition and capabilities and also reflects well on the mentorship he’s experienced as an undergraduate researcher. The UW’s research community and campus-at-large are proud of Timothy and encourage him as he continues to live out UW’s mission at Cambridge.”
As a Churchill scholar, Welsh will complete a master’s degree in chemistry at Cambridge. There, Welsh will join the lab of Professor Tuomas Knowles — a leader in the field of microfluidic techniques within biophysics — to study properties of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granule formation and propagation. Building on his past research experiences, Welsh plans to use microfluidic techniques to better understand how granules function within the cell, both when healthy and when mutated. The long-term goal of this research is to better understand how these mutations are related to neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS and Huntington’s.
After earning his master’s at Cambridge, he plans to return to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. with an emphasis in chemical biology. He hopes to one day educate the public about the importance of the microscopic biochemical world and act as a liaison between scientists and policy makers.
The Churchill Scholarship application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.
The UW campus application process for students interested in the Churchill Scholarship (and other scholarships supporting studies in the UK) is open for 2019-20 awards.
Undergraduate creates device to help diagnose cancer
Chris Burfeind is a senior studying mechanical engineering and researching microfluidic devices in Eric Seibel’s lab. With the help of the lab, Chris has created a credit card-sized device that can analyze biopsy tissues and help diagnose pancreatic cancer in minutes.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to visit UW in March
On March 10, 2014, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will visit Seattle to talk about My Beloved World, her memoir chronicling her journey from a housing project in the Bronx to her service as a federal judge in New York and ultimately as a Supreme Court Justice.
Welcome from the Dean Autumn 2013
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Fall quarter is always an invigorating time for me. We begin by welcoming our newest students to the academic life of the University of Washington at Freshman Convocation, an event that represents the moment when students fully transition into the UW.
These students join those who are settled and have found their groove here. And many of those returning students actively welcome their new fellow Huskies by being orientation leaders, Freshman Interest Group (FIG) leaders, peer mentors, tutors, and more.
Through programs in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, students—new and returning—find opportunities to connect with the academic communities here; explore the worlds of service and research; achieve excellence as they define it; and benefit from faculty innovations in the classroom.
The undergraduate experience is an indicator of the quality of the UW as a whole. Recently, the UW has received some distinctive rankings including:
- 16th in the world in a study by the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. The study ranked universities on quality of education, quality of faculty, research output and per capita performance.
- Washington Monthly ranked the UW 13th nationally and 9th in “Best Bang for the Buck.” Washington monthly ranks universities based upon social mobility, research production and commitment to service.
- 16th among public universities for our undergraduate program in America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.
What this means for undergraduates is that they can avail themselves of educational opportunities as unique as they are. Students from rural Washington can find research opportunities in rural China. Undergraduates from across the nation and world can learn together and alongside distinguished faculty in a freshman seminar. Returning students and new students alike embrace service and leadership and grow into the leaders our world needs.
Though the trees and squirrels on campus are getting ready for the winter, I’m getting ready for what I think of as the season of renewal and am excited for the year to come and the promise our students hold.
Sincerely,
Ed Taylor
Vice Provost and Dean