Multicultural Alumni Partnership
Founded in 1994, the Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) is dedicated to promoting diversity at the UW and in the UW alumni community.
Under the guidance of founding members Larry Matsuda, ’67, ’73, ’81, and Vivian O. Lee, ’58, ’59, MAP has taken a leadership role in addressing issues of equality and equity through scholarships, mentoring, lectures and reaching out to the University community. MAP is open to everyone; the only qualification is a passion for diversity and social justice.
MAP administers a number of scholarships and awards, which are presented annually. Meet the 2021 MAP scholars.
MAP Distinguished Alumni Nomination
The Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) of the University of Washington Alumni Association has established an award to honor UW alumni and community members or organizations comprised of UW alumni. The award is based on distinguished service and achievement over a period of years.
Criteria:
- An alumnus/a, community member or organization with alumni who attended the University of Washington for a period of time.
- An alumnus/a or community member who has made an outstanding contribution to the community in one or more of the following ways:
- promoting diversity
- supporting educational opportunity programs at the UW
- assisting in recruiting, mentoring and supporting diverse students, faculty or staff at the UW; or
- promoting participation in the UWAA’s multicultural activities
The deadline for nominations is September 17th, 2021! Submit your nominations here.
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MAP Board Members and Advisors
Jaebadiah Gardner, J.D. ’05
Jaebadiah Gardner is a real estate developer focused on market rate, workforce and affordable housing. He is the founder & CEO of GardnerGlobal. Jaebadiah earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and later earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Western Michigan Law School. Prior to real estate development, Jaebadiah worked for Turner Construction building commercial high-rises in downtown Seattle. He is the current President of UWAA’s Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP), a past Short Talks speaker and a board of trustee at the Seattle Chamber of commerce. Jaebadiah is a public speaker and author. He recently published his first book, “Believe In Yourself: Business Essentials for the Millennial Entrepreneur.”
Sumona Das Gupta, ’05, J.D.’09
Sumona Das Gupta is a lawyer by trade but rooted in healthcare advocacy and leadership. Sumona earned a bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Washington. She currently serves as the inaugural Assistant Director of the Pharmacy Audit and Compliance program, at UW Medicine and oversees the federal program that provides financial resources to safety net hospitals to meet the healthcare needs of the most vulnerable individuals in our community. She provides legal advocacy with API Chaya to support survivors of gender-based violence with legal representation in court proceedings. She is a legal advocate at Washington Immigrant Defense Network (WIDEN) to represent low-income detained immigrants in removal and asylum proceedings. She currently serves as the Vice-President and Education Committee Chair for the UWAA’s Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP).
Kristin McCowan, Ph.D. ’21
Kristin is a critical youth development practitioner and scholar, Kristin’s research centers the experiences of young people as they contend with the ongoing consequences of oppression and social injustices that constrain agency and well-being. Kristin’s scholarship focuses on adolescent sociopolitical development. As a community-engaged researcher, Kristin engages collaboratively with schools, organizations and communities to develop innovative programming strategies that empower young people to be critical thinkers and change agents who are committed to addressing structural and material inequities within their communities.
Mariama Suwaneh, ’17
Mariama Suwaneh is a Seattle Afro-Latina committed to racial reconciliation. Her work centers on building strong multi-ethnic communities that practice, empathy, forgiveness, accountability, and shared ownership. She is the inaugural Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Hopelink, East King County’s largest Human Services nonprofit. She is also the Co-Founder of The Edenhood Collective, a platform for melanated women to embrace their Eden and flourish by Faith. In 2019, Mariama was also named one of the 100 Youth Changemakers with the Bill and Melinda Gates Discovery Center, in partnership with Storytellers for Change and Amplifier for her work as a community leader.
Support MAP
You can help support the Multicultural Alumni Partnership. Donate online to the MAP Endowed Scholarship Fund, which provides access and opportunity for economically disadvantaged UW students.
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For more information about diversity issues and programs at the University of Washington, please visit the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity website.
