Awards of Excellence

Pamela F. Cipriano (she/her), ’81
School of Nursing
President, International Council of Nurses

“Advocate, mentor, leader, strategist, educator.” These are some of the ways her colleagues describe Pamela Cipriano, whose leadership in the field of nursing education is without equal. Throughout her career, in which she has served in countless leadership roles, she has worked tirelessly for the benefit of nurses everywhere. Her efforts have expanded the horizons of nursing, from the clinic to the halls of Congress, creating a place for nurses in health-care policy, benefiting not only nurses but millions of patients as well.

Michael Verchot (he/him), MBA ’95
Director, Consulting and Business Development Center
Michael G. Foster School of Business

As co-founder of the Consulting and Business Development Center, Michael is a trailblazer in partnering with underserved communities to create opportunity, access and equity through business education. Through his innovative approach and the work of the center, he has advanced student careers and transformed lives, enabling small BIPOC-owned businesses in Washington to thrive. He has cultivated partnerships with Indigenous tribes to create opportunities for Washington’s Native American and Alaska Native entrepreneurs, and he’s currently engaged in scaling the program to cultivate minority business development at the national level.

Karen E. Moe (she/her)
Assistant Vice Provost and Director, Human Subjects Division
Office of Research

Karen is known for her strong, unwavering vision, which was instrumental to her success in taking on the leadership of the Human Subjects Division research team. In a challenging period, short-staffed and facing high expectations, Karen rallied her team, fostered an environment based on trust, solved seemingly intractable problems and worked tirelessly to champion equity and inclusion in human-subjects research. Her extraordinary talent for conceptualizing and implementing tangible and ambitious progress is just one part of Karen’s outstanding legacy in the Office of Research.

Julie K. Stein (she/her)
Emeritus Executive Director, Burke Museum
Professor, Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences

Julie’s leadership of the Burke Museum leaves a lasting legacy, most prominently in her work to transform the museum’s role in the community. Under her direction, the Burke has become a focal point for community engagement and interaction. Diversity, equity, inclusion and decolonization have been the driving forces behind her leadership, as she worked tirelessly to ensure stakeholder representation and buy-in from tribal and Indigenous community members. She was a powerful advocate for the new Burke Museum building, and she did it all with her trademark joy, humor, accountability and passion.

David N. Stone (he/him), ’68
Michael G. Foster School of Business
Signal Corps Officer, U.S. Army (ret.)

As a decorated soldier who served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, David played an important role in modernizing the Army’s communication structures, work that continues to benefit millions in the event of national emergencies and natural disasters. In his post-military career, David continued to use his expertise for the public good as a government adviser — and as an alumnus, David, a Laureate-level supporter of the UW, has provided transformative support for the Information School and the Meany Center for the Performing Arts, including establishing the Nancy and Eddie Cooper Endowed Fund for Music in Schools.

Yvonne S. Lin (she/her)
Associate Professor, Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy

Highly regarded for her background in biotech, wide-ranging research interests, and connections throughout academia and the industry, Yvonne embodies the vision of lifelong learning. She teaches undergraduates, professional pharmacy students and graduate students, in addition to leading career development seminars for students and professionals at all levels. Through her work in developing the online master’s program in pharmaceutical engineering, she has demonstrated her commitment to expanding access to the University by offering advanced training to postdoctoral graduates. In the words of a colleague, Yvonne “is most clearly dedicated to training the next generation of clinical complementary and integrative health researchers.”

Azusa Tanaka (she/her)
Japanese Studies Librarian, University Libraries

Azusa’s work to expand the Tateuchi East Asia Library collection — and access to it — has been transformative. She once visited Tokyo’s National Diet Library to scan 80 magazines for a doctoral student. She acquired rare items for faculty from Japanese booksellers. And in response to research interests in Japanese pop culture, she secured a gift of 1,000 manga titles. She hosts student orientations and assists students with their research. Azusa helps faculty build research guides and finds digital materials for class use. One faculty member, whose research depends on “difficult-to-obtain works of local publishers” in Okinawa, wrote, “With the professional relationships Azusa has established in Okinawa, I am confident no resource I need is out of reach.”

Erasmo Coronado Gamboa (he/him)
Professor Emeritus, American Ethnic Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Both before and after his retirement, Erasmo’s commitment has been unwavering in ensuring access to health and human services for diverse communities, and especially for Latino/a immigrants. He has dedicated decades to organizations that support housing, medical care and educational and cultural services. He was also instrumental in creating the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture, the first major museum devoted to Latino/a history in Washington state. His colleagues enthusiastically note that his “deep and abiding” commitment to community service represents the pinnacle of faculty retiree impact and engagement.

Stefanie Iverson Cabral (she/her)
Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Nursing & Health Studies, UW Bothell

Stefanie demonstrates excellence in course design, having developed and taught 18 courses during her seven years at UW Bothell. She also skillfully and quickly pivots to meet her students’ needs. When Stefanie surveyed her students midway through a pandemic quarter to gauge their learning, “she adjusted the assignments — not the objectives — for our class to make it a reasonable amount of learning and work,” one student wrote. “She seems genuinely concerned with whether I understand the subject, but also whether I’m growing from learning about it. She cultivates a bond of trust and inspires me to want to do my best.”

Samuel Jaffee (he/him)
Associate Teaching Professor, Spanish & Portuguese Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Samuel has developed a design-focused Spanish writing program, many inquiry-based seminars in Latin American literature and cultures, a study abroad program in Spain and Ecuador, and a practicum in community-based learning in Seattle. As a technology teaching fellow, Samuel developed a course on Andean culture in which students produced their own digital work. One student noted, “Professor Jaffee was so creative that he even led activities that would not seem possible in an online format, like skits, complete with the use of props.” In his volunteer work, Samuel helps native speakers of Spanish and other languages apply to and prepare for college.

Ines Jurcevic (she/her)
Assistant Professor, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance

Ines teaches at the intersection of social psychology and public management through her courses on Decision-Making, Behavior, and Policy Design; Leadership Ethics in the Public Interest; and Managing Organizational Performance. Ines ensures her classes are welcoming and inclusive of diverse learning styles and perspectives. As one of her students said, “The mix of activities from guest speakers, small group activities, large group discussions, role play, and lectures made the class dynamic and interesting.” In 2021, Ines led the development of a new set of Evans School community commitments, which guide interactions at the school and promote the values of being a more equitable and antiracist organization. Ines also runs a lab where she mentors students and collaborates with other researchers to examine the dynamics of managing diversity from both the institutional and individual perspectives.

Adam Leaché (he/him)
Professor, Biology, College of Arts & Sciences
Curator, Burke Museum

By introducing real-world problem-solving elements in his courses, Adam aims to demystify the process of scientific discovery and help students from all backgrounds see themselves as scientists. His evidence-based active learning techniques increase student engagement and reduce achievement gaps. At the Burke, Adam played a key role in creating herpetology exhibits that teach students of all levels and ages about local species and the importance of the diversity of species. A colleague noted, “Besides being one of the most brilliant scientists in his field, a professor, a curator of the Burke Museum, a writer, a journal editor, and executive vice president of the Society of Systematic Biologists, Adam makes time to support every student and colleague.”

Mikelle Nuwer (she/her)
Associate Teaching Professor, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment

Mikelle has a deep love for her teaching subject — and it shows. Each year, she introduces more than 600 students to marine science, including Pacific Northwest geologic history, the physics and chemistry of coastal waters, and marine food webs and ecology. Her students say that she challenges them while creating a space where questions are welcome, support is available, science is impactful and students can see ways to make a difference. Mikelle developed an evidence-based teaching course for oceanography teaching assistants, coalescing a community of dedicated graduate students with this effort. She chairs her school’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee, and with her graduate students, she has dug deep into inclusive pedagogy that incorporates English learning access, diverse representation in course materials and universal design.

Claudia Sellmaier (she/her)
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work & Criminal Justice, UW Tacoma

Whether teaching at the classroom level or the broader curricular level, Claudia receives strong reviews from students. Her students engage with their communities for real impact as Claudia creates and implements new undergraduate and graduate coursework and develops vital coursework in disability studies. Her policy and research courses focus on applied learning that’s anchored to topics and passions of concern to each student. By helping students engage with a topic, community concern or experience of their choice, she ensures that the learning is deeply personal and motivating. In the classroom, Claudia highlights students’ collective lived experiences as important sources of knowledge.

Kenneth A. Sirotnik (he/him)
Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, College of Education
(posthumous)

Throughout his career, Ken made an impact not only on his students but on social-justice advancements. As chair of educational leadership and policy studies, he strove to ensure that school administrators learned how to be school leaders. He led the effort to create an evening degree program in higher education, co-founded the Center for Educational Renewal and served in an advisory role to the Washington state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. “He was an indefatigable advocate for education reform, both in person and in print,” a former student recalls. “He also humbly admitted that the people in the trenches were the ones doing the really hard work. He realized that the success, or failure, of education reform was dependent upon how much support those in the trenches got. And he was willing to do more than his share to offer that support.”

Marcus J. Johnson (he/him)
Doctoral Candidate, Communication, College of Arts & Sciences

Marcus has been a lead teaching assistant for a 400-person lecture course, the lecturer-of-record for a series on communication and difference, and an instructor who developed his own course and syllabus. At both the Seattle and Bothell campuses, Marcus creates an interactive, engaging atmosphere, using research-based teaching techniques to demonstrate how the content applies to real life. Marcus also infuses activism into scholarship — and scholarship into activism — to establish the classroom as a liberatory space for all students, and for Black and brown students in particular. As one of only four Black male graduate students in the department’s half-century history, and without any Black male professors, “Marcus is the only Black male communication instructor our students ever experienced,” wrote a faculty member. “And he has set the bar high.”

Kristin Privitera-Johnson (she/her)
Doctoral Candidate, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment

In the college, Kristin is respected as equal parts “killer programmer” and “passionate instructor.” She teaches introduction to R programming and advanced R programming courses for natural scientists — and recently developed the course Dark Side of Hot Topics: The Settler-Colonial and White Supremacist History of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, which colleagues describe as “transformative.” Her deliberate, structured curriculum and course design have created a truly inclusive space where students are free to try, fail and try again. “She is genuine and honest,” a colleague wrote, “and always willing to share her own learning challenges and how she overcame them. Her approach is highly effective and is helping pave the way for our faculty to develop their own adaptive and self-reflective approaches to teaching.”

Ralina L. Joseph (she/her)
Professor, Communication, College of Arts & Sciences
Director, Center for Communication, Difference and Equity

Ralina takes a holistic approach to mentorship. In addition to mentoring graduate students on professional ambitions, co-authoring works with mentees, and connecting mentees to professional networks, she emphasizes combating impostor syndrome and taking care of the whole person. Through her graduate curriculum on the intersections of communication and social difference, and her work at the Center for Communication, Difference and Equity and the Graduate School, she is deepening the University’s realization of its equity goals and supporting units across campus in creating more inclusive environments. Her chair writes, “Dr. Joseph is the most dedicated advocate of graduate students I have known in nearly 20 years of graduate education across two research universities. Mentorship is a defining characteristic of her remarkable career.”

Ann Spangler (she/her)
Administrative Assistant, W.H. Gates Public Service Law Program, School of Law

Ann’s reputation for being committed to public service is so widely recognized that she has been nicknamed “The Classroom Angel.” She has dedicated years to volunteering for numerous causes and organizations, including the Girl Scouts, Franklin High School and the King County Coalition on Homelessness. Within the W.H. Gates Public Service Law Program, her talent and energy for volunteering are treasured — she’s well known as the volunteer who is first to arrive and last to leave. Ann works tirelessly from the moment she arrives, helping improve students’ lives and educational experiences in all that she does.

Piper Suzanne Coyner (she/her)
Near Eastern Studies: Languages & Cultures
Cinema & Media Studies

Piper’s deep and wide-ranging intellectual curiosity led her to the UW and inspired her to pursue a double major in Near Eastern studies and cinema & media studies. A consistent academic standout, she received the Undergraduate President’s Medal as both a freshman and a junior. And despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic, she made the most of her Husky Experience, volunteering with unhoused people and interning with the Svoboda Diaries Project. She is passionate about human rights and social justice, and she plans to apply to law school following a gap year after graduation.

Tiffany-Ashton Gatsby (they/them)
Medical Anthropology and Global Health
Art

Tiffany-Ashton’s profound determination to overcome the obstacles they faced brought them first to Seattle Central College and then to the UW as a transfer student. Here, they have thrived as a double major in art and medical anthropology and global health. Tiffany-Ashton’s Husky Experience has been centered on the transformative power of healing through art, and they were chosen as the 2022 commencement speaker for the School of Art + Art History + Design. After graduation, they will be returning to the UW to pursue a doctorate in sociocultural anthropology, specializing in medical anthropology.

Taylor Paul Anuhea Ahana (he/him)
Program Manager, UW Study Abroad, Office of Global Affairs

With efficiency, grace, and collegiality, Taylor ensured that UW Study Abroad could effectively serve students and faculty in a remote setting throughout the pandemic. He implemented and built a study abroad program, Direct Enrollment in Country of Citizenship Abroad, to serve international students at a critical juncture. The program allowed students to enroll at universities in their home countries during the winter and spring of 2021, eventually helping them transfer their credits back to the UW. His talent for collaboration and communication with other University departments, including the Center for International Relations & Cultural Leadership Exchange and the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, is outstanding.

Yasmin Ahmed (they/them)
Assistant Director of Student and Community Engagement, Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Over the past two years, Yasmin has significantly increased student interest in the Labor Studies Program, cultivating record enrollments in the minor and course by being responsive to social justice activism and the Black Lives Matter movement. Yasmin is passionate about racial and social justice, contributing to change through building relationships within the UW community and beyond. A particular highlight of their work this year was the launch of the Building a Movement labor internship in the spring of 2021, where they spoke directly to the UW’s initiatives with diversity, equity and inclusion.

BrieAnna Bales (she/her)
Senior Director of Operations, Office of Advancement, UW Tacoma

BrieAnna nimbly recalibrated the operations of the UW Tacoma Advancement team, helping her colleagues pivot when it was most needed. She also participated in UW Tacoma’s Office of Equity and Inclusion LEAD Institute and served as a member of the UW Tacoma Advancement team’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. In her stewardship role, she helps partners and donors witness the campus-wide impacts they support through their investments in the community by sharing stories and initiatives. BrieAnna brings a DEI lens to all her work, inspiring changes needed to eradicate and dismantle systems of racism.

Burlyn Birkemeier (she/her)
Research Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies, College of the Environment

Burlyn’s contributions as a member of the Health and Safety Committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Outreach Subcommittee, and as a supervisor, had a great impact on the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies community and team. As a member of the DEI subcommittee, she played an integral role in initiatives to help scientists engage with people in the Seattle area from groups that have been underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In her role as a marine mammal researcher, Burlyn’s performance has remained outstanding despite the challenging year, during which she cheerfully took on new responsibilities even as she continued conducting cutting-edge research.

Jacob Dobner (he/him)
Manager, Creative Communications

Creative Communications is a self-sustaining department on campus, and Jacob has been at the forefront of the unit’s pandemic response, jumping in to help by taking on additional responsibilities to fulfill a variety of needs. Throughout the pandemic, he ensured that campus storefronts were up to date, creating new designs as needed. Jake has an uplifting and positive attitude, even in times of high demand. He keeps his team laughing and maintains a positive atmosphere; as one colleague noted, he “exemplifies the best of the best when it comes to serving.”

Kirsten Espiritu (she/her)
Area Director, Housing & Food Services, Student Life

Kristin developed and implemented the COVID-19 protocols for the University’s on-campus living population. Her outstanding work ensured that students could prioritize their health and well-being by removing some of the stresses in their daily lives. Her work helped every student stay fed, clothed and supported throughout isolation and quarantine. At the same time, she co-chaired the Housing & Food Services Residential Life Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Affinity Group, listening to the needs of BIPOC staff members and providing a safe space while making recommendations to leadership in a sustainable manner.

Erin Goecker (she/her)
Retrovirology Laboratory Manager, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, UW Medicine

Amid the pandemic, Erin took responsibility for managing the Harborview lab as she was tasked with providing FDA-grade testing for a multitude of clinical trials, including studies pertaining to COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and testing. Thanks to Erin’s outstanding work, the lab authorized the vaccines as well as the best oral antiviral medication available to treat the virus. It’s no exaggeration to say that the impact of her work has touched billions of people. Her commitment, dedication and expertise were essential to the lab’s successful work.

Jennifer Greenwood (she/her)
Senior Remote Testing Site Manager, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, UW Medicine

Jennifer was responsible for setting up more than a dozen remote COVID-19 testing sites around Washington during the pandemic. Her outstanding record of mobilizing and running this critical infrastructure during the crisis ensured that millions of tests could be performed, which helped hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians. She is known as an excellent leader who cares about her team and a natural problem-solver who always found a way to keep the vital testing sites up and running. Her public service to our state and community cannot be overstated.

Nell Gross (she/her)
Director of Academic Services, Geography, College of Arts & Sciences

In her four years as director, Nell is credited with transforming advising, student services and curriculum management. She is a vital force for advancing racial equity work with students and student services. And her deep and sustained focus on diversity, racial equity and inclusion goes well beyond the geography department. As a founding member of United With Students, she works to support historically marginalized students, empowering them through collaborations to prioritize resource sharing and amplify student concerns.

China S. Hardison (she/her)
Program Operations Specialist, Surgery, School of Medicine

As a program operations specialist, China’s support has been invaluable to the surgery department, in a demanding role that requires in-depth knowledge of both surgeons and surgical procedures. As a committed advocate for health equity, China serves on the Department of Surgery’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council and is a charter member of its Staff Anti-Racism Group — actively working toward dismantling systems of racism and eliminating health-care disparities. She also helped plan a series of educational opportunities for the department and was instrumental in establishing the department’s diversity statement.

Joanna Long (she/her)
Gardener, UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment

Joanna is known as reliable and trustworthy and helps improve her colleagues’ working conditions. She supports her coworkers in a range of ways, from creating development strategies to increasing the life and productivity of equipment to suggesting cards for injured colleagues and consistently advocating for diversity in the hiring process. At the outset of the pandemic, she searched for ways to enable her coworkers to safely enjoy the warmth indoors during the winter months, and her championing of safe protocols led to important changes in the return-to-campus plan.

Jessica Muhamad (she/her)
Medical Assistant, Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, UW Medical Center

Jessica is the backbone of the Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases team, truly embodying UW Medicine’s mission and values; a colleague noted that “she works tirelessly, graciously and with true excellence.” An innovative self-starter, she is a tireless advocate for patients and coworkers and serves as a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She’s a consistent resource for her team, and throughout the pandemic, Jessica volunteered for the critical work needed to fight COVID-19, including giving vaccinations, serving as a medical specialties personal protective equipment doffing expert, and helping patients schedule vaccine appointments.

Evalina Taganna Romano (she/her)
Custodian, Building Services, UW Facilities

As a custodian for the Building Services Department, Evalina helps ensure the health and safety of the UW community, typically with smiles and laughter that have endeared her to students, faculty and staff across the University throughout her 24 years of service. She goes above and beyond, often supporting her coworkers in other buildings, and is described by her team as a morale booster who takes care of others, including providing resources to locate COVID-19 testing sites and even hand-sewing a mask for a coworker in need.

Adrienne Schippers (she/her)
Manager, Infection Prevention, UW Medical Center

Widely respected across UW Medicine as a pragmatic leader, Adrienne puts staff and patients first while fostering a culture of gratitude. She not only rebuilt an entire team during a tumultuous time but inspired new staff and kept the focus on patient safety while doing so. She has safely guided the medical center through COVID-19 surges, outbreaks and staffing crises while mentoring staff, providing peer-to-peer support, and advancing personal and professional development for staff. Adrienne is profoundly intentional about fostering diversity and ensuring that people of all identities feel welcome.

Madison Schumaker (she/her)
Certified Nursing Assistant, Surgery, Harborview Medical Center
Patient Care Technician, Surgery, UW Medical Center

Madison’s drive and passion are changing the world for the better. She’s a rare individual who has undertaken the responsibilities of three roles — certified nursing assistant, personal support specialist and transporter — and she consistently demonstrates excellence by centering and prioritizing patients. She supports nurses and vocally advocates for patients, all while remaining passionate about equitable and just care, especially for BIPOC individuals and cognitively impacted geriatric patients. Outside of her roles in the department, Madison has taken on extra challenges, working to limit waste and reduce environmental impact.

Samuel Shupe (he/him)
Physics Lab Coordinator, Physical Sciences, School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, UW Bothell

Throughout the most difficult months of the pandemic, Samuel ensured remote labs functioned smoothly, ordering components, assembling kits, maintaining a distribution list and passing out the list to several hundred students. His hard work ensured that students taking physics labs received a hands-on learning experience despite being in a remote environment. For a lab that resumed on-site in the fall of 2020, Sam even implemented the safety protocol developed by UW Environmental Health & Safety. His resourcefulness and spirit of cooperation enabled students to get the hands-on learning experience that was vital to their success.

Kevin Springer (he/him)
Program Support Supervisor II, UW Counseling Center

Kevin’s colleagues describe him as “the backbone” of the counseling center; he works tirelessly to serve students equitably and ensure access to care for people in marginalized groups. He serves the needs of all student communities with his sensitivity to how changes impact marginalized students’ access to services, and he ensured that resources were available during protests against systemic racism and injustice. During the pandemic, Kevin also took responsibility for coordinating the pivot to telehealth services, enabling the UW to be one of the first university counseling centers in the nation to function remotely.

Kathy Strand (she/her)
Health Services Manager, Campus Health Clinics Montlake/Northwest, UW Medical Center

Overseeing the Employee Health teams on the Montlake and Northwest campuses, Kathy’s contributions to the UW community cannot be overstated. Amid the pandemic, her calm assurance offered clear direction to employees tasked with managing COVID-19 questions, exposures, outbreaks and contact tracing. Her work is essential to the health and vibrancy of our community, including her work on the influenza vaccination campaign, efforts to prevent bloodborne exposures and commitment to workplace safety, which affects every member of the UW Medical Center.

Rick Wells (he/him)
Research Scientist, Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine

Rick is a trusted and treasured resource for faculty users in the department of comparative medicine. Since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rick has proven himself to be an invaluable asset to the University as well as a well-respected colleague and manager, maintaining a safe and secure facility through a period of unprecedented upheaval. His dedication, agility and frequent after-hours support through staffing shortages and other challenges make him an incredibly important and valued research colleague whose work helped advance the study of the COVID-19 virus.

Renee M. Wolken (she/her)
RN3 and Assistant Nurse Manager, Orthopaedics Operating Room, Harborview Medical Center

In the words of a colleague, “Renee is the heart of the OR,” and her experience and knowledge are often sought out by others. Renee speaks up for safety issues and advocates for patients and staff members — all with a calm demeanor and level head. Renee always puts patients first, whether researching which type of bed can ensure patient comfort or helping the operating room unit safely perform operations on a wider variety of patients.

David W. Hertzog (he/him)
Professor, Physics, College of Arts & Sciences

Thanks to David’s exceptional ability and leadership, a program spanning two decades has brought fundamental physics to a turning point. In 2021, he succeeded in measuring, with very high precision, the properties of the muon, a fundamental particle. He has found evidence that the Standard Model of physics has a flaw — an achievement so groundbreaking that it drew the attention of scientists around the world. A phenomenal, popular speaker, David describes complex concepts using crystal-clear language that resonates with broad audiences. We look forward to his lecture in spring 2023.