Ambassador Mikkola visited the Seattle campus on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Ambassador Mikkola’s visit to the University of Washington deepened the growing ties between Finland and Washington State. During her time on campus, she met with Ahmad Ezzeddine, Vice Provost for Global Affairs, with Daniel Hoffman and other leadership from the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and with Andrew Nestingen and Eveliina Suuniitty from the Department of Scandinavian Studies.
Ambassador Mikkola also had an opportunity to visit the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and participate in a fireside chat that brought together members of our community to discuss Finnish-American collaboration—particularly in education, research, and innovation. The University of Washington is grateful for Finland’s continued support of students studying Finnish, and we look forward to growing our faculty and research exchanges with Finnish universities and companies.
Ambassador Mikkola (right) and Andrew Nestingen (left) during a fireside chat
Dr. Ahmad Ezzeddine (left) and Ambassador Mikkola (right) in the UW Office of Global Affairs
Ambassador Mikkola visiting the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
The Office of Global Affairs is pleased to feature Caleb Allred for our May 2025 edition of the Global Visionaries series. The Global Visionaries series highlights the University of Washington’s global impact by featuring innovative, globally-engaged faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
Caleb Allred is a fourth-year medical student at the UW School of Medicine. Caleb was recognized as a 2025 recipient of the Husky 100. He is passionate about improving health care access for patients with language barriers and making pediatric specialty care more equitable and efficient. Caleb’s previous experience includes serving in global health initiatives in Ecuador and Chile, working as a Spanish medical interpreter, and publishing multiple peer-reviewed studies.
Originally from Rexburg, Idaho, Caleb was inspired to explore the intersection of medicine and service by his father who was an OB/GYN and his mother who was a nurse. During his time at the UW, he decided to specialize in otolaryngology after working on a project that involved immigrant populations, mentorship, and Spanish fluency. After graduation this June, Caleb will begin his residency in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan this summer.
As a medical student, I worked on projects to improve healthcare access for non-English-speaking patients, particularly Spanish speakers. At Seattle Children’s with Dr. Bonilla-Velez, we addressed scheduling disparities for Spanish-speaking patients in the pediatric otolaryngology clinic. We found that requiring patients to call for appointments created delays due to language barriers and confusion with interpreter services. Our intervention shifted the process: schedulers proactively called patients with interpreters ready. A pre- and post- intervention study showed a reduction in scheduling disparities, and the project was published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, earning the Health Equity in Otolaryngology research award from the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in 2023. Another project explored shared decision-making, finding that language-concordant care (Spanish-speaking providers) improved patient engagement compared to interpreter-mediated care. We also studied adenotonsillectomy outcomes, noting that patients preferring care in a language other than English visited the ER more post-surgery, potentially due to confusing post-operative instructions. This led to efforts to improve post-surgical communication, highlighting the need for tailored materials. This work was a recipient of the Health Equity in Research award from the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in 2024.
Caleb Allred presenting on shared decision making in otolaryngology at the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meeting in 2023. Boston, MA.
Caleb Allred presenting on scheduling disparities at the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology conference in Boston, MA. 2023.
Relevant citations
Allred CM, Dahl JP, Parikh S, Wang X, Bonilla-Velez J. Effect of Race, Ethnicity, and Language on Adenotonsillectomy Outcomes in Pediatric Otolaryngology. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2025 Mar 25. doi: 10.1002/ohn.1230. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40131170.
Allred C, Jio J, Messner J, Mull H, Nakamura R, Parikh S, Sie K, Wang X, Bonilla-Velez J. Effect of an Outbound Scheduling Team on the Timeliness of Scheduling Referrals to Pediatric Otolaryngology. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online February 8, 2024. doi:10.1002/ohn.660
Allred, C., Parikh, S., Wang, X., & Bonilla-Velez, J. (2023). The Role of Language Concordant Care on Increasing Parental Engagement in Shared Decision Making. International Journal of Medical Students, 11, S71. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2023.2335*
*full manuscript currently in the submission process
While working at my father’s OB/GYN clinic, I stepped in as a Spanish interpreter when no formal services were available. I learned that quality interpretation is critical for alleviating patient stress, especially during high-stakes situations like pregnancy complications. Accurate, empathetic communication built trust and ensured patients understood their care, reducing anxiety. However, I also realized the limitations of informal interpretation—relying on a single employee wasn’t sustainable.
This experience taught me the importance of systemic solutions, like dedicated interpreter services and language-concordant care, to ensure consistent access.
Caleb AllredFourth-Year Medical Student
It also underscored how language barriers can exacerbate health disparities, inspiring me to advocate for equitable care in my research and future practice.
In Ecuador, as an Eagle Scout, I launched “Kicks for Ecuador,” a project combining my love for soccer with service. My father and I organized a soccer camp for youth, collecting shoes to donate to orphanages. We went with a non-profit group by the name of Dando Amor. We visited three orphanages to deliver the shoes. It was my first time serving in a foreign country. Though we couldn’t communicate with words, I fell in love with these kids and was touched by their gratitude and humility. Though rewarding, as time passed I came to realize the shoes were a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, sparking my desire for deeper impact. I took Spanish classes to prepare for future work.
My Father, John Allred, and I playing soccer with new friends at the Remar orphanage in Quito, Ecuador in 2012. Photo courtesy of Travis Gugelman.
Sizing shoes at an orphanage in Cuenca, Ecuador. 2012. Photo courtesy of Travis Gugelman.
Sizing shoes at an orphanage in Quito, Ecuador. 2012. Photo courtesy of Travis Gugelman.
After high school, I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Santiago, Chile. There, in addition to proselyting work, I addressed the needs of Haitian immigrants facing language barriers to employment. With Creole-speaking companions, I co-created a Spanish course focused on job interview skills, visa applications, and citizenship processes. Starting small, it grew significantly, helping individuals like “Carlos,” who secured a job and moved his family to a two-bedroom home. We also organized food and clothing drives, making this one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Post-Spanish class game of basketball with Elder Bushman and friends in San Miguel, Santiago, Chile. 2016.
Spanish class with Jake Nelson, Carlos Branchedor, and friends in 2016. San Miguel, Santiago, Chile.
My inspiration came from personal and professional experiences. Growing up, I saw my father, an OB/GYN, use medicine to serve others, which planted the seed for my career. Additionally, my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave me a strong foundation in service and provided many opportunities to get involved with service. My international service in Ecuador and Chile showed me the power of addressing systemic barriers, like language and job access, to create lasting change. At my father’s clinic, interpreting for Spanish-speaking patients revealed how language barriers caused stress and miscommunication, particularly for pregnant patients. These experiences connected global service with healthcare, motivating me to pursue medicine and focus on health equity. In medical school, I saw quality improvement and health systems research as tools to identify and solve access issues, especially for non-English speakers, driving my commitment to this cause.
In Ecuador, I saw the limits of short-term solutions like shoe donations, which led me to focus on long-term impact. In Chile, designing a Spanish course for Haitian immigrants showed me how targeted interventions could empower communities. This global perspective shaped my health systems research by emphasizing access. At Seattle Children’s, I applied this lens to assist my team in improving scheduling for Spanish-speaking patients, enhancing shared decision-making in language-concordant care, and addressing post-surgical disparities for patients preferring care in a language other than English. Ultimately, I believe that small changes in how we provide care can often have large impact for patients with language barriers. I remember feeling very vulnerable in South America before I became proficient at Spanish. I believe the collective medical community should continue to work toward alleviating those feelings and barriers so we can focus on taking care of people! As I head to the University of Michigan for my otolaryngology residency, I plan to continue this work, exploring new research in graduate medical education, health systems improvement, and global health.
Caleb celebrating his ENT residency match at the University of Michigan with his wife Catherine and children William, Eleanor, and Margaret.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to several individuals who have played pivotal roles in my journey. To my parents, Nanette and John Allred, thank you for instilling in me a spirit of service and providing early opportunities to engage in global outreach. To my wife, Catherine—your unwavering support and grace while raising our three young children have been nothing short of extraordinary. To William, Eleanor, and Margaret, thank you for inspiring the best in me; becoming your father is the greatest honor of my life. Finally, I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Bonilla-Velez and the team at the University of Washington Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Department for their guidance, mentorship, and central role in my professional growth.
If you would like to get in touch with Caleb Allred after he graduates from the UW, you can contact him directly at calebmallred@gmail.com.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Anu Taranath, Teaching Professor, Department of English and Comparative History of Ideas, is the recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Global Engagement Award. The award is the highest recognition for faculty and staff at the UW for fostering global connections through teaching, research, and service. Celebrate Dr. Anu Taranath at the Awards of Excellence ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on June 12 in Meany Hall.
Dr. Anu Taranath is a Teaching Professor at the University of Washington, specializing in world literature, cultural theory, and theories of social difference. Her career spans over two decades, during which she has designed numerous courses and received the UW Distinguished Teaching Award. Dr. Taranath’s work focuses on creating, deepening, and strengthening connections between people across identity, experience, and geography. She has founded and directed multiple study abroad programs in India, Mexico, Ghana, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Beyond academia, Dr. Taranath engages with diverse audiences as a public scholar, consultant, and author. Her book, “Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World,” has garnered significant recognition and expanded her reach across the travel industry and higher education. She leads the Global Reciprocity Network, a research collective that foregrounds Global South expertise and promotes humane, human-centered models of collaboration. Dr. Taranath’s contributions to global engagement are reflected in her commissioned writings, keynote speeches, and extensive media presence.
The Office of Global Affairs is excited to celebrate the 19 faculty who were finalists for the 2025 award. The award recognizes University of Washington faculty and staff for their leadership in fostering global connections through teaching, research, and service.
The award highlights activities that link UW students, faculty, and staff to global communities locally, nationally, and internationally. It is the highest recognition for UW faculty and staff who make significant contributions to global engagement at the University of Washington. The award alternates yearly between faculty and staff recipients. Learn more about their global impact below.
The Office of Global Affairs has awarded $363,300 to 40 outstanding projects, sparking transformative global collaborations and advancing interdisciplinarity across the UW.
The Global Innovation Fund (GIF) seeds initiatives and programs developing cross-college and cross-continent collaborations that enhance the University of Washington’s global reach. Global Innovation Fund awards provide initial funding for faculty research proposals, leading-edge global Husky learning experiences, and collaborations aligned with the University of Washington’s strategic initiatives and regional priorities.
Michelle H. Martin, Beverly Cleary Professor for Children and Youth Services, Information School, recounts leading study abroad programs at the UW over the past decade.
Harris (left), Martin (right)
Michelle H. Martin has a long history with study abroad. She first studied abroad at Exeter University in the United Kingdom for her entire junior year when she was an English major at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. When she taught at Clemson University in South Carolina, she led a study abroad program in Belgium for about eight weeks. Ever since joining the University of Washington in 2016, she has been creating global learning opportunities for students by leading study abroad programs with a focus on children’s and young adult literature, youth services, and librarianship in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
In 2017, Martin and J. Elizabeth Mills (now an iSchool doctoral alum) led a group of Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) students on a study abroad called Wizards, Whangdoodles and Whizzpoppers: Children’s Literature in the UK that took place in Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge, and London. In 2018, Martin and Teaching Faculty Annette Goldsmith led iSchool Down Under to Australia and New Zealand. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandi Harris, who had life-changing experiences on the 2017 and 2018 programs, returned to the iSchool for a PhD and eagerly agreed to co-direct the 2023 iSchool Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand, with 21 students. In 2024, they repeated Wizards, Whangdoodles and Whizzpoppers but this time visited Newcastle upon Tyne, Oxford and London with 17 students. For 2026, they are planning the first full-quarter (winter) version of iSchool Aotearoa. Although the iSchool runs several study abroad programs every year, this will be the iSchool’s very first quarter-long study abroad since 2014.
Enliven your classroom through global virtual exchange!
Critical digital literacy and virtual collaboration skills are more important than ever, and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) offers an opportunity to make the classroom learning experience globally connected.
COIL is a virtual exchange pedagogy that fosters global competence through development of a multicultural learning environment, linking university classes in different countries. Using both synchronous and asynchronous technologies, students from different countries complete shared assignments and projects, with instructors from each country co-teaching and managing coursework.
Learn more about COIL and hear from UW faculty who have previously implemented COIL into their courses.
Explore funded international opportunities for the 2026-27 academic year and beyond!
The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Programoffers over 400 awards in more than 135 countries for U.S. citizens to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects around the world. Grants range in duration from a few weeks to the entire academic year. Fulbrighters gain enrichment from cultural exchange by working, living and learning with people from the host country.
Join us for an upcoming information session to learn about Fulbright award opportunities and what resources are available to applicants. Speakers will include tri-campus Fulbright Program liaisons and UW faculty who have previously participated in the Fulbright Program.
Do you have questions or would you like to schedule an individual meeting? Contact Anita Ramasastry, UW Seattle Fulbright faculty liaison, Office of Global Affairs at arama@uw.edu.
The Office of Global Affairs is pleased to feature Antonia Romana Zito for our April 2025 edition of the Global Visionaries series. The Global Visionaries series highlights the UW’s global impact by featuring innovative, globally-engaged faculty, staff, students and alumni.
Antonia shares about her experience growing up in Panama, about conducting research on security and defense in Latin America and the Caribbean and what she is looking forward to about her career.
I am the proud daughter of an Italian father and a Colombian mother, and I was born in Rome, Italy despite me never living there. Up until the age of two, my parents moved around a lot because of my father’s work—eventually landing us in Panama City, Panama, the place that shaped me into the person that I am today.
As an immigrant, I have always lived a multicultural lifestyle because my parents and I all have incredibly different backgrounds. Beyond that, while in Panama, I was enrolled into an international school based off the American education system at the age of three. At the International School of Panama, almost all students were immigrants, and all students were multicultural and multilingual in the same way I was. So, while my parents were each teaching me their own cultural values, I was also absorbing a Panamanian culture and lifestyle, while my school gave me an American influence—all while I was learning about my friends’ different cultures as well.
Growing up in Panama—specifically, in a multicultural environment—shaped me to be an open-minded person who does not focus on what makes people different, but rather what aspects of our lives cross these cultural barriers. The differences in culture and language I was surrounded by are what pushed my curiosity of wanting to understand the world we live in. Beyond that, my experience in Panama showed me that the world is so much bigger than people think.
Above all, my American education whilst living in Panama heavily contributed to my ability to succeed once moving to Seattle—even though the culture shock was overwhelming at first.
Back in the fall of 2023, I had the privilege of being selected from a pool of applicants to travel to Washington, D.C. for a semester to complete my first internship. My academic and cultural experiences matched me perfectly with the research intern position at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (WJPC). At WJPC, I would aid professors at the National Defense University by engaging in thorough research on global topics concerning security and defense across Latin America and Caribbean nations. My skills were uniquely suited to this research position because of where I grew up, the previous work I had conducted at the UW, and my fluency in Spanish because they are a bilingual center.
My last day at the William J Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies holding my completion certificate
Specifically, as a research assistant to Dr. Patrick Paterson, I focused on climate change studies as I helped him create the foundation for the WJPC climate change program–the first for a Regional Academic Center of the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense. Specifically, I had the special opportunity to create an official glossary containing climate change terminology, which has now been distributed to thousands of U.S. government officials. Other research projects I completed include graphic designing climate change vulnerability of Western Hemisphere nations, and projects relating to water data for the nearly three dozen nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
I also had the honor of working with Dr. Erin McFee, who conducted quantitative research on a group of women in Colombia living under the FARC conditions through the gathering and analysis of their personal journals. Using the coding software MAXQDA, Dr. McFee and I would individually analyze these journals, highlighting various themes throughout them until we had at least 80% similarity between our codes. Once we hit 80%, Dr. McFee could then write a proper analysis paper commenting on the overlapping themes to understand what these women are commonly going through. This type of research was incredibly eye-opening, it was a timely, delicate process that left me with more than just basic research skills.
This internship was my first career-related work experience, giving me a sense of what it is like to contribute to hands-on work that is able to impact current events on a global scale and is useful within the U.S. government. My experience here was incredibly valuable and life-changing because as an immigrant, I did not think this was an opportunity where I could have such an involved role due to the limited views of American identity and who can be a part of government work. In D.C., it was a great opportunity to use my identify towards my career goals—I began to truly understand the gift I have and how it could show up in the world. For the first time, I was part of a team that valued my skills and made me feel a part of something bigger, and I knew I wanted to continue chasing that feeling.
Career event with Dara Yin
My time in D.C. motivated me to delve deeper into opportunities that allowed me to use my skills to contribute to my community. The following quarter, I applied for a position within the Jackson School Student Association (JSSA). As the Director of Logistics and the newly appointed Vice President, I am presented with various leadership opportunities as I help JSIS staff with their career-focused events and host my own academic-focused events for students of all ages. Our events are typically informative: for example, we have hosted career events within the foreign service sector with the Diplomat in Residence Dara Yin or LinkedIn profile building workshops.
Overall, I am in charge of ensuring that my team and I can operate efficiently as we work with a fast-paced yet limited schedule, as we are bound to the quarter system. Through JSSA, I have the ability to create an environment in which students of all backgrounds can be properly informed of what their opportunities are both during their studies and after graduation. Moreover, I am also the representative for the JSSA on the UW Senate and act as a voting member.
As a student at UW, I have been given a space to develop a series of skills through my coursework that I then applied to opportunities that opened more opportunities for myself to grow. The experiences I have mentioned above made me feel valuable in a way I had never felt before—and while a lot of things are increasingly uncertain in our rapidly changing world—and as I mentioned above, I know I want to join a team which allows me to continue searching for this feeling.
My identity allows me to understand people in a unique manner and has opened more doors for me than I could have ever imagined. Where I used to feel culture or language barriers as a limitation, I now see the opportunity to build bridges through communication, understanding, and collaboration. Following the completion of my undergraduate degree, I have an ultimate goal of working for the UNHCR as I believe it would be a shame to neglect this gift my parents always spoke about. However, I would first work at a few NGOs with the same mission of protecting and advocating for refugees and all other types of migrants. I am looking forward to help people and to contribute to a bigger cause regarding equality and respect.
In this interactive workshop, a panel of UW faculty members will share strategies for designing group work in ways that promote globally-engaged learning and participation from all students.
Facilitators:
Anita Ramasastry, Henry M. Jackson Endowed Professor of Law, School of Law; Director of Faculty Engagement, Office of Global Affairs, Seattle
Mihaela Giurca, Instructional Consultant, Center for Teaching and Learning, Seattle
Panelists:
Yen-Chu Weng, Lecturer, Program on the Environment
Linda Martin-Morris, Teaching Professor Emerita, Biology
This interactive workshop is designed for members of UW. You will need a UW NetID to register. Due to its interactive nature, thisworkshop will not be recorded.
The University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. If you need disability accommodations, please reach out to the UW Disability Services Office (DSO): dso@uw.edu.
