The U.S. Department of State has recognized the University of Washington for producing 41 recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship during the spring 2025 cycle. The Gilman Scholarship supports U.S. undergraduates with financial need in studying or interning abroad. The UW’s strong showing reflects the University’s commitment to expanding global learning opportunities for all students.
Gilman Scholars from the University of Washington will represent the United States abroad and return with global networks and language skills that support U.S. economic and national security interests.
“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our Gilman Scholarship recipients, whose achievements have earned them access to these transformative global learning experiences,” said Ahmad Ezzeddine, Vice Provost for Global Affairs. “The Gilman Scholarship reduces barriers for UW students to study, research or intern abroad, providing those with limited financial means the opportunity to gain international perspectives and prepare for success in today’s interconnected world.”
The University of Washington students are among 3,500 recipients of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which supports Pell Grant–eligible undergraduates to study or intern abroad in more than 170 countries. More than 70% of this year’s recipients are from rural areas and small towns, and 55% are first-generation college students. UW students were awarded a total of $131,500 in Gilman Scholarships this cycle.
“These awards enrich our academic community and reflect a strategic investment in developing globally-minded leaders,” said Ezzeddine. “As our students engage with different cultures and tackle complex international challenges, they return not just as enhanced scholars, but as cultural ambassadors who contribute to our local community’s global awareness and our nation’s diplomatic and economic competitiveness on the world stage.”
Three students in the spring UW cohort received the Critical Need Language Award, and one was awarded the Gilman-McCain Scholarship. The Critical Need Language Award supports students studying high-priority languages in countries where those languages are commonly spoken. The Gilman-McCain Scholarship supports child and spousal dependents of active-duty U.S. military personnel.
About the Gilman International Scholarship
Established by the U.S. Congress, the Gilman Scholarship is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is aided in its implementation by the Institute of International Education. The next application cycle will be launched in August 2025. To learn more about the Gilman Scholarship, visit gilmanscholarship.org.
Learn about scholarship opportunities at UW
The Gilman International Scholarship 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.
About the Office of Global Affairs
The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) is the University of Washington’s hub for global engagement. OGA advances global teaching, research and learning for faculty, staff and students and works to enhance the University’s global presence and impact with a footprint that spans all over the world.
In 2021, Andrea Gevurtz Arai, Acting Assistant Professor, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and Jeff Hou, Professor, College of Built Environments, were awarded a Research Award through the Global Innovation Fund by the Office of Global Affairs. The Global Innovation Fund supports transformative cross-college, cross-continent global research, teaching, and learning experiences at the University of Washington.
Cover image for Spaces of Creative Resistance: Social Change Projects in Twenty-First Century East Asia
With additional funding support from the East Asia Center, UW Japan Studies Program, Department of Landscape Architecture, UW College of Built Environments, UW China Studies Program, UW Center for Korea Studies, UW Taiwan Studies Program, and UW Center for Global Studies, Andrea Gevurtz Arai and Jeff Hou hosted a virtual conference in 2022 to bring together a cross-regional, interdisciplinary group of scholars, scholar activists, and artists from across East Asia focused on different forms of “creative resistance” to the last two decades of social disconnection, wealth inequality and new burdens placed on reproductive labor and the environment. This project was the first of its kind at the UW, a collaboration between a cultural anthropologist of Japan (and East Asia) and a Taiwanese landscape architect, and gathered an interdisciplinary group of scholars, scholar activists, and individuals involved in different forms of social change.
Following the conference, Andrea Gevurtz Arai edited the papers and compiled them into chapters, including two additional papers from two of her graduate students, to create a volume that will be published this month by Rutgers University Press, Spaces of Creative Resistance: Social Change Projects in Twenty-First Century East Asia. Andrea Gevurtz Arai wrote the introduction and also contributed a chapter. Each chapter demonstrates how individuals and communities across East Asia are making their stands in the everyday, making more liveable presents and more possible futures. A teaching appendix is available at the end to support educators across the U.S. and East Asia in bringing this volume into their classrooms.
The Conference
The conference was originally supposed to take place in person in 2021, but given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it ultimately took place virtually in 2022. Jeff Hou and Andrea Gevurtz Arai invited a range of voices from across East Asia – from scholars, scholar activists, and artists – to present papers on the true politics of the everyday. Some of the participants were young people writing about other young people, while others were scholars writing about what young people are doing to challenge the status quo.
It’s an interesting collection of stories of change that we don’t usually hear from the bottom up, from the grassroots, about what’s happening in East Asia.
Andrea Gevurtz AraiActing Assistant Professor
Andrea Gevurtz Arai also invited her students to participate in the conference, which resulted in two of them writing papers that would be included in the volume and one of them collaborating with Andrea Gevurtz Arai on the teaching appendix. Students in her classes who have read the papers are particularly interested in learning from their peers in East Asia about how to build a society in which you want to live in.
The Volume
The volume is divided into three sections – Creative Acts of Resistance, Cultural Spaces and Community Places, and Environments of Creative Resistance – and draws from the experiences of scholars, scholar activists, and artists in China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. From young people in Korea who are creating and living in village communities to foster a sense of belonging, to an organization in Japan committed to preserving a historic local cinema, to a social enterprise dedicated to revitalizing community and gathering spaces in Taiwan, the volume captures the breadth and depth of how youth are engaging in social action and creative space-making in East Asia.
This volume is about people’s lives right now, the history of those lives, the politics of those lives, and how social change movements materialize in the everyday.
Andrea Gevurtz AraiActing Assistant Professor
This volume presents a new and updated picture of East Asian societies. In the midst of a world in turmoil, facing a range of environmental, economic and social problems, young people are coming together to create something new, something of their own, sharing across national-cultural borders, learning from each other, revaluing their labor and their built and natural environments, in and from the center and peripheries.
To learn more about the impact of this volume, join Andrea Gevurtz Arai this summer at an event at Elliott Bay Books in Seattle or attend her talk at the East Asia Center at the UW in October.
The delegation visited the Seattle campus on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
The Office of Global Affairs was proud to host the delegation of European Union countries’ Deputy Chiefs of Mission and Honorary Consuls at the University of Washington last week. The visit was a wonderful opportunity to deepen the ties between the EU, Washington State, and the UW.
During the visit, the Information School, Foster School of Business, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, College of Engineering, and the Global Innovation Exchange showcased their programs and growth to the visiting delegation. Following the presentations, a panel centered on UW’s innovation ecosystem – including CoMotion, the Institute for Protein Design, Monod Bio, and Pack Ventures – included discussions of the impact of global collaboration on their work and on Washington State, the nation, and the planet.
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.
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
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 co-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.
