Month: March 2012

The Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, in partnership with the UW Alumni Association, hosted a Diversity Career Networking Night at the UW Tower, March 7. Students were able to mingle and connect with alumni in a variety of professional fields, gaining information about pursuing jobs in their chosen careers.

Lull Mengesha, ’06, ’10, served as moderator for a panel discussion that included Ron Beard, ’90, ’93; Dr. Danelle Reed, ‘92; and Rogelio Riojas, ’73, ’77. Beard, who received his bachelor’s degree in communications and a juris doctor degree from the UW School of Law, is a shareholder with Lane Powell Attorneys & Counselors. A Puyallup tribal member, Dr. Reed is the program director for the Kwowachee Counseling Center at the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UW. Riojas is the chief executive officer of Sea Mar Community Health Centers. He received bachelor’s degrees in political science and economics, and a master’s degree in health administration.

Also offering remarks during the event were Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity Sheila Edwards Lange and Executive Director of the UW Alumni Association Paul Rucker.

Following the panel discussion, students were able to network one-on-one with several other alumni in attendance.

View a photo gallery here.

Photos by Ian Gonzales

Sociology professor Alexes Harris has been selected to deliver the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity’s eighth annual Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture on Thursday, April 19. A reception will be held at 5 p.m. in the Odegaard Undergraduate Library (Room 220), followed by the lecture at 6:30 p.m. in Kane Hall (Room 110).

The event will be held in conjunction with Husky Fest, the University of Washington’s three-day, campus-wide celebration commemorating its 150^th anniversary.

Dr. Harris received degrees in the field of sociology from the UW (B.A., 1997) and the University of California, Los Angeles (M.A., 1999; Ph.D., 2002). Her research and teaching interests are in social stratification and inequality, the juvenile and criminal justice system, race and ethnicity, and qualitative research methods. She has authored and co-authored research articles in journals including the American Journal of Sociology, the American Sociological Review, Law and Society Review, the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, and Race and Society.

Dr. Harris is currently developing a book manuscript that investigates the imposition of monetary sanctions to persons convicted of felony offenses in the United States, and specifically in Washington state. She was recently honored by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as one of the magazine’s top “Under 40” scholars from around the country who are making their mark through teaching, research and service.

Inaugurated in 2005, this annual lecture is named in honor of the late Dr. Kelly, UW’s first Vice President for the Office of Minority Affairs (1970), and dedicated to acknowledging the work of distinguished faculty by spotlighting nationally recognized research focusing on diversity and social justice.

Past lecturers include Dr. Luis Fraga (Department of Political Science, 2011), Dr. Richard Ladner (Department of Computer Science and Engineering/Electrical Engineering/Linguistics, 2010), Dr. Biren (Ratnesh) Nagda (School of Social Work, 2009), Dr. Joy Williamson (College of Education, 2008), Dr. Karina Walters (School of Social Work, 2007), Dr. Devon G. Pena (Department of Anthropology/American Ethnic Studies, 2006), and Dr. Quintard Taylor (Department of History, 2005).

The lecture is free and open to the public. To register, please contact cpromad@uw.edu or call 206-685-9594 by April 12.

For more information, visit http://depts.washington.edu/omad/samuel-e-kelly-lecture/.

Read about the latest news and information on OMA&D programs, faculty, staff, students and alumni. Highlights in this edition include feature stories on faculty mentors, staff members who have set up scholarship endowments and a UW alum who is helping to renovate the ECC.  Read more…

“UW Chicas” team members Alexis Brendible, Veronica Rodriguez, Yesenia Rosales, and Erica Chavez Santos are the fall quarter “Scholarly, Meritorious Achievement Requires Teamwork” (S.M.A.R.T.) Challenge champions.  As winners of the challenge, the “UW Chicas” claimed the top prize over five other teams and will split a $1,000 scholarship.

Members of team “UW Chicas” are all science majors with ties to Eastern Washington.  Santos, team captain, is a neurobiology major from Brewster, Wash.  Brendible is a physiology major from Sumner, Wash., and Rodriguez and Rosales, both neurobiology majors, are from Royal City, Wash. and Cashmere, Wash., respectively.

The S.M.A.R.T. Challenge is not a “contest,” but a new way of thinking about how to achieve long-term educational and career goals.  Consequently, members of the OMA&D freshman and sophomore Challenge teams receive points by engaging in activities that will help each member attain academic success including group study; participating in professor office hours; meeting with advisors on a regular basis; participating in workshops and social events; and participating in research and volunteer experiences.

The next S.M.A.R.T. Challenge will occur spring quarter, 2012.