Dear Alumni, Colleagues, and Friends,
Reflecting on the past year, I am grateful for the engagement and encouragement received from our alumni and OMA&D community. Likewise, I have such respect for the determination and resilience of our students, faculty, and staff. Your support, talents, and leadership are inspirational and give us hope of a better tomorrow.
The new year brings us new hope, and new opportunities to look forward – to imagine how together we can continue to create a more just and equitable campus, community, and world for us all. However, it takes more than hope to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. It takes persistence and work. That is why we measure our success in terms of impact and outcomes. Thank you for your work and contributions to broadening access, to student success, and deepening the impact of OMA&D programs and services. Together we are the difference that makes a difference.
As we enter this new year, there are a couple special events we want to make you aware of. This year the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center is celebrating its golden anniversary. There are an array of programs scheduled to acknowledge 50 years of service to UW students, to commemorate those who helped make the Kelly ECC possible, and to share a vision for the next 50 years. In May, it is our plan to return in-person for our annual Celebration Gala where we will celebrate student excellence through scholarship awards, and honor the 2022 Charles E. Odegaard award recipient, Frank Irigon. These are a couple things to which we can look forward. Most of all, I am looking forward to being in community with you. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2022.
Sincerely,
Rickey Hall
VP for OMA&D | University Diversity Officer