Dear UW Community,
This coming Monday marks our annual observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day – a day when we pause to reflect on Dr. King’s life and leadership, the values he called our nation to live up to, and the responsibilities we share as members of a public university committed to the common good.
Dr. King is often remembered for his inspiring words about justice and equality. Less often quoted, but no less powerful, is his reminder that progress is never the work of a single individual: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” This insight speaks to the work we do every day at the University of Washington.
At the UW, we understand excellence not as an abstract goal, but as something deeply connected to equity, justice and service. Our mission of learning, discovery and public impact depends on the full participation and flourishing of people from all backgrounds. When barriers limit opportunity for some, we are all diminished. When we work together to remove those barriers, we strengthen our entire world.
Across our three campuses, in our hospitals and clinics across Washington, in every corner of our state and far beyond, this commitment is evident. Through access and affordability initiatives like the Husky Promise, we strive to expand opportunity for students for whom income has historically been a barrier to higher education. Through scholarship, research and creative work, UW faculty and students confront inequities in health, education and economic opportunity. Through community partnerships and deep engagement, we seek not only to share knowledge, but to listen to, learn from and work alongside the communities we exist to serve.
Dr. King challenged us to measure our achievements by the impact of our service to others and by our willingness to contribute to something larger than ourselves. That call resonates strongly at the UW, where service is foundational to our identity as a public institution. Whether you are here to learn, teach, research, support students, strengthen our institution, advance patient care, or keep our campuses running smoothly, your service matters. It shapes lives, strengthens communities, and honors the promise of a more just and inclusive society.
This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I ask each of us to consider how we can live out these values—not just on this day of commemoration, but in our daily actions. Let us continue to build a university where collaboration is the highest virtue, where diversity is recognized as a source of strength, and where service guides our aspirations.
Thank you for all you do to advance the University of Washington’s public mission and to honor Dr. King’s enduring legacy through your work.
Sincerely,
Robert J. Jones
President