Welcome to the 2026 PSO Annual Forum hosted by the UW Professional Staff Organization!
Coming Together: Building Resilient, Connected, and Empowered Communities
Join colleagues from across the University of Washington for the Professional Staff Organization (PSO) Annual Forum, a two-day opportunity to connect, learn, and build community together.
This year’s forum is grounded in a simple idea: that resilience and empowerment grow through connection. Rather than adding to your workload, the forum offers a flexible space to step into conversation, reflection, and learning at your own pace. Participants are invited to attend sessions that resonate most—whether that’s one conversation or the full experience.
Throughout the forum, you’ll engage with campus leaders, scholars, and colleagues in sessions designed to spark dialogue, share knowledge, and highlight the strengths of our professional staff community. It’s also an opportunity to learn from one another’s experiences navigating the UW—gaining insight into how colleagues access resources, build relationships, and move through the institution in ways that support their work and well-being.
The forum emphasizes place-based learning, encouraging participants to connect more deeply with UW as a living environment. Sessions will highlight campus spaces, resources, and programs that support well-being, learning, and professional growth—helping you better understand and engage with the university community around you.
Whether you’re looking to build new connections, learn something new, or simply take a moment to reconnect with your colleagues and surroundings, the PSO Annual Forum offers space to do so in ways that feel meaningful and manageable.
We invite you to join us—however it works best for you—as we come together to strengthen our community.
The PSO Annual Forum is developed by professional staff, but it’s open to every member of the UW community who believes in this work, who wants things to feel better, and who’s ready to help us imagine what growing whole really looks like.
We’d love for you to join us.
Details
🌸Forum registration link: https://wholeu.admin.washington.edu/uwnetid/twuext/EventRegister.aspx?regid=&eventid=1921&eventsessionid=
👥Who: All members of the UW community are welcome! We look forward to learning and growing together.
⏰Time:
April 21 12:30-4:45 PM
April 22 9 AM – 3 PM
April 24 2:30-5 PM
Join us for as many sessions as you can—you’re welcome even if you can’t attend them all!
📍Location: Online via Zoom (link provided upon registration) — IN PERSON INFORMATION TBD
🎧Spotify Playlist: Annual Forum Playlist
Padlet Board: Interactive Engagement
💰Cost: Free (Suggested donation $5–$8). This event is made possible entirely through payroll contributions and donations to the Professional Staff Organization. Your support helps sustain future programming.
🎁Donate here: PSO Contribution Form
❓For questions, contact: psoboard@uw.edu
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- Psychological safety & self-care
- Take the time you need to take care of yourself.
- Be mindful of your surroundings and your fellow participants.
- What happens here stays here, but what’s learned here leaves here.
- Mindset & orientation
- Lead with curiosity.
- Be open to experiencing some discomfort.
- Recognize that multiple truths exist.
- Expect and accept non-closures.
- Communication & participation
- Listen to understand, not to respond.
- Speak your own experience (“I” statements) and participate to the fullest of your ability.
- When speaking, recognize that your impact on others may be different than your intent.
- Before speaking, ask yourself “How will this bring value to the conversation?”
- Share the story, not the name.
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Day One: April 21, 2026
Speaker: Forum Planning Committee
Please join Emilie Vrbancic, Head of Student Success & Engagement, to hear how the UW Libraries can support your work and life-long learning at UW. From community-centered collections, to privileges and resources for staff, to enriching events, there’s something for everyone at the UW Libraries. Participants will take away tangible steps to connect with the wealth of resources the UW Libraries has to offer.
Day Two: April 22, 2026
Speaker: Forum Planning Committee
Speaker: Chuck Sloan
Speakers: Sasha Duttchoudhury and Tyneshia Valdez
Speaker: Lauren Updyke
Optional : April 24, 2026 IN- PERSON (Location TBD, Seattle Campus)
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Speaker Bios
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Pronouns: She/Her
Alexes Harris is the Presidential Term Professor and Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington. Dr. Harris’ work has spanned the criminal legal system, including juvenile and adult case processing outcomes, prosecutorial and judicial discretion, and monetary sanctions. Her research fundamentally centers on issues of inequality, poverty, and race in United States’ legal systems. Her book, A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as a Punishment for the Poor is the first book to detail the ways in which sentenced fines and fees put an undue burden on disadvantaged populations and place them under even greater supervision of the criminal legal system.
As a result of her research findings, Dr. Harris has been appointed to serve on several federal advisory boards and has also been called to testify for numerous state and federal governing bodies about inequalities in the criminal legal system. Dr. Harris was inducted into the Washington State Academy of Sciences (2017) and was the chair of the Washington State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights (2017-2024). She received the UW’s Distinguished Teaching Award (2018). In 2019, Dr. Harris was appointed as the UW Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR). In 2021, she served Special Adviser to the Provost and served as the inaugural Director of the Faculty Development Program (FDP) through 2025. In 2022, Professor Harris was appointed by WA State Governor Inslee to be the first Faculty Regent to serve on the UW Board of Regents. She chaired the Board of Regents’ Advisory Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2023-2025). Most recently, in 2025, she was appointed Chair of the UW American Ethnic Studies Department.
Professor Harris is a proud local Seattleite, she graduated from Garfield High School in 1993, earned her B.A degree from the University of Washington in 1997, and received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2002. She served as a researcher in a postdoc position in the sociology department at UW from 2002-2004, and has been a professor at the University of Washington since 2004, promoted to full professor in 2016.
Equally important to her academic background is the deep connection between her personal and political formation and the history of the University of Washington’s American Ethnic Studies Department. Prior to beginning her undergraduate studies at UW, she served as the volunteer coordinator for Larry Gossett’s 1993 campaign for King County Council and subsequently interned in his office for three years while a student at the UW. Through her relationship with Mr. Gossett—whom she considers a political mentor—she learned firsthand about the history of political organizing in Seattle and learned from the “Gang of Four;” Bernie Whitebear, Bob Santos, and Roberto Maestas as well as many other community organizers. Their collective efforts were instrumental in transforming the University of Washington and led directly to the creation of what is now the Department of American Ethnic Studies and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity. She also took several AES courses as an undergraduate and personally knows the importance of the education and spaces AES faculty and staff provide to students on our campus.
Work: yharris@uw.edu
Consulting: alexesharris@gmail.com
Website: Alexes-harris.com
Twitter: @alexesharris
Rickey Hall was appointed as the eighth vice president for minority affairs and diversity and the university diversity officer at the University of Washington effective Aug. 1, 2016.
Hall leads the university’s equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts, and plays a key role in advancing institutional excellence. He has oversight of the UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) which administers programs that broaden college access, support student success and enhance diversity-related teaching and learning across campus. As the university diversity officer, Hall also works collaboratively with and serves as a resource for the UW campuses, colleges and administrative units as they establish, coordinate and assess their contributions to institutional diversity goals.
Hall has over 25 years of experience in higher education and is involved with a number of national organizations including the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and a trustee on the ACPA College Student Educators International Foundation board.
Hall came to the UW after serving as the inaugural vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for three years. Prior to that role, he served for six years as the assistant vice president for equity and diversity at the University of Minnesota.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies and a master’s degree in higher education, both from the University of Iowa.
Chuck Sloane (he/him), University Ombud
Chuck Sloane serves as the University Ombud. Chuck received his master of science degree in clinical psychology from Pacific University and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Washington. Chuck previously worked as a Deputy Ombudsman for King County and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Chuck enjoys helping students, staff, and faculty members find success in the midst of challenging situations. On the weekends, Chuck can be found at the park with his wife Karen, kids — Makhai & June, and their sheepdog “Yeti.”
Pronouns: He/Him
My time at UW and as an athlete was a pivotal chapter in my life. When I stepped away from football, I was almost frightened when I saw the lack of real-world experience I had. I looked at my resume and could only put NFL on there, but what I soon came to realize is that what I learned through athletics set me up for success in whatever I chose to do.
My leadership style is heavily relational and encouraging. Acknowledging the heaviness of life and whatever job you’re doing while simultaneously calling them higher.
I think the biggest aspect of the professional path I’m in now that brought clarity is how when I took the step of faith to take this job, it in turn revealed giftings and passions I didn’t even know I had, making it clear this was where I am supposed to be.
One interesting fact about me is that I found true fulfillment and happiness after I was in the NFL
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Professional Staff Organization
Whole U
Accessibility
We want this forum to feel welcoming and accessible for everyone. If there’s anything you need to fully participate, please reach out to the PSO Board—we’re happy to help.