2026 PSO Annual Forum

• Psychological safety and 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 and orientation
  • Lead with curiosity.
  • Be open to experiencing some discomfort.
  • Recognize that multiple truths exist.
  • Expect and accept non-closures.
• Communication and 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.

Topic: Welcome Remarks and Land Acknowledgments

Speaker: Forum Planning Committee

Time: 12:00 pm

Topic: Juneteenth Presentation

Podcast: Identity Unboxed Podcast and Summer Series

Hosts: Tiana R. Cole and Brad Blackburn

Time:12:10 pm

(placeholder) Co‑hosts Tiana R. Cole and Brad Blackburn will introduce Identity Unboxed, a podcast and community platform dedicated to elevating authentic Black stories and experiences. They will share how the show advances representation, builds community partnerships, and creates space for intergenerational conversations about equity and social justice. Their Summer Series expands this mission by deepening dialogue and highlighting the voices shaping Black liberation today.

Topic: Welcome Remarks and Land Acknowledgments

Speaker: Forum Planning Committee

Time: 12:00 pm

Topic: (placeholder) Ethnic Studies

Speaker: Alexes Harris

Time: 12:10 pm

(placeholder) Please join Alexes Harris, Presidential Term Professor and Professor of Sociology, as she reflects on the legacy and ongoing impact of the student activism that transformed the University of Washington. Her efforts led directly to the creation of what is now the Department of American Ethnic Studies and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity—units that continue to shape equity and inclusion on campus. As an undergraduate, Professor Harris took several AES courses and experienced firsthand the power of the spaces, mentorship, and education that AES faculty and staff provide. Her perspective bridges the department’s history with its continued importance for students today.

Topic: Welcome Remarks and Land Acknowledgments’]

Speaker: Forum Planning Committee

Time: 10:00 am

Topic: Let’s Talk Place: A Conversation with UW Leadership on Place-Based Education

Speaker: Rickey Hall

Time: 10:10 am

(placeholder) Please join Rickey Hall, Vice President and University Diversity Officer for an engaging discussion on how place-based education can deepen belonging, strengthen community partnerships, and advance equity across the University of Washington. Attendees will gain insight into how understanding “place” shapes learning, leadership, and the student experience, and why it matters for the future of a more inclusive UW.

Topic: Lead with Authenticity: Reclaiming Space for Joy and Rest

Speakers: Sasha Duttchoudhury and Tyneshia Valdez

Time: 11:00 am

(placeholder) Please join Tynshia Valdez (HR Manager) and Sasha Duttchoudhury (Program Operations Specialist, UAA Resilience), this session explores what it means to lead from a place of authenticity while honoring the need for joy, rest, and restoration. Tynshia and Sasha will invite participants to reflect on the pressures that shape workplace identity, examine practices that support sustainable leadership, and create space for collective grounding. Together, they highlight how reclaiming rest is not only an act of self‑care but a powerful strategy for resilience and community well‑being.

Topic: Welcome Remarks and Land Acknowledgments

Speaker: Forum Planning Committee

Time: 11:00 am

Topic: (placeholder) The Whole U

Speaker: Lauren Updyke

Time: 11:10 am

(placeholder) Welcome Lauren Updyke, Director of Employee Experience for The Whole U, as she explores the practical strategies for cultivating resilience through movement, connection, and holistic well‑being. Drawing on The Whole U’s campuswide programs, Lauren highlights how small, sustainable habits—centered on health, joy, and community—can strengthen our capacity to navigate challenges. Her session invites participants to explore accessible ways to recharge, stay grounded, and support their overall wellness.

Topic: Community Connections with the UW Libraries

Speaker: Emilie Vrbancic

Time: 12:00 pm

(placeholder) Please join Emilie Vrbancic, Head of Student Success and 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.  

Topic: (placeholder) Officer of the OMBUD

Speaker: Chuck Sloane

Time: 1:00 pm

(placeholder) Please join Chuck Sloane, University Ombud, as he discusses the UW Office of the Ombud. The Ombud Office provides confidential, neutral, and informal space for students, faculty, and staff to navigate professional or academic conflicts. Offering guidance, mediation, and impartial coaching, Chuck helps individuals understand university policies, explore options, and move toward constructive resolution. The Ombud Office serves as a trusted resource for addressing concerns early, improving communication, and strengthening systems across the university.

Date: TBD

Time: TBD

Location: TBD (Seattle Campus)

Let’s close out the 2026 PSO Annual Forum by connecting with colleagues from across UW. This informal Meet and Greet offers a relaxed space to reflect, build community, and strengthen professional networks as we wrap up the forum together.

Alexes Harris, Presidential Term Professor, Professor of Sociology

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 

Chuck Sloane, University Ombud 

Pronouns: He/Him

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 and June, and their sheepdog “Yeti.” 

Emilie Vrbancic, Head of Student Success and Engagement

Pronouns: She/Her

vrbancic@uw.edu

Lauren Updyke, Director of Employee Experience (The Whole U)

Pronouns: She/Her

Hi everyone, I’m Lauren and my role is to lead our Employee Experience team encompassing The Whole U, UW Combined Fund Drive and WorkLife programs.

I have spent over 20 years of my career in Health and Wellness. I have a Masters in Exercise Physiology, am a Certified Personal trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine and have coached over 10,000 individuals online from all over the world. I worked with the wellness program at Duke University and Hospital for 13 years as a fitness and health education manager. I love being a Husky after 10+ years!

updykl@uw.edu

Rickey Hall, VP and University Diversity Officer

Pronouns: He/Him

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 and 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.

Photo coming soon.

Shasha Duttchoudhury, Program Operations Specialist UAA Resilience Lab

Pronouns: She/Her

“The most joyful part of my work is supporting staff well-being. Many staff at the UW are here for the mission and are “helpers” who thrive when supporting others. Being able to reframe service to others from inherently self-sacrificial to mutually beneficial, where our well-being is key part of how we help others has been healing for me as a lifelong “helper”.  I love getting to introduce the idea of “culture of well-being” to staff, because when we begin to see our well-being as important, we can experience grief for all the time where our well-being as be deprioritized. Our well-being is not only a personal responsibility, but a collective responsibility, and a biproduct of the environments and cultures around us. I love getting to create a culture of well-being in my work because it constantly challenges me to be better for myself as well.”

Photo coming soon.

Tyneshia Valdez, SPH: HSPop: Admin: AHR or Human Resources Manager

Pronouns: She/Her

“I am a proud alum of UW and have worked in HR at UW for 10 years. During that time, UW has watered a seed in me that I didn’t know existed. I’ve always been drawn to helping people, but my experiences here have helped that instinct grow into a deeper commitment to supporting, building, and uplifting communities.

Centering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in my work brings both purpose and joy. My time at UW has also given me space to reflect on my own journey as both an undergraduate student and a staff member. Some of those experiences were rough and jagged, and at times difficult to navigate. Those moments have shaped how I show up today and how I support others. I’m grateful to be in a place where I can learn from other DEIB leaders and help clear the path for individuals walking similar journeys.”