First-year Interest Groups celebrate 30 years of shaping student experience

Dr. Lovenoor Aulk presents his data to UAA staff at the 30-year anniversary celebration of Freshman Interest Groups. According to his team’s study, FIGS increase the graduation rates for undergraduate students, especially those in the underrepresented demographic. Photo by Bryan Nakata.

Among this year’s milestones for Undergraduate Academic Affairs is the 30^th anniversary of First-Year Interest Groups, formerly known as Freshman Interest Groups. To mark the occasion, First Year Programs hosted an event marked by lively conversations between attendees led by FIG leaders, a faculty panel discussion and a presentation of a recent study that demonstrates the FIG program’s impact on undergraduate student persistence through to graduation.

First Year Programs created FIGs in 1987 as a way for students to find a smaller, more connected community within the large university. In FIGs, a cluster of courses are linked with peer instructors, who are typically upperclassmen who help guide the new students through the university setting. These 2-credit general studies courses have continued expanding since its inception, starting as four clusters and growing to more than 150 today: About 48% of first-year students enroll in a FIG.

For the anniversary, new data was released on FIGs by the UW DataLab, which demonstrated just how integral FIGs have been for the UW. The study was led by Lovenoor Aulk, a Ph.D. student in informatics science, and looked at an estimated 58,000 students between 1998 and 2018.

Results of the research showed that students who participated in FIGs have a higher chance of re-enrollment compared to their counterparts: 94% of students who participated in FIGs re-enrolled the following quarter, 3% higher than those not in FIGs.

This trend was also reflected in graduation rates; those who participated in the FIG program saw a 6% increase in the likelihood of graduating within 6 years. The greatest impact was shown with underrepresented student demographics.

“When looking at underrepresented students, the differences are huge,” Aulk said at the event while presenting his team’s findings. “There’s a 14% difference in graduation rates — [that’s] double digits.”

FIG students gathering 1997 — Archive photo of students gathering for their FIGs, circa 1997. Photo Courtesy First Year Programs at the University of Washington.

For the University of Washington, which is already 30% above the national average for six-year graduation rates, the impact FIGs have for underrepresented students is increasing in importance. Students from this demographic graduate at lower rates than their peers, and FIGs increase their chances greatly. In addition, since 2006 the enrollment of underrepresented and international students rose by 6% and 13%, respectively. This means that more students of color are coming to the school and will look to the program to help them navigate their first quarter.

For both international and minority students, it can be especially challenging to connect with others during their first year. Nearly half of students in the study said that FIGs succeeded most by helping them make friends and find community.

“There was a different energy because they were walking in [to class] together,” said panelist Dr. Andrea Carroll, senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry. “You can see that community feeling… that’s huge.”

On the other side, the program is an opportunity for older students to practice teaching skills and make valuable connections. One such student, Alyssa Eckroth, enjoyed teaching her FIG so much that she is already preparing for another one next fall.

“I had one student come up to me and say ‘this is the best class I’ve ever taken,” Eckroth said. “It made my heart feel warm.”

Whether the focus is on graduation rates, peer-led courses or student experience, the FIG program has positively shaped our university — and will continue to do so in years to come.

“First Year Programs’ mission is really to think about strategic programming for all undergraduate students: freshman, transfer, first generation, low income and international students,” LeAnne Wiles, director of First Year Programs said at the event. “To think about how they can strategically plug into the university and aim to have a smoother transition while they’re here.”

The FIG program is one way — and a successful one at that — to achieve that smooth transition for new students.

My Luce year in Cambodia

Varsha In Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

Varsha Govindaraju’s year as a Luce Scholar was a rollercoaster. As the sole scholar in Cambodia, she navigated a new culture, lived in a developing nation and adapted to a challenging work environment. At the same time, it was thrilling. She solidified her beliefs and goals; taught Indian dance to a group of Khmer teachers and parents; learned Khmer; formed a group of like-minded friends; became the proud owner of a motorbike and reconnected with family in India.

Varsha (’15, anthropology and law, societies and justice) spent her first two months in Cambodia studying the Khmer language in Siem Reap. As the only student in her class, and one of two non-Khmer students in the entire language school, Varsha noticed people staring at her. Constantly. She asked her language teacher why.

My Khmer teacher told me that people are staring because they are trying to understand me or something about me, and it’s not normally considered rude. She also said it might be because I’m Indian and have dark skin.

This explanation helped her understand why making friends in Siem Reap was difficult. According to past Luce Scholars, studying Khmer in cafes would pique people’s interest, prompting them to strike up a conversation. Varsha was met with more stares.

After two months of acclimating to Cambodian life in the smaller city of Siem Reap, Varsha was excited to move to the capital Phnom Penh. There, she would start her work placement at the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center.

Gallery: Life in Siem Reap

Varsha poses with her language teachers.

Students stand on one leg, stretching their right quad.

Safety first! Varsha models her motorcycle helmet.

Working to address gender-based violence in Cambodia

As an undergraduate, Varsha worked with victims of gender-based violence through SARVA (Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Activists). Because of this experience and her interest in learning about domestic violence in other cultures, the Luce Program placed Varsha at the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center.

Designed for emerging leaders with little to no experience in Asia, the Luce Scholars Program provides stipends, language training and individualized job placements in countries throughout Asia. The year begins with an orientation, and Luce Scholars have several opportunities to meet throughout the year.

Working for the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center (CWCC) is where I had to adapt the most. After working at several jobs that emphasized productivity and efficiency, I became immersed in a professional culture that valued face-to-face communication and relationships above all. My email savvy was no longer helpful, as in-person communication was where the real work got done. In our office converted from a Khmer house, I found myself walking up the narrow stairs to talk about a specific project and often ended up learning or making progress on something entirely different. I’ve come to value the relationships I built with my coworkers and the importance of learning directly from them.

At the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center, Varsha wrote grants and rewrote English documents to be more effective fundraising tools. While Varsha recognized the importance of this work, she was eager to get out into the field and work with local communities.

Through various outreach programs, I traveled to villages outside Phnom Penh and Kampong Thom, to meet and chat with men who are abusers in their communities as they receive anger management training. Meeting these men was initially incredibly uncomfortable, as one even showed up drunk to the training. However, their commitment to changing their behavior was stunning. I met wives who spoke frankly in women’s support groups about their husbands still beating them, and yet they still managed to host events in their village to help other women. These conversations, while difficult due to my limited Khmer abilities, have given me direct insight into rural domestic violence issues and how CWCC can help. My Khmer language training gives me the opportunity to not only understand what people are saying, but laugh with them, cry with them, and show I care enough to try and communicate.

For UN Women’s Day, CWCC hosted a march through a rural village near Kampong Thom, involving the community to stop cycles of domestic violence.

A changing perspective

Going into her Luce year, Varsha was considering a career in international law. However, over the course of her work in Cambodia, she came to believe that locals are the best equipped people to help their communities. As a foreigner, she could never have the same innate understanding of the culture. To that end, Varsha is now in law school at the UW, on a William H. Gates Public Service Law Program scholarship, with the goal of being a public defender.

Moving to Cambodia, leaving the traditional path to move abroad for a year has been about investing in myself. I’m the first to say that being in a developing country from a privileged background can be a difficult adjustment, and it’s not for a lot of people if they don’t hold the right mindset. If you let every time you vomit, see bugs and run into trash on the streets define your experience in the country, you’re going to have an awful time. But, if you take it as an opportunity to understand poverty, development, and recognize the privileges your home country brings you, you’ll leave forever changed.

Gallery: Life in Phnom Penh, traveling through Asia and making friends

Learn more about scholarship opportunities at UW
The Luce Scholars Program application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards. The UW campus application process for students interested in Luce Program (and other scholarships supporting graduate studies, research, and community engagement around the world) will get started this spring for 2019-20 awards. Learn more through the Global Fellowships Prep program.

UW seniors Tobi Du and Caleb Huffman selected as China’s Yenching Academy scholars

University of Washington seniors Tobi Du and Caleb Huffman will join approximately 125 scholars from around the world as part of the Yenching Academy of Peking University’s 2018-19 cohort. A U.S. News & World Report poll ranked Peking University the fifth best global university in Asia, and second-best university in China. The opportunity to join Yenching Academy is highly competitive. In 2017, only 4 out of 124 Yenching Academy Scholars from the states studied at public research universities in the United States.

Launched by China’s Peking University in 2014, the Academy aims to build bridges between China and the rest of the world by educating the next generation of leaders and innovators. As Yenching Scholars, students design their own research in humanities or social sciences, take language classes and study China’s past, present and future. The 1-2 year program culminates with students earning a master’s degree in China studies. In addition to covering the costs of tuition, the award includes round trip air travel from the student’s home country, housing on campus and living costs.

“Undergraduate education at the UW aspires to prepare students for cross-cultural leadership, scholarship and impact in the world,” explains Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. “We are so proud of Tobi and Caleb for this recognition of their accomplishments-to-date as well as the promise of their future work and impact in the world.”

This opportunity for a focused look into China’s role in the world closely aligns with both Du’s and Huffman’s academic interests and future career goals.

Tobi Du

Major: Political science (departmental honors)
Expected graduation: June ’18

A Taiwanese-American student studying political science with a focus on international security, Du plans to pursue a career in diplomacy and policymaking as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State. While at Yenching Academy, Du seeks to study the role of China in global politics, envisioning a close diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and China as critical to the international community. “[The Yenching Academy] will strengthen my personal and professional development by honing my cultural adaptability and personal resilience, and provide a basis for future intensive international assignments,” says Du. “The regional expertise that I will gain from this program is invaluable to my potential career as a diplomat.”

To deepen her knowledge about East Asia, the Sammamish native served as a project leader in her Korean Peninsula and World Politics course and studied the construction of Japanese identity in Tokyo via an Honors Program study abroad class. She is currently writing her honors research thesis about how North Korean domestic political changes and Kim Jong-un’s external and internal threat perceptions have affected the country’s accelerating nuclear and ballistic missile agenda.

Beyond her studies, Du is focused on giving back to the community. She serves as volunteer director for the UW Foundation’s Senior Class Gift Council and is a lead of a local Family Readiness Group, connecting families of soldiers with information from their commanders.

Caleb Huffman

Majors: Political science, communication (college honors)
Expected graduation: June 2018

Originally from Onalaska, WA, Huffman’s eagerness to build bridges between cultures prompted him to take advantage of any and all foreign-service-related opportunities. As a freshman, he was selected as a Gilman Scholar to study human migration in Rome and Amsterdam. He next served as a Husky Presidential Ambassador, traveling to Tsinghua University in Beijing and went on to earn a fellowship with the U.S.-China Initiative Student Fellows program at Georgetown. There, he attended conferences with senior U.S. and Chinese diplomats in Washington D.C. and Beijing. Most recently, he served as a delegate as part of the Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford, attending conferences at Stanford and Peking University. Huffman believes that the U.S.-China relationship will be a critical, and perhaps, the most important bilateral relationship of his lifetime. He is eager to improve his Mandarin skills and gain a better understanding of Chinese law, history and culture.

“Studying China’s legal system at Yenching Academy will be my foundational study of a legal system (my master’s degree will be in Chinese law and society), the first of many ventures examining legal systems around the world. I aim to be a leader, one who sees a vision of what could be with an ability to understand what is, while always working to persuade others to change what is because of what could be.”

Huffman’s interest in cross-cultural leadership and international policy led him to double major in political science and communication. His future plans include pursuing a degree in international law, with the aim of holding an influential role in American foreign relation’s peace-building efforts.

Learn more about scholarship opportunities at UW
The Yenching Academy application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards. The UW campus application process for students interested in Yenching Academy (and other scholarships supporting graduate studies around the world) will get started this spring for 2019-20 awards. Watch for updates about OMSFA’s Global Fellowships Prep program.

Find inspiration through audio from the 2018 Leadership Firesides

Husky Leadership Initiative Leadership Firesides offer ongoing opportunities for students to engage in meaningful dialogue with a diverse range of civic, corporate and campus leaders in an informal setting. These leaders share their personal journeys and perspectives on leadership and become momentary mentors for students attending the event. The Firesides are a way for students to learn more about and reflect on leadership and build their leadership competencies and confidence.

The Husky Leadership Initiative is pleased to be a partner of the UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity’s (OMA&D) 50^th anniversary festivities in 2018. To recognize this milestone, the winter quarter Fireside series showcased five influential alumni who were impacted by OMA&D programs and/or served as champions of diversity, equity and inclusion during their time at the UW. Mentioned here are three of these alumni, whose unique stories of leadership captured the attention of students in attendance. We were also fortunate enough to host Attorney General Bob Ferguson, another University of Washington alumnus, who shared stories ranging from being a chess master to filing a lawsuit against the federal government.

The audio recordings, photographs and biographies of these speakers can be found below.

Franklin Donahoe

Franklin Donahoe is chief information security officer at Mylan Pharmaceuticals. He has more than 25 years of experience in cyber and physical security, as well as military service in the United States Marine Corps. He is the former director of information security architecture and design and risk management at T–Mobile USA and manager with Deliotte and Protiviti consulting firms and also the former chief information security officer of Costco Wholesale. Franklin has experience developing and executing strategy, operations and budgets for the protection of enterprise information assets and managing security programs.

He is the principal and founder of Donahoe Advisory Group, a cybersecurity consulting firm offering executive level consulting, as well as deep technical security penetration testing for IT, industrial and IOT systems.

Franklin is the commissioner for Washington State African Affairs, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and two masters’ degrees from Carnegie Mellon University.

Franklin Donahoe speaks during one of the 2018 Leadership Firesides.

Magdalena Fonseca

Magdelena Fonseca is the interim director for the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity’s (OMA&D) Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center.

Fonseca has been particularly instrumental in leading OMA&D’s efforts to better serve and support undocumented students on the UW campus. Her early work in this area started quietly, but as time passed and laws changed, she helped bring greater visibility to both the needs of undocumented students and the ways in which faculty and staff can serve as allies. Her efforts have been led by the creation of the Kelly ECC’s Leadership Without Borders Center, which offers a space for connecting undocumented students to campus and community resources, as well as leadership development resources and peer advising.

Fonseca’s contributions extend into the community as well. She is co-chair of the UW Latino/a Faculty Staff Association, and through a partnership with a Seattle organization called YouthCare, has volunteered at a transitional home center where undocumented, unattended youth stayed until being united with family.

Magdalena Fonseca speaks during one of the 2018 Leadership Firesides.

A student listens during one of the 2018 Leadership Firesides.

Anita Johnson-Connell

Dr. Connell completed her undergraduate degree, medical school and residency program at the UW, and has given back to her community both professionally and philanthropically. Since 1982, Dr. Connell has run her own private OB/GYN practice in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood. She delivered babies until 2004 and now focuses primarily on surgery and office gynecology at her Johnson Connell Clinic for Women in the Nordstrom Tower. Among the highlights of her very successful career was delivering the youngest son and grandson of one of her UW mentors and friends, Dr. Samuel E. Kelly.

While she was an undergraduate student at the UW in the late 1960s, Dr. Connell was among a group of African-American and minority students who chartered the first Black Student Union and, in doing so, helped build a springboard for the development of what is now OMA&D. When she began her studies at the UW Medical School, she was part of the largest class of women to have ever been accepted to the program, but was just one of three African-American females. She overcame the challenges of opening up her own practice during a time when few female doctors even practiced in the Seattle area.

On top of juggling a solo practice and raising her family, Dr. Connell makes sure to always remain accessible to the community. She has been a keynote speaker for various events, raising awareness of women’s health issues and education. In addition to serving as a member of various professional associations, her most recent community involvement has focused on working with the Seattle chapter of Links, Inc., a predominantly African-American women’s organization that gives back to the community in many ways.

Anita Johnson Connell speaks during one of the 2018 Leadership Firesides.

A student listens during a Leader Fireside event in 2018

Bob Ferguson

Bob Ferguson is Washington state’s 18th attorney general. As the state’s chief legal officer, Ferguson is committed to protecting the people of Washington against powerful interests that don’t play by the rules. He is a fourth-generation Washingtonian, a graduate of the University of Washington and the New York University law school. Ferguson began his legal career in Spokane. He clerked for two federal judges before returning to Seattle to join Preston, Gates, and Ellis (now K&L Gates) where his civil litigation practice included work on behalf of taxpayers, corporations and small businesses. In addition, Ferguson is an internationally rated chess master and twice won the Washington State Chess Championship.

Videos and photos from MLK Week 2018

The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continues with demonstrations of strength, resiliency and compassion. During MLK week, University of Washington students, faculty and staff partnered with surrounding communities to serve and lead together. From prepping food at meal centers and cleaning up neighborhood centers to sharing their stories through the creativity of hip hop and performance poetry, see the different ways they worked toward creating a more beloved community.

Video highlights from MLK Week

Video by Bryan Nakata, UAA Digital Media Producer

Photo highlights from MLK Week

Enjoy these photos of the students, community members and others in events designed to honor the memory of MLK through service.

Birthday Kickoff and Mobile Museum

A celebration of King’s birthday helped kickoff the week, along with the return of the mobile museum. The museum, which exhibits more than 150 rare artifacts, had a specific focus on 1968, the year of King’s death.

A student gets cake from the MLK birthday event at the Samuel Kelly Cultural Center.

A student eats birthday cake from 2018 MLK Week.

Students look at items during the MLK Mobile Museum event.

Day of Service

Each year, the University of Washington and the United Way of King County host the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Through this event, nearly 2,000 volunteers provide vital people-power to organizations that support our county’s most vulnerable populations.

Students from the honors program organize paintings during MLK Week 2018.

Students pose while preparing food during MLK week 2018.

A student cleans a wall during MLK Week 2018.

A Student shreds onions during MLK Week 2018.

Students from the honors program pose during MLK Week 2018

A worker takes out food during MLK Week 2018.

Joe Carolus from OSL speaks to students during MLK Week 2018.

A student washes dishes at OSL food preparation center during MLK Week 2018.

Students and a volunteer pose at Fremont Arts Center during MLK Week 2018.

Hip Hop Show

To close #UWMLKWeek, the UW Hip Hop Student Association produced the “Still Dreaming” showcase to honor the messages that King presented to the world in his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Davon White speaks at the Hip Hop show during MLK Week 2018.

A woman sings at the Hip Hop show during MLK Week 2018.

A student reads a poem at the Hip Hop show during MLK Week 2018.

A student DJs at the Hip Hop show during MLK Week 2018.

Troy Osaki speaks at the Hip Hop show during MLK Week 2018.

All photos by Bryan Nakata, UAA Digital Media Producer

UW senior Timothy Welsh selected to be 1 of 15 Churchill Scholars nationally

Photo of Timothy Welsh — Timothy Welsh is the University of Washington’s most recent Churchill Scholar. Photo: Bryan Nakata

A Pacific Northwest native, Timothy Welsh grew up fascinated by the natural world. Over the years, his career goals transitioned from geology to forestry, until he discovered chemistry.

“What made me finally decide on chemistry as the path for me is an appreciation for the remarkable microscopic and biochemical functions that are crucial to every aspect of interactions between the biotic and abiotic environment.”

A triple-major in chemistry, biochemistry, and applied and computational mathematical sciences, and Honors student, Welsh’s research endeavors seek to better understand some of the biochemical mechanisms underlying these processes. “Elucidating these mechanisms will not only deepen our understanding of nature, but I believe will help provide solutions to some of the biggest problems facing the human race,” he says. Welsh’s drive to discover led to his selection as a Churchill Scholar.

An extremely competitive award — Welsh is one of only 15 in the country — Churchill scholars are selected for their proven talent in research and ability to make significant contributions in the sciences, engineering or mathematics. Welsh was selected from 101 applicants for this scholarship, which covers full tuition for one year of master’s study at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge; a stipend; travel costs; and a chance to apply for a $2,000 special research grant.

“Receiving the Churchill is truly a great honor. I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to pursue research at Cambridge, and I believe that the academic environment at Cambridge will teach me what it means to be a global research collaborator and will set me up to be successful for the rest of my academic career.”

—Timothy Welsh

Welsh first worked in a lab as a high school student during a summer internship at the Oregon Health & Sciences University, and has been researching ever since, working in labs from the UW to Switzerland. In 2017, Welsh published a first-author paper, sharing the results of his summertime work in Dr. Walter Loveland’s nuclear chemistry lab at Oregon State University. Currently a member of Professor Stefan Stoll’s lab, Welsh’s research now focuses on developing techniques to determine the structure and changing shapes of proteins.

“The Churchill scholarship,” says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, “is a prestigious opportunity for Timothy to continue working toward understanding our world in critical ways. It reflects his ambition and capabilities and also reflects well on the mentorship he’s experienced as an undergraduate researcher. The UW’s research community and campus-at-large are proud of Timothy and encourage him as he continues to live out UW’s mission at Cambridge.”

As a Churchill scholar, Welsh will complete a master’s degree in chemistry at Cambridge. There, Welsh will join the lab of Professor Tuomas Knowles — a leader in the field of microfluidic techniques within biophysics — to study properties of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granule formation and propagation. Building on his past research experiences, Welsh plans to use microfluidic techniques to better understand how granules function within the cell, both when healthy and when mutated. The long-term goal of this research is to better understand how these mutations are related to neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS and Huntington’s.

After earning his master’s at Cambridge, he plans to return to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. with an emphasis in chemical biology. He hopes to one day educate the public about the importance of the microscopic biochemical world and act as a liaison between scientists and policy makers.

The Churchill Scholarship application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.

The UW campus application process for students interested in the Churchill Scholarship (and other scholarships supporting studies in the UK) is open for 2019-20 awards.

2016-17 President’s Medalists announced

For nearly 40 years, the University of Washington has celebrated the top undergraduate in each class by awarding them the President’s Medalist distinction. Selected by a committee for their high GPA, rigor of their classes and number of Honors courses, this year’s recipients feature three well-rounded students who excel in both the sciences and the arts. Freshman medalist Grace Wang is an aspiring pediatrician with a strong background in violin and visual art. Sophomore medalist, Isabelle Tully wants to be a psychology professor by day and poet by night. And junior medalist, Alder Strange splits her time between the lab and stage as a biochemistry and musical theater double major. These exceptional students will be recognized at a reception with President Ana Mari Cauce, and this award will be listed on the student’s permanent academic record.

Meet this year’s medalists:

Grace Wang, freshman medalist

Major: biochemistry (pre-med)
Expected graduation: 2020

Growing up in the Waldorf educational tradition, Grace Wang learned early on the importance of having children explore the world through their own senses. This natural curiosity and excitement for learning drew her to the interdisciplinary Honors Program, which integrates discussion-based learning and experiential learning. A pre-med biochemistry student with the goal of becoming a pediatrician, Wang recently joined a qualitative clinical research team at Seattle Children’s. Along with her team, she is working on improving care coordination for medically complex cases through cloud-based care plans. Outside of research, Wang plays violin in chamber groups on campus and even started her own business teaching violin to children. An avid artist, she also volunteers as an illustrator for the undergraduate neuroscience journal, Grey Matters, where she is able to combine her love of art with her interest in scientific research. For now, her dedication to helping people is clear. She is a founding member of Synapse at the University of Washington, an organization that connects people with traumatic brain injuries to resources in the greater community, and volunteers as a healing music volunteer at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). In this role, she plays welcoming and soothing violin music in waiting rooms throughout SCCA.

Isabelle Tully, sophomore medalist

Major: psychology
Minor: writing
Expected graduation: 2019

Going to college can be daunting, especially when you come in as a younger student through the Robinson Center’s UW Academy, which is exactly what Isabelle Tully did. However, Tully worked hard to find her place. “I live with a group of wonderful roommates and am so thankful to be in such a supportive environment on campus…. The people and opportunities I am surrounded with have confirmed choosing this path was the right decision.” The psychology major recently joined Dr. Lori Zoellner’s lab to work on Project STEP and Dr. Lynn Katz’s lab as a research assistant for a study on children who display low pro-social behavior. Under the guidance of Dr. Curtis Hisayasu and Dr. Henry Laufenberg, Tully discovered her passion for teaching while working as a teaching assistant for UW Academy students. This combination of research and teaching solidified Tully’s career goal: working in academia as a psychology professor and researcher. Eager to take advantage of the opportunities available at UW, Tully tried a couple of service learning classes, and discovered two wonderful organizations — Seattle Against Slavery (part of a class on human trafficking class) and the North Helpline Food Bank (part of a sociology class.) Tully’s love of experiential learning also led her to a study abroad trip through Italy, studying migration across the Mediterranean Sea, which she describes as “life-changing.” A writing minor, Tully hopes to one day publish a book of poetry in addition to her academic career.

Alder Strange, junior medalist

Majors: biochemistry, musical theater
Expected graduation: 2020

Hailing from Seattle, Strange dreamt of attending the UW as a little girl. Now that she is a Husky, Strange is taking advantage of all the opportunities: “I have many diverse passions, and I am thrilled to be able to pursue so many of them at UW.” A biochemistry and musical theater double major, Strange also participates in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program. Through Honors, she’s taken advantage of several unique learning-beyond-the-classroom opportunities, including a natural history field study course and study abroad trip to Ecuador. Outside of class, you can catch Strange in one of her many co-curriculars: In the lab, as a researcher in Dr. Cole DeForest’s lab where she investigates the application of a new protein to the hydgrogel-based systems of drug delivery. On the soccer field, as a regular member of her pick-up soccer team. At her old elementary school with Professor Marjorie Olmstead, teaching math to students. And, on stage, as part of the UW’s production of Anything Goes. With the long-term goal of being a pediatrician and researcher, she is excited to draw from her broad interests to find balance.

Let MLK week inspire the birth of a new set of values

One of the few days my mother wept in my presence was April 4, 1968, the day Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in Memphis, Tennessee. Fifty years ago this year. When I think of Dr. King’s life and death, I often think of women like my mother who seemed to hold undisclosed and unnoticed stories of suffering.

Black women of my mother’s time held true to a quest for positive identities, complicated by the overlapping oppression of race, class and gender. They were brave survivors who lived under the shadow of oppression but did not lose their faith or humanity. The memory of their efforts, routinely missing in history, is coming to light now.

In the closing comments of his final book, “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community,” Dr. King wrote: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. … This may well be mankind’s last chance to choose between chaos or community.” According to him, “For its very survival’s sake, America must re-examine old presuppositions and release itself from many things that for centuries have been held sacred. For the evils of racism, poverty and militarism to die, a new set of values must be born.”

Photo of civil rights protestor and police dog. — Police dog attacks a civil rights protester.

I think about some of those key phrases and ideas in a 2018 context: “the fierce urgency of now;” “chaos or community;” a re-examination of our values. Our values and habits relating to women must change. It can start by seeing truth in the overlooked contributions women made to the civil rights movement. Dr. King’s call to moral vision without hubris asks us to see that the historical images of the most dramatic moments of the civil rights movement — protesters blasted by fire hoses and dogs lunging at Black people — are often images of women and girls.

Photo of nine students who integrated Little Rock High School in 1957 — Little Rock Nine and Daisy Bates posed in living room. Photo from Library of Congress archives.

The 1957 image of six young Black women who became the Little Rock Nine and who risked their lives to integrate Arkansas high schools shows us truth. To see the 1964 image of Mississippi beautician Vera Pigee styling hair and educating her customers on voter registration is to see a certain truth. The 1963 photo of students, mostly women, at Florida A&M University, a historically Black college, answering court charges for protesting segregated movie theaters shows truth.

Women served as teachers, civil rights organizers and as lawyers on school segregation lawsuits, and they “played vital roles in the struggle for human rights and justice in the South and the nation,” according to Vivian Malone Jones, the first Black female director of the nonpartisan Voter Education Project. Mildred Bond Roxborough a long-time secretary of the NAACP, discussed the importance of women leaders in local branches: “Well, actually when you think about women’s contributions to the NAACP, without the women we wouldn’t have an NAACP.”

Photo of students in a courtroom in1963. — Some of the 220 African-American students from Florida A&M in a circuit court room to face charges of contempt for demonstrating against segregated movie theaters.

In society, and even within the movement, many Black women experienced discrimination and harassment. Starting in 2009, the Civil Rights History Project interviewed participants in the struggle and included points of pride along with candid assessments about the difficulties women faced within the movement.

Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and one of three women to serve as field director for the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project. She noted that gender equality was not a given: “I often had to struggle around issues related to a woman being a project director. … We had to fight … it was a struggle to be taken seriously by the leadership, as well as by your male colleagues.”

I love this statement made by Dorothy Height, an extraordinarily effective leader for civil and women’s rights who — along with so many involved women — most people probably don’t know. Dorothy Height wanted to “be remembered as a woman who used herself and anything she could for justice and freedom. I want to be remembered as one who tried.”

Photo of women marching in March on Washington — Women marching in 1963 March on Washington. Photo from Library of Congress.

How will we try? As individuals and as a community, how will we change our habits, listen with humility, learn to trust women’s stories, and not just bear witness to but march alongside women? It is time to extend the work for justice and equality where Dr. King left off in Memphis the day he died. If we are to learn from this moment, on the 50^th anniversary of his death, let’s choose community over chaos and view King’s birthday and his death as a renewed call to action to use ourselves for justice and liberty for all.

Adiam Tesfay named director of Academic Support Programs

Undergraduate Academic Affairs is thrilled to announce Adiam Tesfay as the new director of Academic Support Programs (ASP). Tesfay joined Academic Support Programs in 2011, first serving as assistant director, then associate director and most recently interim director. Over the course of her tenure, she has actively worked to help students navigate the transition to the University of Washington and become their most successful selves.

Tesfay first discovered her passion for helping students adjust to college while an undergraduate resident assistant at Northern Arizona University (NAU). This experience motivated Tesfay to stay at NAU and earn her Masters in Educational Counseling. At NAU, Tesfay joined TRiO Student Support Services and went on to advise first-generation, low-income and disabled students on personal, academic and financial issues. Her programming helped the students considered most at risk of not graduating to graduate at a higher rate than the rest of the university. Tesfay brings this same dedication and tenacity to her work at the UW.

“Adiam is a champion of students across the University from all backgrounds, particularly of those students with the greatest needs,” says Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Ed Taylor. “She is unwavering in her commitment to the success of all students, and unwavering in her belief that all students can be successful.” Tesfay believes that community is key to students’ success and holds this as a guiding principle in her work. She is dedicated to increasing educational equity and access, and works with both professional and student staff on these issues.

“I’m really proud that ASP’s staff is able to have open and honest conversations about equity. This is really hard to tackle at the university level. We work together to find new, innovative ways to support our students,” explains Tesfay. To accomplish this, Tesfay recently led her team through a strategic plan to evaluate their effectiveness and find new opportunities to reach more students. As a result of this work, Tesfay and her team will be offering additional coaching sessions, workshops on topics including “what to do if you fail a test” and additional events for students to build communities with each other.

We are teaching students what to do when what they’ve traditionally done no longer works. We want them to talk to each other; to share with their friends that they are struggling. But no one does because they are embarrassed. We want to normalize failure. Failure can still be great. It gives you a sense of discovery. — Adiam Tesfay

Through the work of ASP, Tesfay strives to teach students to be their own best advocate. She maintains ASP’s programs are so effective because the students open up to their peers in ways that they don’t with her and the other staff members. To ensure this system works for everyone, Tesfay is committed to training both her student and professional staff and creating an open, collaborative environment for her team.

Academic Support Programs currently runs the Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment (CLUE) and academic achievement courses. Both rely on peer-to-peer support. CLUE offers late-night drop-in tutoring, discussion sessions, a writing center and test prep sessions, fielding over 35,000 student visits each year. The 120 undergraduate and graduate student tutors are trained to teach students how to figure out difficult problems, helping develop confidence and creative thinking.

The academic achievement courses are specifically geared toward freshman, sophomore and transfer students who are struggling with their transitions to UW. Every student in these courses is paired with a tutor-mentor with whom they meet three hours a week. Both the classes and tutoring sessions focus on note-taking, essay writing, time-management and other study skills. Tesfay explains, “The work we are doing is these classes is transformative for these students. Helping change a student’s trajectory at the UW will impact the student and their family for the rest of their life.”

Learn more about Academic Support Programs.

Welcome from Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor

Our work within UAA and out across the University is tied together and interdependent. Research, service and scholarship go hand in hand. The first-year experience, and students’ transitions through to declaring a major and graduating into lives outside the University are one and the same. Leadership, service and ethics all serve the same purpose: To become a more thoughtful and compassionate public.