Are you OK? People have been asking me, and I’ve been asking others. I appreciate the question and those asking. Please keep asking. The truth of the matter is that things are not OK. As I write this, I’m staying home because of COVID-19, and a citywide curfew resulting from threats of violence throughout our city and county. I am also grieving the death of George Floyd. The simple answer is I am breathing, but I’m not OK. Nothing about the moment is OK.
Category: News
Content that has a shorter shelf life and is less likely to be republished over time.
The 23rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium moves online
On Friday, May 15, 2020, more than 850 undergraduates will participate in the 23rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, which will be held online. When held in person, the UW’s Undergraduate Research Symposium is one of the largest in the country. This year’s online event is likely to follow suit. Student presenters represent all three University of Washington campuses as well as some community colleges, regional colleges and universities.
Registration is required to attend this year’s virtual Symposium. To register, visit symposium.uw.edu. Attending the event is always free.
Show students your support by updating your social media profile picture with a Symposium avatar, available for researchers, mentors, parents and champions of undergrad research.
Planning for the traditional event, which completely takes over Mary Gates Hall and expands into Odegaard Undergraduate Library, was well underway by the Undergraduate Research Program. Then the novel coronavirus pandemic hit, putting a halt to in-person events. More than 1,200 students had already applied to present their research, and staff were reading their applications and abstracts.
Rather than simply cancel the event outright, Undergraduate Research Program staff surveyed students to learn if they would want to present their research in a virtual format. The demands and new realities of students’ research projects varied — some projects, for example, are on hold and cannot be moved forward remotely and others are able to continue remotely — yet students’ interest in presenting was overwhelmingly positive.
“I believe it is more important now than ever to have a feeling of pride in our community,” says Hank Cheng, UW senior majoring in biology. “I can’t think of something better than bringing together hundreds of scholars to share their accomplishments.”
Organizers committed themselves to maintaining a professional Symposium experience for student presenters and to creating learning opportunities along the way, just as they have done for past symposia. Students were given feedback on their abstracts, offered workshop opportunities to learn how to put together a presentation or poster, and encouraged to participate in practice sessions to test-drive their presentation.
“I’m just so impressed and excited by the way these students rose to this challenge,” says Jennifer Harris, director of the Undergraduate Research Program. “Our undergraduate researchers, working under the guidance of world-class mentors, demonstrate resilience, creativity and truly engaged learning.”
Harris also noted that one of the benefits of being online this year is that students’ friends and family from around the region, country and world will be able to tune in to their presentation.
As in years past, the Undergraduate Research Symposium showcases the diversity of undergraduate research, which spans politics to pediatrics, astrobiology to oceanography, history to computer science, engineering to education and more, showing that undergraduate creativity and scholarship truly is boundless.
Overview of the format and registration
The Symposium begins at 9 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time, and will run to about 4:30 p.m. UW President Cauce, Provost Mark Richards and UAA Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor have each recorded videos to welcome students and guests; congratulate undergraduates on their accomplishments; share who the recipients of the Research Mentor Awards are; and recognize the invaluable role mentors play in encouraging undergraduates to transform their education through research.
Students will present their research in one of these formats, all followed by a question and answer period:
- 3-minute poster presentation or lightning talk,
- 10-minute oral presentation,
- 5-minute visual arts and design presentation, or
- 15-minute performance presentation.
Registered guests will be able to access students’ abstracts and presentation times, watch presentations by students they specifically want to see, and explore and attend multiple sessions.
All presentations will be pre-recorded and played in real time, according to the event schedule; they will not be available for later viewing. Registration is required to attend this free event.
To view the sessions, register for the Symposium and make sure to set up a Zoom account if you do not already have one. Information about how to access the sessions and a detailed Symposium conference schedule will be emailed to registered attendees the week of Symposium.
Support undergraduate researchers
There are many ways to support undergraduates presenting their research.
Through undergraduate research, students contribute to groundbreaking work and gain the experience necessary to one day lead innovative research themselves. UW undergraduates are getting involved in research in increasing numbers — more than 9,000 students participated in research in 2017–18. More than 700 faculty, post-doc, research staff and graduate student mentors supported this year’s Symposium presenters through their research, helping students develop subject area knowledge, transferable skills and an entrepreneurial perspective that will prepare them for future employment, education and civic engagement.
Join the undergraduate research ecosystem by supporting the Symposium in these ways:
Attend the Symposium and ask questions. Register here and tell your friends.
Show your support on social. Invite your friends and family ahead of time, and then post and tweet about your experiences using #UWsymp. Incorporate a new avatar and images from the Symposium social media toolkit.
Make a gift. Because of the generosity of donors, our students can continue their research and stay on track in the face of unprecedented challenges.
University of Washington junior Virginia Burton receives prestigious Truman Scholarship
Congratulations to University of Washington junior, Virginia Burton, for being selected for the prestigious Truman Scholarship. A highly competitive award, only 62 students were selected from more than 773 nominations. The scholarship recognizes future leaders driven to make change at the policy level. Students are selected based on outstanding leadership, demonstrated civic engagement, academic potential and a desire to pursue a career in public service. Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate school to help prepare them for a career in public service. Burton plans to earn a joint law degree and masters of public administration in order to advocate for prison and criminal justice reform. The political science major’s goals and extensive background in social services are deeply personal.
Burton is a 47-year-old mother of three and a first-generation, non-traditional student. After taking more than two decades off from formal education, she decided to return to school in 2017 after becoming frustrated with the criminal justice system. Having experienced addiction, incarceration and seeing her family’s experiences with the criminal justice system, she recognized education was the key to continuing her work more intentionally.
“Making the decision to return to school so late in life was a challenge for me. I thought I might be too old to start my life over again and that learning might be harder than I imagined. I decided that I would tackle each challenge I faced with the same drive I tackle mountains. There is no excuse to stop moving forward. If I want to reach the summit, I must keep climbing.”
Burton’s drive is apparent. She earned her associates degree from South Seattle College in 2018 and is currently a junior at the UW. She’s received several scholarships, including the Martin Family Honors Scholarship, All Washington Academic Team and was a semifinalist for the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship. When she was a student at South Seattle College, she was named to the dean’s list, and she’s continued to earn a spot on the dean’s list at the UW.
“I’m thrilled for Virginia,” explains University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce, “but even more for the world, because she is so committed to making it a better place. Her combination of brilliance, a quality education, and lessons learned from difficult life experience is truly rare.”
Burton’s leadership and dedication to creating systems that empower people to improve their lives is strong. In her three years as a supervisor at a men’s shelter, she trained her case managers to navigate the usual barriers people face when looking for stable housing. By the time she left, her programs had helped house nearly 600 people, representing a six-fold increase in people exiting homelessness. She has also been volunteering with the Post Prison Education Program since 2011, a nonprofit that provides support to former prisoners while attending school post-release. She goes into prisons, shares her story of rehabilitation and is available to mentor people once they get out. Based on her experience, she knows “prisons are not rehabilitative,” and that people often are released without having the skills to succeed when they are released. Her long term goals are to realize her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer, run for elected office and to restructure prison time. Her vision for prison reform includes requiring treatment, therapy, education, job training, parenting, conflict resolution and finance classes, ultimately reducing the recidivism rate and creating a safer community.
“Virginia Burton is a unique and praiseworthy choice for this fellowship,” says Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Ed Taylor. “She exemplifies the very purpose of the Truman Fellowship: She is devoted to public good, she is inspired, brave and she leads from her heart and mind. This fellowship intends to recognize leadership potential and commitment to public service. Virgina Burton is a spot-on selection.”
“It is hard for me to explain what receiving the Truman means to me,” reflects Burton. “I went back to school because the system made me angry. I believe I have a voice that speaks for people who are overlooked and disregarded. This scholarship allows me to develop my voice, speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and be a part of a community of world changers. It will provide me an opportunity to obtain a graduate degree without accruing tremendous debt. The Truman is also giving me an opportunity to model to my children how hard work pays off. More than anything, I want to show my kids a different life than the one I lived.”
About the Truman
The Truman Foundation was created by Congress in 1975 as the living memorial to President Truman and the Presidential Memorial to Public Service. The Truman Scholarship recognizes outstanding leadership potential, academic achievement, and the desire to pursue a career in public service. The scholarship provides up to $30,000 in funding to students pursuing graduate degrees in public service fields. There have been 3,322 Truman Scholars selected since the first awards in 1977. Truman Scholars lead at all levels of government and throughout the nonprofit sector.
About OMSFA
The Truman 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.
Three UW students named Goldwater scholars for 2020
The Goldwater Foundation honored three University of Washington students this year with its undergraduate scholarship for students studying the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Undergraduates Keyan Gootkin, Parker Ruth and Karen Zhang were selected for the award from a pool of more than 5,000 undergraduate students from 461 institutions across the country.
Goldwater Scholarships are granted to sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise and plan to pursue research careers in math, engineering or the natural sciences. These scholarships award up to $7,500 a year to help cover costs associated with tuition, mandatory fees, books, room and board. For the 2020-21 academic year, 396 college students nationwide were selected for the competitive scholarship.
“I am delighted and inspired by this news,” says Undergraduate Academic Affairs Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor. “Supporting students on their journey through the UW helps our students to understand and improve the world we live in. Faculty of public research universities like the UW guide and mentor this next generation of researchers and scientists. With our support and their talent, our aim is to develop the scientific talent our world needs. I extend my warmest congratulations to Keyan, Parker and Karen as well as their faculty mentors and others who have supported them on their journeys so far.”
Keyan Gootkin
Keyan Gootkin, an astronomy and physics double-major, studies “the universe’s most massive stars near the end of their lives.” In addition to his work as an undergraduate researcher, Gootkin actively brings the stars down to Earth through service: He serves as the student coordinator at the UW’s historical Theodor Jacobsen Observatory; co-chairs the Mobile Planetarium Committee; and is the outreach coordinator for the UW League of Astronomers.
Gootkin has received a Washington Research Foundation Fellowship, a Washington Space Grant scholarship, been named to the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s List and is a Washington State Opportunity Scholar.
He plans to earn a Ph.D. in astrophysics “so that I can continue doing research as long as I can.”
Parker Ruth
Parker Ruth is earning a double degree in computer engineering and bioengineering; he is part of the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and is pursuing Departmental Honors. His research explores the design of computational tools to improve access to healthcare. As a member of the Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) research lab advised by Professor Shwetak Patel, Ruth has contributed to the development and testing of mobile health applications for sleep apnea screening, cardiovascular health, osteoporosis detection and physical activity quantification.
Outside the classroom Ruth started a club to help students get involved with research in bioengineering-related fields. His additional honors and scholarships include a Levinson Emerging Scholars Award, Microsoft Endowment Scholarship, Washington Research Foundation Fellowship, Mary Gates Scholarships, and selections to the Dean’s List.
Ruth plans to obtain a Ph.D. in computer science, with a long-term goal of pursuing a career as a researcher using computers to improve people’s lives.
Karen Zhang
Karen Zhang is double-majoring in biochemistry and microbiology. She is part of the Interdisciplinary Honors program and is pursuing Departmental Honors in biochemistry. Zhang is also a Mary Gates Scholar and Annual Dean’s List awardee.
Currently, Zhang is an undergraduate researcher in the Molecular Information Systems Lab (MISL) at UW. Her lab investigates technologies for storing digital data in DNA and is interested in all things at the intersection between computer science and biology. Through this interdisciplinary lab, she has gained invaluable experience in professional research and discovered a passion for synthetic biology. She has also developed an appreciation for bioinformatics and the essential role that computational algorithms play in interpreting biological data.
Outside of academics and research, Zhang is an editor for the UW Microbiology Journal where she guides writers in developing informative and fascinating articles about topics in microbiology. In her free time, she enjoys reading (and maybe one day writing) fantasy novels.
After graduating from the UW, Zhang aims to obtain a Ph.D. in either synthetic biology/bioengineering or bioinformatics. She is “deeply passionate about studying the machineries of life at a molecular level and engineering them to perform novel tasks.”
This news item also appeared on the UW News blog.
About the Goldwater Foundation
Goldwater Foundation’s scholarship program honors Senator Barry Goldwater and encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.
Learn more about scholarship opportunities at UW
The Goldwater 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.
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For more information:
Kirsten Atik, communications director, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, at katik@uw.edu or 206-221-6130.
Robin Chang, director, Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards, robinc@uw.edu, 206-543-2603.
UW Honors students use art to disrupt the narrative on homelessness
Students in the Interdisciplinary Honors class “Citizen Acts to Challenge Poverty” collaborated with Real Change to bring the exhibit Portraits for Change to the UW campus. The gallery features portraits and biographies of Real Change newspaper vendors, originally commissioned and curated by Real Change art director, Jon Williams. The idea of hosting this exhibit grew out of a long standing partnership between Real Change and Vicky Lawson and Sarah Elwood, UW geography professors and co-founders of the Relational Poverty Network. As Lawson designed an interdisciplinary seminar to engage UW Honors students in a learning experience that could amplify the work of activist organizations like Real Change, she saw an opportunity for students to make a positive impact by installing the existing portraits as a public exhibit on UW’s Seattle campus.
Honors students worked with Real Change to figure out how to mount and promote the exhibit, create an opening event and lead small group tours. They also curated an accompanying exhibit called “Seattle Now and Then” to show that homelessness in Seattle is not a new issue for the city. A photo of the 1930s shantytown known as Hooverville is contrasted with a modern day photo of the same location. The historic picture shows a man standing on a ladder, repairing the roof of his makeshift home. In today’s photo, tents line the sidewalk along Alaskan Way. Smith Tower is prominent in both images, orienting the viewer within the city. Interdisciplinary Honors student and aeronautics major Danny Roberts led the curation and photography of this addition to the Portraits exhibit. Pairing these images with the portraits and stories of the vendors tells a more nuanced and complex story of the people living outside in our city.
Artists donated their time to paint portraits of Real Change vendors to change the way we see these members of our community. For a population that is often ignored or avoided, this celebration of their beauty, joy and depth is especially meaningful. These works invite the viewer to spend time looking at each person as precisely that — a person. The paintings are accompanied by biographies, which explain the unique set of circumstances that led the person to become unhomed. These stories aim to thwart the toxic stereotypes — that people living on the streets are all drug addicts, mentally ill, lazy and so on — and instead highlight the person’s humanity, dignity and resilience. Many vendors talked about how powerful and transformative selling the papers has been: from helping them create a community of vendors and clients to helping them regain a sense of dignity and employment. Being immortalized in a portrait — an artform historically reserved for nobles and royalty — further honors each person.
Sam Fredman, a senior and peer educator in the Honors Program studying law, societies and justice and disability studies, underlined the importance of holding this exhibit in the University of Washington’s Allen Library, explaining that “libraries are spaces of public education” and that as a public university, it’s important to create a welcoming space for all of our community members. To further the impact of the exhibit, Lawson and Elwood, along with graduate student Isaac Rivera, also set up a research project to gauge the public’s understanding of Real Change and issues surrounding homelessness and poverty in our community. The last question of the survey asks people what actions they will take based on the exhibit. The intention is to inspire people to imagine making a difference, sparking everyday citizens into action.
When asked how he feels about the experience of partnering with UW students and faculty on Portraits for Change, Williams was very positive. “It meant a lot to have students taking care of all the details to share these portraits and get the word out,” he explained. “Now a lot more people will see them.”
The exhibit is on display at the Allen Library Atrium through Thursday, March 12.
Read Real Change’s coverage of the gallery.
Video by Sovechea Sophanna.
About Honors
The University of Washington Honors program brings together students and faculty from all across campus to learn through cross-disciplinary curriculum, experiential learning, research and critical reflection. Honors’ curriculum offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary education, while Departmental Honors programs provide deep disciplinary education.
About Real Change
Real Change is an award-winning newspaper. It’s written by professional journalists and provides people experiencing homelessness or who are low income with immediate employment.
UW recognized for institutional commitment to community engagement
All three University of Washington campuses are among the 119 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification this year, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement.
This important classification is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution, which is then assessed by a national review committee led by the Swearer Center for Public Engagement at Brown University, the administrative and research home for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.
Read the campus announcement here.
The Classification for Community Engagement is not simply a designation from the Carnegie Foundation. The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 14 years. It requires evidence-based documentation of institutional practice and a process of self-assessment and quality improvement for community engagement.
“This is more than a point-of-pride for the UW,” says Ed Taylor, UAA’s vice provost and dean. “Receiving this classification truly puts into focus that the three core entities of the University of Washington’s mission — teaching, research and service — are all equally important and inspire our intention to serve the public good.”
“The expectation that we have in UAA for all our students is to learn and to serve,” he continued. “Our hope is that they leave the University and be servant-leaders and thoughtful public citizens.”
Toward that end, UAA recently brought together its community engagement and leadership education programs, including Othello-UW Commons, in one center. Engaging students in college access, P-12 student success, community-engaged courses and internships, all while emphasizing strong community partnerships and leadership development, make plain that educating undergraduates to be thoughtful servant-leaders in and with community is among our highest priorities.
UAA programs whose community-engagement work was included in the application are the Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center, Dream Project, JumpStart, Honors Program, Husky Leadership Initiative, Mary Gates Endowment for Students, and the Pipeline Project.
The application process for the Seattle campus was led by Rachel Vaughn, former director of the Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center, and Jen Davison, program director at Urban@UW, and included a group of more than 30 colleagues from across campus as well as community-based partners. The study produced a rich and compelling application and set of recommendations for the University’s next steps in community engagement.
— Content for this announcement was also drawn from the UW News release.
2018–19 President’s Medalists announced
The President’s Medalist Award celebrates the top student in each undergraduate class. Selected by a committee for their high GPA, rigor of their classes and number of Honors courses, the recipients for the 2018–19 academic year come from a broad range of disciplines.
Junior medalist Renee Zhang is preparing for a career in medicine with dual degrees in biology and violin performance, while also serving as concertmaster for the UW Symphony. Sophomore medalist Louis Patsawee Maliyam puts his problem-solving skills to work as a computer science major and celebrates his love for dance, which is his minor. Freshman medalist Piper Coyner is studying Persian and Near Eastern studies and actively exploring other interests, including cinema studies.
These exceptional students will be recognized at a reception with University President Ana Mari Cauce, and this award will be added to the students’ permanent academic record.
Meet this year’s medalists:
Renee Zhang, junior medalist
Majors: Biology and Violin Performance
Expected graduation: 2021
Hometown: Portland, OR
Music and medicine have always been Renee Zhang’s twin passions.
At the UW, she’s exploring the ways these subjects complement one another by pursuing dual degrees in biology and violin performance. Zhang is getting hands-on research experience under Olivia Bermingham-McDonogh, a professor in the department of biological structure.
Outside of her academic pursuits, Zhang serves as the concertmaster of the UW Symphony Orchestra and president of the Chamber Music Club. One of her goals is to make music more accessible to students on campus by expanding performance opportunities for both music and non-music majors. She also plays the violin for residents at local assisted-living and memory-care facilities.
After graduating, Zhang hopes to embark on a career in medicine. She believes that having a creative outlet is instrumental to her well-being, and she will continue to share her love of music with those around her.
Louis Patsawee Maliyam, sophomore medalist
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Dance
Expected graduation: 2020
Hometown: Samutprakarn, Thailand
Louis Patsawee Maliyam’s interest in technology began when he helped his family run an internet café in Thailand.
A Royal Thai Scholarship recipient, he arrived at the UW excited to challenge his problem-solving skills as a computer science major. Maliyam is a teaching assistant at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, because he wants to help people realize their dreams through education. He also recently interned as a software developer at Indeed.com.
Maliyam balances his love of computer science with his passion for dance, which is his minor. He sees dance as a tool for self-exploration and better understanding the world. He believes his well-rounded education in the arts and sciences has widened his world and prepared him for the future.
The support from people in his life has helped Maliyam thrive, and he hopes to bring that culture of caring to the tech industry, where he plans to work.
Piper Coyner, freshman medalist
Major: Near Eastern Studies
Intended major: Cinema and Media Studies
Expected graduation: 2022
Hometown: Olalla, WA
Piper Coyner is an avid reader whose lifelong fascination with other cultures and foreign languages has shaped her path at the UW.
Coyner is majoring in Near Eastern studies and studying Persian. She’s particularly interested in literature, which she sees as a gateway to understanding the essence of a culture.
Inspired by her love of books and movies, Coyner is also exploring other majors, including cinema and media studies. When she’s not in class, you can find Coyner at a film screening or classical music concert. She also writes reviews for the UW Film Club.
Coyner plans to continue exploring her intellectual interests by taking a variety of classes and studying abroad. She hopes to combine her many passions into a career — whether in law, film production or literature.
Student-athletes are golden on and off the field
Student-athletes work hard to be top competitors in their respective sport. They also take the “student” part of student-athlete seriously and work hard in the classroom.
In autumn quarter 2019, the overall department GPA was 3.27. This is a new all-time high since tracking began in autumn of 2003.
Congratulations to UW student athletes and their networks of support for a terrific autumn quarter in the classroom!
UW alumna Crysti (Zinan) Chen named Schwarzman Scholar
University of Washington alumna Crysti (Zinan) Chen, (’15, B.A. in political science) received the prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship. Selected from more than 4,700 applicants, Chen will join 145 Schwarzman Scholars from around the world to make up the program’s fifth cohort. A competitive program, the incoming class was selected through a rigorous application process designed to identify academic ability, as well as leadership potential and strength of character. The program takes place at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where the scholars will immerse themselves in Chinese culture, business and language. At the end of the cross-cultural, year-long program, scholars will have developed an in-depth understanding of China and earned a master’s degree in global affairs.
The core curriculum is focused on three pillars: China, global affairs and leadership. Scholars also have the opportunity to take elective courses from a variety of disciplines at Schwarzman College, as well as from other departments at Tsinghua University. Scholars are taught by a cadre of leading international faculty, with frequent guest lectures from prominent global thought leaders.
Beyond the classroom, Scholars gain exceptional exposure to China and access to important relationships through internships, mentors, high-profile speakers and opportunities to travel throughout China. Scholars are also provided with a range of career development resources to help them to make the most of their time in Beijing and position them for success upon graduation. This unique combination of coursework, cultural immersion and personal and professional development opportunities equip students with a first-hand and well-rounded understanding of China’s changing role in the world, critically important to leadership in any field in the 21st Century.
About Crysti (Zinan) Chen
Chen will graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with an M.S.Ed. degree in education entrepreneurship. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science, with a political economy focus, and minored in international studies from the University of Washington. Chen founded her first nonprofit organization in 2009. She dedicated a decade in promoting education quality, gender equality, and environmental awareness in underprivileged villages in China, Vietnam and Kenya. In 2017, Chen co-founded UniWill Ventures in Silicon Valley. She currently serves as the general partner and leads impact investing into early-stage tech startups. As a Schwarzman Scholar, Chen hopes to explore more effective methods to leverage investment capital with goodwill to create bigger impact on urgent social and environmental issues.
About the Schwarzman Scholars Program
Designed to inspire the next generation of global leaders, Schwarzman Scholars is the most significant program of its kind since the Rhodes Trust was founded in 1902. The Schwarzman Scholars Program is in its fourth year as a new institution at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The program’s focus is global leadership and draws students from China, the U.S. and the rest of the world. Over the course of the year, students will spend a quarter immersed in language: Mandarin for non-Chinese students; English for Chinese students. They’ll complete an intensive field study, where they will spend a week in communities throughout China, working with mentors from NGOs, academics and government; receive mentorship from prominent Chinese leaders; attend talks from high-profile speakers; and complete a practical training project, where they take on consulting-style projects. Scholars also have access to career services support to help them make the best of their time in Beijing, and receive ongoing support in the form of alumni events. The Schwarzman Scholars program is dedicated to building a strong alumni network, so that their students can continue to learn from and support one another. Last year, Henry Chan became the UW’s first Schwarzman Scholar.
The Schwarzman 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.
I climb up the ladder
“Being at an institution like this, I’ve learned to see the importance of bringing my voice to discussions because there’s not a lot of us indigenous people that even have a seat at these discussions.”