Students crowded together for the third-annual Robinson Center Alumni Speaker Series. The event’s topic—Startups & Entrepreneurs—energized students to appreciate that today’s studying can blossom into tomorrow’s business opportunity.
Category: News
Content that has a shorter shelf life and is less likely to be republished over time.
Helping the home team from the dugout
Four hours in and the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels remain tied at 2-2, a full 18 innings into the game. The Mariners are at bat with the bases loaded and two outs. They send their hitter to the plate, the batter surely feeling the fate of the game push down on his knuckles as he prepares for a swing. Everybody, including Mariners batboy and University of Washington alumnus Oscar Castro, is anxious.
Navigating the scholarship process
The world of scholarships can be a daunting one. The Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA) helps undergraduates foster the skills and vision that are necessary to attain scholarships fit for their goals. Here, Mona Pitre-Collins, director of OMSFA, Robin Chang, assistant director of OMSFA and Sara Stubbs, global opportunities adviser, answer some common questions regarding the scholarship process.
Q: If a student is interested in applying for scholarships, what’s their first step? What should they be doing to make themselves competitive applicants?
Sara Stubbs (SS): When I meet with students, a distinction I often start with is high school versus college level scholarships. In high school, students would write an essay and get some cash. At this level, scholarships are often designed to pursue a particular endeavor, such as study abroad or research. The first step is really for students to develop their interests by using their resources, academic or otherwise. At that point it becomes a bit easier in a meeting with one of us to determine the kinds of opportunities that will help them support their endeavors. A student who comes in and says they just want some cash is very limited in the sense of scholarship searches.
Mona Pitre-Collins (MPC): Students should become engaged and they should use their academic work to develop a stronger understanding about the kinds of things they really want to do and the bits and pieces that will help them flesh that out and help them become stronger candidates, focused, more directed in relation to the goals they’re in the process of articulating. Sometimes the bits and pieces are developed in a nice plan, most other times they’re… not [laughs].
Robin Chang (RC): In order to widen the universe of scholarships you’re considering, you have to think beyond what will just put money in your pocket for school and see scholarships as facilitating gaining the experiences you need while in school to get a job, or go to graduate school or whatever comes later on after school.
Q: What are some benefits of applying for a scholarship, even if you are not selected to receive an award?
SS: The process really encourages students to think about and articulate their particular goals. When we start talking about what a student wants to get out of a particular scholarship opportunity, they end up figuring out even more goals for the future. Not only does fleshing out their plans make their application stronger, they’re also fleshing out their plans for what they want to do next. Without having been pushed to write that essay, they probably wouldn’t have thought that far.
MPC: Students have to develop a comprehensive way of talking about why they want to do this next endeavor, and applying for scholarships really helps with that.
RC: It also forces you to talk to and get to know your faculty members. You get a lot of relationship building going on.
Q: What is the number one thing that students overlook when they start applying for scholarships?
RC: The application component that applicants don’t spend enough time on is the resume. We see a lot of lists of activities completed, without any details or descriptions of what those activities were or what the student’s role was. I think a lot of people shortchange themselves on their resume because they think they don’t have a lot of stuff to put on there, but in reality they have more than they think.
MPC: Letters: how to approach someone to ask for a letter and materials they need to give a letter writer. A lot of students ask a faculty member or staff member to write a letter, but all they give them is the recommendation form. Even in high school, you have individuals that may not remember you that well. They can look in their gradebook, but that doesn’t say a lot about an individual.
SS: Exactly. A letter writer may know the student and know their work, but they may not know about the RSOs they’re involved in, any jobs they have, or any other circumstances in the student’s life. Students need to inform their letter writers.
Q: What are some common misconceptions students have when they come in to meet with one of you?
RC: It really does takes more than just having a good GPA. Some students come in with the thinking of “My high school GPA is a 3.96, why aren’t you giving me money?”
SS: I meet with a lot of students who don’t think they are candidates for any scholarships. When I meet with them initially they say they aren’t doing anything interesting, but when I talk to them it actually really is interesting that could fit with a particular scholarship.
MPC: A lack of scholarship availability. There are actually scholarships out there that are not as well populated; there aren’t thousands of people applying to them.
RC: Thinking that you have to wait to apply for scholarships when you need the money or when you’ve been accepted into a study abroad program. If you want to do something junior year you should be thinking sophomore year what your options are in terms of scholarships.
Q: What can students expect when they meet with you?
RC: We basically help them get started. We chat with them about what they were previously involved in, what they are involved in, what they hope to be involved in, and what tools are available to them.
SS: We help students brainstorm.
MPC: We’re also a door that opens students to other resources that might be available, such as scholarships in their own department or just good programs that help them become more competitive applicants for more scholarships.
The Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards is one of many programs within Undergraduate Academic Affairs. OMFSA is located in Mary Gates Hall 171. To schedule an appointment regarding the scholarship process, contact OMSFA at 206-543-4282.
—Jasmine Kim is a sophomore in the University at Washington Honors Program majoring in cellular, molecular, and developmental biology with a minor in near eastern studies.
UW football team has 2nd highest graduation rate in Pac-12: article
On October 10, 2013, the Seattle Times reported that the UW football team has the 2nd highest graduation rate in the PAC-12.
Citing UW athletic officials, the Times reported that the “football team has a combined grade-point average of 2.78 and 74 percent of Husky football players graduate from college within six years.” Stanford has the highest graduation rate in the PAC-12.
Student-Athlete Academic Services provides academic support and teaches life skills to the UW’s 650 student athletes.
Explore scholarships at 2013 Scholarship Fair
Learn about and explore the variety of scholarships, fellowships, and other funded programs for undergraduate and graduate students as well as your post-graduate years.
Program representatives from UW, local and national organizations, agencies, departments, etc. will be tabling throughout the day, as well as offering specific workshops & information sessions.
The Scholarship Fair in Mary Gates Hall Commons runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Info sessions are held on various scholarships from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Scholarships are recognition of your past accomplishments and also investments in your future promise. This is a great opportunity to learn a lot about many opportunities!
The Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards is housed within the Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity and part ofUndergraduate Academic Affairs.
Welcome from the Dean Autumn 2013
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Fall quarter is always an invigorating time for me. We begin by welcoming our newest students to the academic life of the University of Washington at Freshman Convocation, an event that represents the moment when students fully transition into the UW.
These students join those who are settled and have found their groove here. And many of those returning students actively welcome their new fellow Huskies by being orientation leaders, Freshman Interest Group (FIG) leaders, peer mentors, tutors, and more.
Through programs in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, students—new and returning—find opportunities to connect with the academic communities here; explore the worlds of service and research; achieve excellence as they define it; and benefit from faculty innovations in the classroom.
The undergraduate experience is an indicator of the quality of the UW as a whole. Recently, the UW has received some distinctive rankings including:
- 16th in the world in a study by the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. The study ranked universities on quality of education, quality of faculty, research output and per capita performance.
- Washington Monthly ranked the UW 13th nationally and 9th in “Best Bang for the Buck.” Washington monthly ranks universities based upon social mobility, research production and commitment to service.
- 16th among public universities for our undergraduate program in America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.
What this means for undergraduates is that they can avail themselves of educational opportunities as unique as they are. Students from rural Washington can find research opportunities in rural China. Undergraduates from across the nation and world can learn together and alongside distinguished faculty in a freshman seminar. Returning students and new students alike embrace service and leadership and grow into the leaders our world needs.
Though the trees and squirrels on campus are getting ready for the winter, I’m getting ready for what I think of as the season of renewal and am excited for the year to come and the promise our students hold.
Sincerely,
Ed Taylor
Vice Provost and Dean
Students from unique summer research programs share their work
Many undergraduates return home for the summer; some study abroad; some work fulltime; some take classes. Some students spend the summer in unique research opportunities available at the University of Washington. Undergraduates who participated in a variety of research programs over the summer will share their work with their peers and the public over three days the week of August 19, 2013.
Summer STEM Research Poster Session
Starting on Wednesday, August 21, undergraduates from the UW and schools across the country will present their research in STEM disciplines at the Summer STEM Research Poster Session. This event is a collaboration among several UW summer research programs connecting undergraduates to research in science, technology, engineering, and math.
- Poster session
Wednesday, August 21 | 9 a.m.-noon
Mary Gates Hall Commons
Amgen Scholars and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Students
Amgen Scholars and students in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research Opportunities Program will share their research via oral presentations on Thursday, August 22.
The Amgen Scholars Program provides a transformative opportunity for some of the nation’s top undergraduates to explore and prepare for careers in scientific research. Students are placed in premiere UW research groups in the biomedical sciences and participate in related seminars, career exploration, graduate school preparation, and other activities. The UW is one of 10 U.S. sites to host an Amgen Scholars Program.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Exceptional Research Opportunities Program provides talented undergraduates with outstanding summer research experiences that encourage them to pursue careers in academic science.
- Oral presentations
Thursday, August 22 | 2:30-5 p.m.
Mary Gates Hall, rooms 171, 284, 288
Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities
The week closes with a day-long series of presentations by students in the Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities. Taught by faculty from the departments of geography, comparative history of ideas, and international studies, undergraduates focused on the interdisciplinary theme, “Outbreak! Reimagining Death and Life, Disease and Health.”
- Student Presentations
Friday, August 23 | 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Allen Library Auditorium
The Undergraduate Research Program in Undergraduate Academic Affairs organizes the STEM Research Poster Session, hosts Amgen Scholars and HHMI Exceptional Research Opportunities Program students, and collaborates with the Simpson Center for the Humanities to produce the Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities.
Message from Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor
Dear Alumni and Friends of Undergraduate Academic Affairs,
We recently celebrated the University of Washington’s 138th Commencement Ceremony. Each year, graduation is an opportunity for me to reflect on the early accomplishments of our newest alumni and anticipate their future contributions to the world. University of Washington undergraduates are getting involved on campus and beyond in record numbers. Their deep dives into research questions, community-based service, leadership, and scholarship create legacies on campus and imprint the power of engagement on their hearts.
Spring 2013 e-Newsletter Contents
They are evidence that how we do our work and how we live our lives matters. By choosing to bring their academic work beyond the classroom and into labs and the community, these new graduates took the kind of intellectual risks we asked of them several years ago at Freshman Convocation.
The students you’ll read about in this issue of Undergraduate Academic Affairs’ alumni e-newsletter are all risk-takers in the best sense. They’ve pursued their interests on campus, in the city, and across the world. They’ve realized an expanded worldview and see themselves as global citizens.
Learning to say “hello” in the language of their study abroad host country has meaning for these students. Compassion flows from their service to others. Undergraduates tutoring in preschool and elementary school settings know that their work involves more than reading to kids. It’s understanding the lives of these children, the context of their families, and the language they speak.
I’m inspired when I hear about the academic challenges our graduates have had—both the success and failures. It’s an absolute marvel to hear a student tell his story of failing his first class ever and then realize triumph when he’s come to a place of mastery born out of that very failure. What important experiences to have as undergraduates. When we do our work well, students discover their strengths and passions in a supportive but challenging environment.
Each year at commencement, I see the sea of caps and gowns. Unified in the academic regalia yet distinct in the way they adorn themselves. Individuals who came here with unique stories now exiting the University with a more solid foundation ready to make their own broader contribution to our world. I couldn’t be more proud of our students or our University at this time.
Sincerely,
Ed Taylor
Vice Provost & Dean
Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Leadership: Beyond the yellow brick road
Spring 2013 e-Newsletter Contents
Transforming the world of Oz was a team effort by Dorothy, the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow. What was their secret to success? How did they lead? Here at the University of Washington, we know that successful leadership begins with learning to lead and includes meaningful—and multiple—ways to practice and sharpen those skills.
The new Husky Leadership Initiative offers undergraduate students opportunities to discover who they are as leaders, grow their leadership abilities, and make a real difference in the world.
In fall, 2012, the Husky Leadership Initiative kicked off the year with the successful event, U Lead, We Lead. U Lead We Lead used the ancient art of storytelling to start a contemporary conversation on leadership with UW undergraduates and community leaders. The conversation continued throughout the school year with the Spring Training Leadership Conference, a leadership certificate program, informal fireside chats with local luminaries, and now—putting learning into practice—the first UW team leadership scholarship award.
The Ackerley Learning to Lead Together scholarship program supports undergraduates developing their leadership potential in collaboration with peers through innovative team projects that build strong communities. The first Ackerley Learning to Lead Together scholarship was awarded May 7 at the Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership to Max Sugarman, Angela Feng, Carter Case, and Marina Kelsh for their project, “Empowered Eco-Education: ¡Vamos a comer!” Their project will offer lessons around the topics of food, nutrition, and access to healthy food as an environmental issue. They aim to serve elementary school students and their parents and high school students within Seattle’s South Park community.
Generously funded by the Ackerley Family Foundation, this scholarship is a direct reflection of the family’s belief that leadership is honed through learning and experience. “Learning to lead and learning the meaning of leadership is a very basic part in all of our roles in life,” says Ginger Ackerley, who along with her late husband, Barry, established the Foundation. “Within the Foundation some of us have titles, some of us do not, however we all lead; we have to in order to complete our mission. I would hope the recipients of the Ackerley Learning to Lead Together scholarship would join us in an effort to be a positive influence in our world.”
Team Dorothy reached their goal by recognizing the skills each team member brought to the job at hand. The Learning to Lead Together scholarship program enables UW team members to learn to lead collaboratively and experience the ways they complement each other to accomplish a greater goal.
“Leadership is more than a position of authority,” says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. “It is a set of practices and behaviors incorporating teamwork, respect, responsibility, and civic engagement.”
A Day in the Life: Dawn Tuason
Spring 2013 e-Newsletter Contents
If the University of Washington were a swimming pool, Dawn Tuason has not only swam the length of it, she’s swam the width of it as well.
Involved in service, research, and scholarship, Dawn exemplifies the potential of a UW undergraduate experience like no other. Throughout her time as an undergraduate, Dawn has been a mentor and student leader in the Dream Project; she’s presented in the Undergraduate Research Symposium; she’s been involved in the Pipeline Project; she works at the front desk of the Center for Undergraduate Advising, Diversity, and Student Success; and more. She’s discovered a passion for early childhood education and has truly embraced all that the UW has to offer. Dawn just graduated and will begin her master’s degree in the UW College of Education next fall.
Here’s a glimpse at a typical day for Dawn.
5 a.m.
As a commuter student from Renton, I wake up bright and early to start my emails to the various groups I’m a part of on campus.
5:30 a.m.
I grab breakfast, make some tea, and take careful preparation in getting dressed because as a college student, looking windswept and rushed is almost too easy. If it’s Monday, I even wear heels. At 5’11”, I’m a powerhouse but I need the extra courage (aka the height) to get up in front of nearly 400 undergrads as a class facilitator for the Dream Project.
Public speaking is…an acquired taste. One I’m still learning how to do, but I know that someday, a student will see me and know that it’s possible for them to be just as courageous and trust that the support will be there to learn how to! I believe in doing something that scares me but will challenge me and change me for the better, in order to show others they can do it too.
6:00 a.m.
I’m on the road, stuck in traffic with the windows up singing at the top of my lungs to any kind of music currently on rotation. This week, it’s music from Bizet’s opera, Carmen, and the musical Wicked. I’m heading to my yoga, weight lifting, or spin class. Exercise is easier if you just get it over with first thing in the morning.
7:35 a.m.
I’m off to work at the Center for Undergraduate Advising, Diversity, and Student Success. As a student associate, I greet students; answer phone calls, and make the atmosphere a generally positive place. Anywhere from scheduling advising appointments, to best places to grab coffee on campus, I’m there to support undergraduate students.
9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
I’m in a blur of classes and snacking my lunch throughout the day. This quarter I’m taking my second year of American Sign Language, my global health class for my minor in global health, and since I’m majoring in early childhood and family studies, I take two to three courses involving early childhood development, psychology, and service learning. Service learning requires me to gain field experience with the population I’m intending to work with after I graduate. This year, I’m excited to volunteer and work with 1-2 year old toddlers close to campus. Incorporating my knowledge of American Sign Language, global health, and education not just into my daily routine, but to my future endeavors is something I get by staying connected through the services that UAA offers.
1:30-2:30 p.m.
I visit the Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity, the first department I ever connected with as an undergrad. I’ve participated in the Pipeline Project’s Alternative Spring Break program, the Carlson Leadership and Public Service Center, the Early Identification Program which is a support network for students interested in research and graduate school as supported through the McNair program, the Undergraduate Research Program, and the Mary Gates Endowment for Students. This year, I’m utilizing the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards in pursuit of funding for my graduate studies. I’m excited to see where life takes me next, but having access to financial and mentor support is fundamental to my success and I know they offer that at the center ten-fold.
2:30-6 p.m.
If I’m not in a weekly lecture around this time, I’m back as a student associate at the advising office. It’s usually slow around 4 p.m. so I get to take a break at the front desk and do some homework as I wait for the CLUE evening shift to begin.
6-7:30 p.m.
My Dream Project co-lead and I prep for our upcoming lecture and think of ways to engage our class, which allows us to critically think about how we can best support not just our high school students but ourselves as mentors outside of and within the high schools we serve.
8 p.m.
After a full day of running around, it’s nice to release some pent up energy and head to my Zumba classes. I love to dance and move across the dance floor for one and a half glorious hours of fluid and flexible freedom.
9:30 p.m.
I get home in time to watch my weekly TV dramas on Hulu, work on any homework or graduate school applications that I didn’t finish during my occasional breaks between classes, and have some peace and quiet to end my night!
Congratulations, Dawn Tuason, 2013 UW graduate!
