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UW undergraduate receives prestigious Gates Cambridge scholarship

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Tristan Jafari, pursuing his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at the University of Washington, was selected for the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship. 

Jafari, a departmental Honors student set to graduate a year early this June, will receive a full-cost scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in philosophy in Population Health Sciences at the University of Cambridge, England. 

The highly competitive scholarship recognizes past accomplishments and future potential. This year, 35 students from US-based institutions were selected to join the 2025 class of Gates Cambridge Scholars. In April 2025, 65 additional students from around the world will be named, forming a class of 100 Gates Cambridge Scholars from 36 institutions for the 25th anniversary of the scholarship.

“Being named a Gates Cambridge Scholar is an immense honor,” said Jafari. “It’s both inspiring and motivating to join a global community of scholars who are deeply committed to using their education to improve lives.” 

Photo of Gates Cambridge Scholar Tristan Jafari.
UW undergraduate Tristan Jafari was recently named to the 2025 class of Gates Cambridge Scholars. Jafari is eager to immerse himself in the global academic community at Cambridge, where he will advance his proficiency in spatial epidemiology, biostatistics and public health frameworks. Photo: Photo by Jayden Becles

Alongside this remarkable achievement, Jafari has earned the UW Class of 1962 Endowed Scholarship, the UW Chemistry Scholarship and the Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship twice. He was also honored with the Martin and Anne Jugum Scholarship in Labor Studies, each of which provided him with invaluable opportunities and enriched his undergraduate experience.

Jafari was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Mukilteo, Washington, by Iranian parents who left their homeland as teenagers. They resettled in Germany before immigrating to the United States. As dual citizens of the U.S. and Germany, Jafari’s family spoke English, German and Farsi. This multicultural upbringing allowed him to navigate a blend of cultures, shaping his perspective on identity and global health.

After witnessing a life-saving medical response, Jafari became an emergency medical technician (EMT) during his freshman year and has since worked in Snohomish County. At the UW, he has grown through a diverse set of experiences — researching cardiometabolic disease at the UW Diabetes Institute, leading campus blood drives with the American Red Cross, establishing a free CPR training program on campus and volunteering to improve patient health literacy.

Jafari is eager to immerse himself in the global academic community at Cambridge, where he will advance his proficiency in spatial epidemiology, biostatistics and public health frameworks to better understand how systemic health challenges, such as addiction, chronic disease and emergency response, can be addressed.

“I know that this experience will challenge my thinking, broaden my perspective and equip me with the tools to become a more impactful leader in medicine and public health,” said Jafari. He hopes to pursue an M.D. after his master’s degree, with long-term aspirations to integrate public health leadership and clinical medicine.

Jafari expresses deep gratitude to his mentors and professors, including Mr. Eric Timm, Dr. Charlie Barrows, Dr. Hannah Jordt, Dr. Daniel Roberts, Dr. Inma Velasco, Dr. Mauricio Dorfman, and Dr. Josh Thaler. He also thanks his friends and family for their unwavering encouragement.

About the Gates Cambridge Scholarship 

Established in October 2000 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates Cambridge Scholarships are awarded on a student’s intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others.

Learn about scholarship opportunities at the UW

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with students, faculty and staff to identify and support undergraduate students and alumni in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for scholarships.

Celebrating the 2023–24 Undergraduate Medalists

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Each year, the University of Washington awards the President’s Medalist Award to its top undergraduates. For 2023–2024, Samuel Perkowski, Mia Grayson and Cher Zhang were chosen for their academic excellence, including high GPAs, rigorous coursework and Honors classes. All three biochemistry majors have pursued impactful research and embraced the Husky Experience through activities like lab work, music and studying abroad. They will be honored by President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Tricia Serio at a special reception, where they’ll receive their medals in front of family, friends and mentors.

Dialogue, disagreement and democracy course highlights reel

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In the leadership course, “2024: Dialogue, Disagreement and Democracy,” students learned tools to engage thoughtfully with contentious issues. Offered in the autumn of 2024, this class helped undergraduates navigate complex topics, forge meaningful relationships and have productive conversations in a polarized world.

UW Community College Research Initiatives awarded $1.7 million grant from Ascendium Education Group to continue STEM Transfer Partnerships program

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The University of Washington’s Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI) has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from Ascendium Education Group to continue its STEM Transfer Partnerships (STP) program, which aims to increase equity in STEM education for low-income learners across Washington state. This funding extension builds on an earlier $1.17 million grant, continuing the work to improve outcomes for underserved students in STEM fields.

CCRI conducts research to promote equity in higher education, with a focus on the experiences of underserved student populations. Ascendium supports initiatives aimed at helping students from low-income backgrounds achieve postsecondary degree completion. With aligned goals of enhancing access and success for low-income learners, Ascendium is a natural and valuable partner in advancing CCRI’s efforts.

From mentorship to MBA

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Alumnus Izaiha Ellis, ’20, began his interdisciplinary journey at the University of Washington with the Honors Program course, “Leadership, Democracy and a More Thoughtful Public.” Each week, he read essays by global politicians and writers, exploring how individual actions shape community dynamics. The course challenged students to consider how their choices impact the support or neglect of others.

Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind, Stayed on Freedom) [video]

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Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Ed Taylor shares his talk, “Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind, Stayed on Freedom)” at the College of Education’s EduTalks: Thriving Generations on March 28, 2024. Taylor is also a professor in the College of Education.

Bridging science and humanity

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Daniel Chen’s journey into research began with a fascination for ancient cultures and extinct creatures. As a middle schooler, he was captivated by archaeology and paleontology, dreaming of working at excavation sites, unearthing ancient bones and tracing the histories of lost civilizations. Over time, that early curiosity shifted toward biology, particularly as computational modeling emerged as a powerful tool.

UAA statement on leadership transition for the Robinson Center for Young Scholars

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Undergraduate Academic Affairs is recognizing Dr. Kristina Henry Collins for her leadership of the Robinson Center for Young Scholars. After much consideration, Dr. Collins has decided to resign from her position of executive director of the Robinson Center, effective Jan. 27, 2025. She intends to continue her research, teaching and leadership foci of broad-based advocacy for equity and access in STEM, gifted and accelerated programming for students from kindergarten through college.

During her time as executive director, Dr. Collins and the Robinson Center’s directors:

  • Updated the Center’s mission, vision and values to align with the UW’s Diversity Blueprint and addressed operational recommendations from an evaluation taskforce.
  • Made the Transition School application more accessible, leading to an increase in students, scholarships and student diversity.
  • Increased enrollment for all Robinson Center programs, which include Transition School, Academy and Enrichment.
  • Developed a new partnership with the Auburn School District to support student transportation needs and increase access to Robinson Center summer programs.
  • Enlivened community and donor outreach through a refreshed e-newsletter; saw record giving for the Center’s involvement in Husky Giving Day; and reinstated parent programming.

As a public scholar and expert in the field of gifted and talented education, Dr. Collins has advised the Seattle Public School District and Washington state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction on matters related to equity in education for highly capable learners. She is co-author, with Javetta Jones Roberson, of the 2024 book “Sparking Change to Promote Equity: Implementing Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices in Gifted and Advanced Programs” and works with the national nonprofit Council for Exceptional Children to create standards for gifted education that can inform standards for different states.

For more than 40 years, the Robinson Center has offered accelerated learning opportunities to young learners who are highly capable and motivated. It is recognized as a national leader in this field.

As plans for the Robinson Center’s next steps take shape, LeAnne Wiles has been appointed to serve as interim executive director. This decision reflects Wiles’ outstanding leadership and extensive expertise, honed over 15 years of experience in organizational management and student success initiatives within UAA’s First-Year Programs and Student Academic Services. Wiles will continue to work under the leadership of Dr. Michaelann Jundt to ensure the Robinson Center’s continued success.

 

Contact: Kirsten Atik, katik@uw.edu

University of Washington recognized as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting

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The University of Washington is one of 471 colleges and universities recognized for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation in the 2024 election.

 

Image of Most Engaged Campus 2024 logo.
The University of Washington joins 471 campuses in being named a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting!

The UW has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting. The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation. The UW joins a cohort recognized by ALL IN for completing four core actions:

  • Participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
  • Sharing 2022 NSLVE Reports with campus voting data with ALL IN.
  • Developing and submitting a 2024 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN.
  • Having a current signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation.

“This recognition not only celebrates the efforts of UW students, faculty and staff but also serves as a motivator to continue building sustainable programs that encourage lifelong civic involvement,” said Michael Soudmand, program manager of Student Civic Leadership Development at the Community Engagement & Leadership Education (CELE) Center. “Through collaborating with student organizations, gamifying civic engagement and leveraging the UW campus coalition with Democracy Dawgs to coordinate campus-wide voter engagement efforts, these strategies have created a dynamic, student-centered approach to nonpartisan democratic engagement, ensuring that students not only participate in the voting process but also develop the skills and mindset to become lifelong civic leaders,” Soudmand said.

“We are committed to our role as a public university to prepare engaged and educated citizens who are empowered to address and resolve critical societal issues,” said Fran Lo, executive director of the CELE Center. “This entails equipping students to develop their civic knowledge, skills and identities necessary to participate in civic life,” Lo said.

Huskies Vote

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items, with the support of ALL IN staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning and voter participation on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages 10.8 million students from more than 1,075 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center at the University of Washington provides students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to thriving communities; building authentic community and campus partnerships drive our work. Democracy Dawgs is a coalition of students, staff, faculty, community members and civic leaders who are working to increase student voting rates and build an even stronger culture of civic and democratic engagement at the University of Washington.