Category: Uncategorized

Award for Excellence

Kirsten Atik
Kay Balston
Cathy Beyer
Ray Carlsen
Jodene Davis
Janice DeCosmo
Ken Etzkorn
Jerry Gillmore
Miriam Goldstein
Jennifer Harris
Ran Hennes
Jason Johnson
Michaelann Jundt
Brook Kelly
Janet Kime
Beret Kischner
Joanna Loss
Nana Lowell
Sharon Minton
Ellen Mosolf
Dick Newcomb
Tracy Nyerges
Patrick Roberts
Dick Simkins
Christine Stickler
Julie Villegas
Pat Wrobel
Donald Zongker

Outstanding Achievement Award

David Aldrich/Brad Bell/Tim Batzel (IT Team)
Tim Batzel and Eric Barnum (team award)
Brad Bell
Jeanne Bayer
Alyson Boyd
Jason Boyd
Cynthia Caci
Robin Chang
Peg Cheng
Rod Davis
Thomas Dicken
Jennifer Dow
Wendy Durant
Meg Estep
Nichole Fazio
Michelle Hall
Laura Harrington
Nancy Hines
Roberta Hopkins
Carole Hsiao
Ryan Hursh
Michelle Hutchinson
Linda Kemnitzer
Beret Kischner
Francesca Lo
Ryan Luk
Mona Pitre-Collins
Terry Rustan
Jennifer Stock
Aley Willis

Team Award:
Mary Gates Endow. 10 Year Anniversary Team:
Kirsten Atik, Jodene Davis, Aly Vander Stoep

Outstanding Student Employee Award

Jen Ainslie
Rebecca Anderson
Venus Azimi
Siw Bay-Hensen
Devan Berkley
Katie Boyajian
Molly Boyajian
Michelle Burce
Amanda Burrows
Gavin Campbell
Jacob Caylor
Martha Chan
Jean Chau
Raquel Chavez
Brenda Coulson
Bayle Conrad
Tamara Cutler
Matt Dela Cruz
Claire Fraczek
Anne Grant
Rachel Hagen
Laura Harrington
Emily James
Alison Johnston
Maret Kane
Kelly May Kirkland
Mikki Kressbach
Laptop & Data Projector Loan Program Team
Jamie Lee
Joel Leshefka
Chelsea McPherson
Courtney Moran
Natelie Moretz
Marlee Mukai
Tuyen Nguyen
Elizabeth Perrigue
Matt Plotkin
POE Student Team
Sunaro Prom
Kristen Rudlang
Jill Salo & Dave Nutting
Jessica Salvador
Trey Schenold
Devon Smith
Mandy Strange
Dough Waugh
Janelle White

Back to Nomination Process.

Back to intro > UAA alumni educate and inspire

Angel Corral (‘10) is currently a first year teacher at a high school in Watts, South Los Angeles, California. She teaches biology and anatomy and physiology to 10th and 11th graders. She’s also in her last quarter of graduate school at UCLA, and will receive a master’s degree in urban education in December 2011.

Angel was always involved with youth, but didn’t consider it for a profession until she started working with preschoolers through Jumpstart. “It was there that I really was made aware about the inequities occurring in education today and became reflective of my own experiences in school.” It was at that point that she began taking classes in the UW College of Education and receiving a minor in education. She seriously pursued teaching under the mentorship of Ruby Linsao, a site manager of Jumpstart at the time, and Daniel Carrillo, associate site manager, and education minor adviser Jenee Myers-Twitchell. Their advice helped Angel develop a clear vision of how she wanted to make an impact on the world.

Angel finds inspiration from her colleagues; other first year teachers with whom she has created a support system to deal with challenges and victories in teaching. She’s also inspired by her high school students striving to graduate and go on to college in spite of institutional and historical roadblocks in their education as a result of their backgrounds. “I am inspired by theorists like Paolo Freire, bell hooks, and Gloria Anzaldua, all revolutionary thinkers who believe truly in empowering the people in dictating their own lives. I am inspired by my professors, both at UW and UCLA, who provided me the necessary knowledge to become a great teacher and instilled in me the goal ‘to know, care, and act’ about my students’ lives and education.”

Angel’s biggest influence has been Daren Chamberlin, the lead teacher she worked with at Denise Louie Education Center all through her Jumpstart tenure. By working with Teacher Daren, she learned the importance of having a positive, trusting, teacher-student relationship. “Teacher Daren, who himself is highly influenced by Paolo Freire, displays in his interactions with his students a value in their self-worth and presence in the classroom. In observing his teaching, even at 3, 4, and 5 years old, I see how much respect, care, and love he has for his students and their education. In return, I see the students’ love back for their teacher. I only hope to be as great as Teacher Daren and create the rapport with my students that he has with his.”

“I learned the most from teachers that showed the most interest in my future: my 7th grade teacher who pushed me and my family to apply for a scholarship that eventually helped me receive an amazing education at a prestigious private high school; my UW Exploration Seminar professors Ursula Valdez and Tim Billo, whom allowed me the opportunity to explore the natural world and find the importance of it in my life. Currently my students every day teach and push me to be a better teacher, far more than any class, seminar, or professor could do.”

Angel’s best moments at work are her Friday afternoons. “Working in Watts is definitely overwhelming and every day on the job is life changing, so I need to take the time on Fridays to critically reflect [on] the day-to-day experiences I am having. I have become proud of myself for putting in the time and effort that I do, despite the exhaustion and frustration that comes with the job.”

Angel’s classroom is a place she wants students to be comfortable, believing that while asking her students to be truthful with her, she wants to do the same by sharing herself and experiences with the students to relate and build positive relationships. “Above my desk in my classroom, I have a sign that says: “SPEAK YOUR TRUTH,” a phrase I constantly emphasize with my students. It is important for me for my students to be real with me and peers about their experiences and their opinions of life and science. Especially because in greater society, urban youth often do not have a voice or a space to say their opinions, it is important for me to provide them just that.”

Back to intro > UAA alumni educate and inspire

Supanika “Sue” Ordonez (’08), an international studies major, thought she would enter the professional world of international relations, having grown up around the world with her father, a United States diplomat. That changed for Sue after she began volunteering through Jumpstart. “Once I started in the pre-school classroom, I knew that this was where I wanted to be. It amazed me how much progress these kids made within that year and it was a powerful feeling knowing that you helped that occur.”

Inspired by the preschool students she teaches at the Lummi Indian Headstart in Bellingham, Sue is conscious of the fact that many have difficult lives from the beginning, whether it’s because they were born to parents with substance abuse problems or are part of the foster care system, school is often the safe haven for these children. “My favorite students are always the ones that other teachers label as ‘difficult.’ Event when I’m not feeling well, I will make it to the classroom because you never know if you’re the one consistent adult in these children’s lives.”

Sue credits her close family friend, Kelly Hower, with really encouraging Sue to follow her dream of teaching, inspiring her to integrate personal life experiences into the classroom, and helping her realize that being a teacher doesn’t stop once the kids leave the classroom. “She keeps in touch with their families, has lunch with her former students, and checks in with them in their new classes. There really should be more cooperation between teachers and she provides such a great model for it.”

College of Education faculty member Gail Joseph influenced Sue’s teaching, emphasizing the development of social-emotional competence in children. “It’s hard to teach reading, writing, or math skills if a child cannot regulate their emotions,” said Sue. “I think many adults grow up without developing these skills and it makes it hard for them later in life. If children are able to get these skills this early, it will set them up to succeed as they will be able to work past failure, maintain positive relationships, and be able to solve problems.”

This past year was Sue’s first year having her own preschool classroom, and several children had very challenging behavior, including a little girl who screamed for everything. Sue’s best day at work came after spending the week working on emotions, showing the kids the different reactions for different occurrences. The little girl went into the bathroom and came out trembling. “I went into the bathroom and found a spider. I was able to remove it and she was able to go to the bathroom. Had it been a week earlier, she would have just stood there screaming and I wouldn’t have been able to help her. But through that lesson, I was able to help her classify her emotions and let me know what she was trying to say.”

Sue’s classroom motto is “What happened?” and over the years she’s found her teaching assistants and children following her lead. “Conflict is usually never as simple as ‘He hit me;’ there is usually a second side to the story and it’s important to let the children have time to be heard. Once you have heard both sides, you can summarize what happened and talk about things that they can do differently the next time. Having children in the classroom over 3 years is powerful because you can really see them take these lessons to heart when you see them start the process on their own.”

Back to intro > UAA alumni educate and inspire

Neeloufar “Neelz” Gharavi (’02, ’04) is an English teacher at Sequoia High School, a public alternative school in the Everett School District. This is her eighth year with the school, where she’s worked since she graduated from the UW Teacher Education Program in 2004.

Neelz has volunteered or worked in schools since she was in high school, but didn’t seriously consider becoming an educator until her third year of college when she began volunteering with the Pipeline Project working as a tutor and also tutoring in the writing center at North Seattle Community College. “Experiences with both of these organizations exposed me to some of the best and worst aspects of public education. I began reading about the inequity of education around our country and its subsequent ripple effect reinforcing social stratification. I wanted to teach in order to work towards social justice: to help young people develop the skills and knowledge to improve their lives and the world they live in.”

Neelz is inspired by her fellow educators devoted to improving their practice. “Although I’ve heard of teachers who hoard lesson plans like dragons hoarding their gold, I’ve never met a single teacher who wasn’t eager to share ideas and collaborate to develop lessons and curricula.” Her students are equally as inspiring. “[For them] school is pitted every day against terrifying opposing forces: caring for disabled parents, working graveyard shifts to pay the rent, raising children, resisting addictions. Every day they come to school, they are making a leap of faith for a better future.”

Christine Stickler, director of the UW Pipeline Project was Neelz’s first mentor. “Her thoughts about education and social justice, not to mention her recommended reading lists, were pivotal in my formation as an educator.” Neelz has also been fortunate to work in a district that values professional development and feels a deep debt to the instructional facilitators who continue to share and model best practices.

Neelz’s experiences in an elementary school program for “academically talented” students continues to influence her today. “The teacher for this special program provided me with outstanding educational experiences. She also terrified and bullied me. I learned a lot from her: how to take effective notes, how to think systematically and logically, how to research. I also learned that it is all too easy to justify an autocratic discipline policy in the name of high expectations. Though I later had wonderful instructors in high school and college, I often think back to my experiences in her class, which I attended for four years. In some ways, I’ve learned the most from her, though a lot of what I’ve learned is how not to act as a teacher.”

In Neelz’s classroom, she inspires her students with the mottos: “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (Wayne Gretsky) and “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” (Mahatma Gandhi).

Every year, Neelz feels that the graduation ceremony is one of the best moments of her career. “Seeing each young woman and man cross that stage, nervous and proud in their black robe and cap, renews my belief in what I’m doing.”

Back to intro > UAA alumni educate and inspire

Blake Stevens (’09) comes from a family of teachers. His mother was a public school teacher and his father was the assistant superintendent of the Bellingham School District. As a 4th and 5th grader he helped out in his mom’s kindergarten class and as he grew older, found he enjoyed helping others find solutions to their academic and life questions. “Ultimately, I feel accomplished when I can help others succeed, and that is why I wanted to teach [as an Americorps volunteer].” Blake, a Mechanical Engineering major, worked with Clay Schwenn of the UAA Advising center to map out his plan of study and to apply for the Americorps program.

Personal dreams of the future are what inspire Blake. “I am fascinated when a freshman in high school tells me they want to go to college to become a sports writer or 7th grader who wants to go to UW. The fact that dreams can become a reality is inspiring. They strive to be able to contribute to the world in a way that is important to them. The knowledge that people are fulfilling their dreams motivates me to find my dream.”

Blake’s mom and dad had the biggest influence on his life. “They both devoted their lives to help others and did it because they loved it. They had passion and wanted to do the best they could to improve others’ lives. My parents are amazing role models and I thank them for their inspiration.”

Blake and his co-worker had spent the year at school trying to engage three smart students who often missed classes and appeared to not care about school. “Every time I had the opportunity I would give compliments and offer help. I knew they needed my help even when they didn’t know how to ask for it. At the end of the school year these three students saw my co-worker and I playing basketball in the park and we asked them to join us. During that game of basketball all the barriers were dropped. We had fun, and this was huge because at school these students did not allow themselves to have fun. The façade of being too cool for school was not there. They trusted us enough that they could finally just act as kids. This was my favorite moment teaching because I witnessed the outcome of a year’s worth of guidance from my co-worker and I and the courage of three students to be themselves.”

Through exuding positivity, Blake created a classroom environment where students could feel comfortable and also remain positive. “I believe learning, and school in general, is exciting and fun and I tried to promote that. I usually ended up singing or dancing but these silly actions were put in place to promote a safe atmosphere where everyone was allowed to be who they wanted to be.”

Now that Americorps is over, Blake is figuring out what he’ll do next. “I had a great life experience but teaching is not my destination in life. However, no matter how far I search for my perfect career, I feel at home the most when working with high school students. So maybe teaching isn’t the perfect solution but I know working with kids and young adults is where my true passion lies.”

Dear UAA Colleagues,

Is the University of Washington prepared to educate the next generation of leaders? This question was posed by former Starbuck’s executive Howard Behar in recent meetings I’ve had with him about leadership. He sees that the UW has the opportunity to be the most recognized and respected institution on preparing students to be thoughtful leaders.

With regard to leadership, Behar talks about a “from me to we” concept—the importance of understanding one’s self and one’s capacity as a first step in being able to engage and be innovative leaders locally and globally.

Developing the next generation of leaders—part of the work we, as an institution, are charged to do—is about the formation of individuals so they can contribute to the formation of communities, even the formation of democracies. This work is interdisciplinary if not trans-disciplinary. There are three legs to this stool:

• Creating access to higher education
• Enabling rich and engaging intellectual and emotional experiences
• Inspiring meaningful work or “vocation”

UW students are diverse in their backgrounds, interests, and pursuits. What they have in common is their capacity to lead. Students entering the UW as a result of the Dream Project, the incoming class from the Ida B. Wells High School, undergraduates selected for Fulbright fellowships, Honors students, and the 4,000 students who formed the giant W on the football field at orientation all have the capacity to lead. Our work is to help students find channels to express their leadership and continue to grow as leaders.

The outcome of our influence in the formation of leaders is evident in our alumni. UAA alumni are attorneys who clerked with a Supreme Court justice. They are legislative directors who testify in front of Congress. Our alumni are Rhodes scholars now in law school, technology entrepreneurs who make a difference in rural schools in India, and Foreign Service officers who represent the United States internationally. You can read the specific stories here.

As undergraduates, these alumni all embraced leadership experiences that transformed them. At the UW, they were Mary Gates Scholars, undergraduate researchers, and Honors students. They learned to see the world beyond their personal experiences and work to bring their talents in to the service of others. They embody the “me to we” concept of leadership.

We see students everyday, from advising appointments or simply walking across Red Square. Some we know personally, most we don’t. Collectively, however, our impact reaches all students and creates a path for individual transformation. Whether that path is ensuring classrooms are efficient learning environments, re-envisioning curricula to be intentional about student reflection and growth, or helping individual students connect to research and leadership opportunities at the UW—our combined impact is broad and deep.

It reminds me of the poem “An Experiment in Noise,” by slam poet Ken Arkind (featured in the Common Book). Arkind writes:

alone.
	you.
		are.
			just.
				one.
					word.

Together you make a sentence.

Together you have purpose.

Here, our students develop leadership and purpose. While their experiences here are unique, the cumulative effect is one of transformation and vocation, preparing them to move into their work and lead in diverse ways.

Though administratively we continue to live in fiscal ambiguity, as we enjoy this season of gratitude, I am thankful for our collective impact of our complementary work.

Sincerely,

Ed Taylor

Dear UAA Colleagues,

External and internal changes are all around us. As is the case in periods of change, the journey is tremendously ambiguous but will emerge into clarity. In this ever-shifting landscape, a primary question in evaluating our work is how do we want to look in June? How do we want to grow and serve the campus in better, more efficient ways?

As someone who must be comfortable with change and ambiguity, it was inspiring to have President Obama on campus and to be in the presence of so many of our students. I was struck by the high level of energy and enthusiasm of our students, many of whom stand to be leaders. Change as a result of the current economy is a theme from the broadest standpoints of government to the most focused individual experience. Obama spoke about the necessity of working together, rolling up our sleeves to make progress and drive in a common direction. These themes resonate with UAA and the broader University.

As a campus and larger community, we are still in the mindset of a push—sleeves rolled up, regaining our momentum. It is gritty and difficult work that calls on courage, vision, leadership, and constantly assessing where we’ve been and where we are going.

Bryan Crockett has been thinking about this. I recently received an email from Bryan who manages summer orientation in First Year Programs. Bryan noticed the increase in international students and suggested some ideas of how to update the international student orientation to better meet those students’ needs. I appreciated this initiative and leadership to re-think and re-imagine the way our work is done so that we always strive and, sleeves rolled up, push forward to best serve students.

International opportunities are one of the hallmarks of the Honors Program. In Honors, these opportunities are ever-expanding and innovative. Recently, Julie Villegas has coordinated “Writing, Performing, and Curating Millennial Britain,” a course for summer 2011 at Oxford University in which students will work with learning partners from the UW Honors Program, UW Libraries, the Department of English, the University of Oxford and its Libraries and Special Collections. It’s an innovative collaboration that builds upon Honors’ new curriculum.

At the Dream Project’s recent Scholarship Weekend, 260 high school students from around Puget Sound came to the UW campus to begin their search for financial aid that will enable them to attend college. UW alum and Dream Project scholarship expert Sam Lim connected to the group from Berlin via Skype and shared his own life examples of where he came from, where he is now and the work and skill it takes to both find and create opportunity.

In June, I want to be able to look at a unit that is different, better, and invigorated. Are we expanding our reach to connect with students who may not ordinarily find us? Are we re-thinking processes and practices to be sure our methods are efficient and are we changing them if we find they are not? This is a leadership moment for all of us.

Sincerely,

Ed Taylor
Vice Provost and Dean

Even though she already speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Arabic and some Italian, Vi Nhan’s, ’08, day at the office is spent in a classroom learning Japanese for six hours a day, plus homework. As a new Foreign Service officer, Vi will be stationed in Osaka, Japan, in 2011 so she joins other Foreign Service officers learning additional languages on a Washington, D.C., campus and diligently prepares for her service abroad.

When Vi entered the University of Washington, she knew study abroad would be part of her undergraduate experience. Her first study abroad experience came the summer after her freshman year and was the first time Vi traveled without her family. Studying in Morocco was also “one of those experiences where I came to realize that I’m an American but I’m also a Chinese American.” Vi was the first non-Caucasian American most Moroccans she met had encountered, which dislodged some pre-conceived notions of what it means to be American. “By explaining exactly what ‘I am,’ I learned a lot about Moroccan culture but a lot about my culture as well.”

These experiences laid the foundation for Vi’s belief that cultural commonalities are easier to uncover than points of division.

As a sophomore, Vi was selected to be an Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP) fellow. As one of 20 IIPP fellows nationwide, Vi would spend the next few years preparing for international service through intensive summer institutes, study abroad to South Africa, and graduate school preparation in addition to completing dual majors in political science and international studies. The opportunities afforded to IIPP fellows over a five-year period could reach $100,000 in value.

In addition to the IIPP fellowship, Vi spent a summer in Hong Kong learning Mandarin on a Critical Language Scholarship. Vi spent the first 12 years of her life in Vietnam speaking Cantonese at home. Being in Hong Kong, where Cantonese is spoken, “was the first time in my life where I lived in an area where my mother tongue was spoken. It was amazing to hear all these people speaking my language.”

After her summer in Hong Kong, Vi returned to the UW to complete her Honors thesis on media freedom in China. As she graduated, she was one of 20 students nationwide selected for the Rangel fellowship, which supported her graduate study at Johns Hopkins where Vi earned her master’s degree in international relations and international economics. Part of the Rangel fellowship entails a three-year commitment to the Foreign Service, a career to which she already aspired.

Millions of Americans live abroad and hundreds of thousands travel internationally each year. According to the State Department, on any given workday in 2009, nearly 52,000 Americans were issued a passport and more than 22,000 people received a non-immigrant visa to visit the United States. Consular officers around the world serve these and other needs as well as represent the United States. After completing her Japanese training, Vi will move to Osaka, Japan, to serve as a consular officer. So, if you lose your passport between 2011-13 near Osaka, Japan, you may be helped by a fellow Husky.

“I want to keep representing the United States and keep explaining to people what America is,” says Vi of her future goals. “It’s really bringing it back full circle to my experience in Morocco. I’m looking forward to building relations with local citizens. In some cases, we are the first Americans they’ll see, so that’s a pretty big impact on their lives.”

When she completes her tour in Japan, Vi will move to another country on another tour. Every few tours will be in Washington, D.C. While she will be living in places far from the Northwest, Vi notes the connections she made with UW faculty and staff as well as her family in Seattle, and says “no matter where I am in the world, I’m rooted in Seattle.”

Dear UAA Colleagues,

Welcome to the start of the academic year. For some of you, that means welcome back to campus but for some, your work is most intensive in the summer and just leading up to fall quarter.

This summer freshmen, transfer students, and parents were welcomed into the Husky family by our First Year Programs colleagues. Undergraduate researchers from the UW and institutions across the country participated in another outstanding Amgen Scholars program. New faculty were welcomed into and oriented to the ins and outs of the UW through the Teaching Academy’s Faculty Fellows program. The first cohort of students in the Pipeline Project’s expansion in Neah Bay began their work.

In addition to all that, construction on the first floor of Mary Gates Hall began and will continue through fall quarter. This is the first phase of the work in which we and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity will co-locate to better serve our students.

The coming year will be busy. The Honors Program will begin implementation of its new curriculum that calls upon Honors students to take a more active and reflective role in their education and emphasizes experiential education. First Year Programs will be working with nearly 3,000 freshmen through Freshmen Interest Groups.? The Teaching Academy began the year with Faculty Fellows, orienting nearly 90 new faculty members to the University of Washington. By all accounts, the program was outstanding. The impact matters when you consider that, collectively, these faculty members will be teaching thousands of undergraduates. Through this year, the Teaching Academy will be solidifying its work as a component in the UW Center for Teaching and Learning.

The backdrop of all this will also be one of constricting resources as the impact of the recent economic downturn continues to influence our work. These external factors make it all the more important for us to be able to articulate what we do, why it matters, who is affected, and the scale, reach, and impact of our work. I am confident that we will continue to rise to these challenges and serve students, our campus, and community well. Put simply, it’s what we do because of who we are.

When I think of people who have served students well over distinguished careers, one person who comes to mind is Ran Hennes, the former associate director of the Honors Program. On September 13, Ran passed away due to lymphoma. Ran was a kind, committed, and caring force in the Honors Program since 1972 and he will be missed by staff, students, and alumni. Information about his memorial service is here. May the legacy of his work continue to inspire students in the many years to come.

To paraphrase the late Senator Ted Kennedy from 2008, this fall, we again pass the torch to a new generation of students. “The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on.”

Let’s continue our good work together.

Sincerely,

Ed Taylor
Vice Provost and Dean

Dear UAA Colleagues,

Each spring at commencement we bear witness to the very purpose of our work: the results of good teaching.

Events in Undergraduate Academic Affairs this spring highlighted the critical and inspiring foundation of good teaching. Listening to faculty talk about why they teach and what they love most about teaching has been very illustrative. Their care for their students and knowledge of their field and of the practice of teaching is nothing short of inspiring. They represent the complexity of deep preparation of knowledge, interdisciplinary thinking, systemic understanding of issues and problems in the world, and powerful illustrations of the many contributions the University can make toward solving those problems.

At the Distinguished Teaching Awards Showcase in May, faculty talked about challenging students and learning alongside of their students. They reinforced that teaching, inquiry, and service for the common good really do go hand in hand.

At the Undergraduate Research Symposium, we see evidence of this—students engaged in the process of discovery to generate knowledge and contribute to our understanding of our world.

Stanford research psychologist Carol Dweck says, “The students who thrive are not necessarily the ones who come in with the perfect scores. It’s the ones who love what they’re doing and go at it vigorously.” The spring 2010 scholarship nominees reception reaffirmed this statement. The reception is a celebration of students who love to learn, recognition of faculty whose love of learning inspires these students, and the passion and commitment each bring to their work. These students categorically recognize Mona Pitre-Collins and Robin Chang as invaluable in their scholarship process. It serves as a reminder to me that individuals in our unit make a difference in countless, immeasurable ways.

Our work to make more public the good teaching that happens here continues through the appointment of Beth Kalikoff to the position of director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. Beth is an associate professor in the UW Tacoma Interdisciplinary Arts Program and brings an excitement and fresh perspective that will be so critical as the center establishes itself and gains traction. Beth began her work this month. Betsy Wilson, Jerry Baldasty, and I look forward to working with her.

This summer, entering freshmen are again receiving a copy of the UW Common Book. For 2010-11 we are focusing on poetry and have compiled You Are Never Where You Are, an original collection of 15 poems. Throughout the year, we hope to engage freshmen and the campus community in poetry, voice, expression, and the persistence, courage, and imagination it takes to read and write poetry. As Honors Program writer-in-residence and selection committee member Frances McCue wrote in the book’s introduction, “Without poetry, our civilization would be unmoored to the past. There wouldn’t be a way of singing praise or suffering; we wouldn’t be articulate; we couldn’t see ourselves and how we are living. Poems are deliberate. They get us to take stock of what is out there.”

As in the past, copies of the book are available at the front desk in Mary Gates Hall 220 for UAA staff to borrow, it is in the UW libraries, and for sale at the University Book Store. I hope you pick it up and find a poem or ten that perhaps opens the world or a corner of it in a new way for you.

Sincerely,

Ed Taylor
Vice Provost and Dean