The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.聽continues with demonstrations of strength, resiliency and compassion. During MLK week, 天美影视传媒 students, faculty and staff partnered with surrounding communities to serve and lead together. From prepping food at meal centers and cleaning up neighborhood centers to sharing their stories through the creativity of hip hop and performance poetry, see the different ways they worked toward creating a more beloved community.
Video highlights from MLK Week
Video by Bryan Nakata, UAA Digital Media Producer
Photo highlights from MLK Week
Enjoy these photos of the students, community members and others in events designed to honor the memory of MLK through service.
Birthday Kickoff and Mobile Museum
A celebration of聽King’s birthday helped kickoff the week, along with the return of the mobile museum. 罢丑别听museum, which exhibits more than 150 rare artifacts,聽had a specific focus on 1968, the year of King’s death.
Day of Service
Each year, the 天美影视传媒 and the United Way of King County host the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Through this event, nearly聽2,000 volunteers provide vital people-power to organizations that support our county鈥檚 most vulnerable populations.
Hip Hop Show
To close , the produced the “Still Dreaming” showcase to honor the messages that King presented to the world in his “I聽Have a聽Dream” speech.
All photos by聽Bryan Nakata, UAA Digital Media Producer
Timothy Welsh is the 天美影视传媒’s most recent Churchill Scholar. Photo: Bryan Nakata
A Pacific Northwest native, Timothy Welsh grew up fascinated by the natural world. Over the years, his career goals transitioned from geology to forestry, until he discovered chemistry.
鈥淲hat made me finally decide on chemistry as the path for me is an appreciation for the remarkable microscopic and biochemical functions that are crucial to every aspect of interactions between the biotic and abiotic environment.鈥�
A triple-major in chemistry, biochemistry, and applied and computational mathematical sciences, and Honors student, Welsh’s research endeavors seek to better understand some of the biochemical mechanisms underlying these processes. 鈥淓lucidating these mechanisms will not only deepen our understanding of nature, but I believe will help provide solutions to some of the biggest problems facing the human race,鈥� he says. Welsh鈥檚 drive to discover led to his selection as a Churchill Scholar.
鈥斅燱elsh is one of only 15 in the country 鈥� are selected for their proven talent in research and ability to make significant contributions in the sciences, engineering or mathematics. Welsh was selected from 101 applicants for this scholarship, which covers full tuition for one year of master’s study at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge; a stipend; travel costs; and a chance to apply for a $2,000 special research grant.
“Receiving the Churchill is truly a great honor. I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to pursue research at Cambridge, and I believe that the academic environment at Cambridge will teach me what it means to be a global research collaborator and will set me up to be successful for the rest of my academic career.”
鈥擳imothy Welsh
Welsh first worked in a lab as a high school student during a summer internship at the Oregon Health & Sciences University, and has been researching ever since, working in labs from the UW to Switzerland. In 2017, Welsh published a first-author paper, sharing the results of his summertime work in Dr. Walter Loveland鈥檚 nuclear chemistry lab at Oregon State University. Currently a member of Professor Stefan Stoll鈥檚 lab, Welsh鈥檚 research now focuses on developing techniques to determine the structure and changing shapes of proteins.
鈥淭he Churchill scholarship,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, 鈥渋s a prestigious opportunity for Timothy to continue working toward understanding our world in critical ways. It reflects his ambition and capabilities and also reflects well on the mentorship he鈥檚 experienced as an undergraduate researcher. The UW鈥檚 research community and campus-at-large are proud of Timothy and encourage him as he continues to live out UW鈥檚 mission at Cambridge.鈥�
As a Churchill scholar, Welsh will complete a master鈥檚 degree in chemistry at Cambridge. There, Welsh will join the lab of Professor Tuomas Knowles 鈥� a leader in the field of microfluidic techniques within biophysics 鈥� to study properties of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granule formation and propagation. Building on his past research experiences, Welsh plans to use microfluidic techniques to better understand how granules function within the cell, both when healthy and when mutated. The long-term goal of this research is to better understand how these mutations are related to neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS and Huntington鈥檚.
After earning his master鈥檚 at Cambridge, he plans to return to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. with an emphasis in chemical biology. He hopes to one day educate the public about the importance of the microscopic biochemical world and act as a liaison between scientists and policy makers.
The Churchill Scholarship application process is supported by the聽聽(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.
罢丑别听聽(and other scholarships supporting studies in the UK) is open for 2019-20 awards.
For nearly 40 years, the 天美影视传媒 has celebrated the top undergraduate in each class by awarding them the President鈥檚 Medalist distinction. Selected by a committee for their high GPA, rigor of their classes and number of Honors courses, this year鈥檚 recipients feature three well-rounded students who excel in both the sciences and the arts. Freshman medalist Grace Wang is an aspiring pediatrician with a strong background in violin and visual art. Sophomore medalist, Isabelle Tully wants to be a psychology professor by day and poet by night. And junior medalist, Alder Strange splits her time between the lab and stage as a biochemistry and musical theater double major. These exceptional students will be recognized at a reception with President Ana Mari Cauce, and this award will be listed on the student鈥檚 permanent academic record.
Growing up in the Waldorf educational tradition, Grace Wang learned early on the importance of having children explore the world through their own senses. This natural curiosity and excitement for learning drew her to the , which integrates discussion-based learning and experiential learning. A pre-med biochemistry student with the goal of becoming a pediatrician, Wang recently joined a qualitative clinical research team at Seattle Children鈥檚. Along with her team, she is working on improving care coordination for medically complex cases through cloud-based care plans. Outside of research, Wang plays violin in chamber groups on campus and even started her own business teaching violin to children. An avid artist, she also volunteers as an illustrator for the undergraduate neuroscience journal, , where she is able to combine her love of art with her interest in scientific research. For now, her dedication to helping people is clear. She is a founding member of Synapse at the 天美影视传媒, an organization that connects people with traumatic brain injuries to resources in the greater community, and volunteers as a healing music volunteer at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). In this role, she plays welcoming and soothing violin music in waiting rooms throughout SCCA.
Going to college can be daunting, especially when you come in as a younger student through the , which is exactly what Isabelle Tully did. However, Tully worked hard to find her place. 鈥淚 live with a group of wonderful roommates and am so thankful to be in such a supportive environment on campus鈥�. The people and opportunities I am surrounded with have confirmed choosing this path was the right decision.鈥� The psychology major recently joined Dr. Lori Zoellner鈥檚 lab to work on Project STEP and Dr. Lynn Katz鈥檚 lab as a research assistant for a study on children who display low pro-social behavior. Under the guidance of Dr. Curtis Hisayasu and Dr. Henry Laufenberg, Tully discovered her passion for teaching while working as a teaching assistant for UW Academy students. This combination of research and teaching solidified Tully鈥檚 career goal: working in academia as a psychology professor and researcher. Eager to take advantage of the opportunities available at UW, Tully tried a couple of service learning classes, and discovered two wonderful organizations 鈥� Seattle Against Slavery (part of a class on human trafficking class) and the North Helpline Food Bank (part of a sociology class.) Tully鈥檚 love of experiential learning also led her to a study abroad trip through Italy, studying migration across the Mediterranean Sea, which she describes as 鈥渓ife-changing.鈥� A writing minor, Tully hopes to one day publish a book of poetry in addition to her academic career.
Hailing from Seattle, Strange dreamt of attending the UW as a little girl. Now that she is a Husky, Strange is taking advantage of all the opportunities: 鈥淚 have many diverse passions, and I am thrilled to be able to pursue so many of them at UW.鈥� A biochemistry and musical theater double major, Strange also participates in the . Through Honors, she鈥檚 taken advantage of several unique learning-beyond-the-classroom opportunities, including a natural history field study course and study abroad trip to Ecuador. Outside of class, you can catch Strange in one of her many co-curriculars: In the lab, as a researcher in Dr. Cole DeForest鈥檚 lab where she investigates the application of a new protein to the hydgrogel-based systems of drug delivery. On the soccer field, as a regular member of her pick-up soccer team. At her old elementary school with Professor Marjorie Olmstead, teaching math to students. And, on stage, as part of the UW鈥檚 production of . With the long-term goal of being a pediatrician and researcher, she is excited to draw from her broad interests to find balance.
One of the few days my mother wept in my presence was April 4, 1968, the day Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in Memphis, Tennessee. Fifty years ago this year. When I think of Dr. King鈥檚 life and death, I often think of women like my mother who seemed to hold undisclosed and unnoticed stories of suffering.
Black women of my mother鈥檚 time held true to a quest for positive identities, complicated by the overlapping oppression of race, class and gender. They were brave survivors who lived under the shadow of oppression but did not lose their faith or humanity. The memory of their efforts, routinely missing in history, is coming to light now.
In the closing comments of his final book,聽“,” Dr. King wrote: 鈥淲e are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. 鈥� This may well be mankind鈥檚 last chance to choose between chaos or community.鈥� According to him, 鈥淔or its very survival鈥檚 sake, America must re-examine old presuppositions and release itself from many things that for centuries have been held sacred. For the evils of racism, poverty and militarism to die, a new set of values must be born.鈥�
Police dog attacks a civil rights protester.
I think about some of those key phrases and ideas in a 2018 context: 鈥渢he fierce urgency of now;鈥� 鈥渃haos or community;鈥� a re-examination of our values. Our values and habits relating to women must change. It can start by seeing truth in the overlooked contributions women made to the civil rights movement. Dr. King鈥檚 call to moral vision without hubris asks us to see that the historical images of the most dramatic moments of the civil rights movement 鈥� protesters blasted by fire hoses and dogs lunging at Black people 鈥� are often images of women and girls.
Little Rock Nine and Daisy Bates posed in living room. Photo from Library of Congress archives.
The 1957 image of six young Black women who became the Little Rock Nine and who risked their lives to integrate Arkansas high schools shows us truth. To see the 1964 image of Mississippi beautician Vera聽Pigee styling hair and educating her customers on voter registration is to see a certain truth. The 1963 photo of students, mostly women, at Florida A&M University, a historically Black college, answering court charges for protesting segregated movie theaters shows truth.
Women served as teachers, civil rights organizers and as lawyers on school segregation lawsuits, and they “played vital roles in the struggle for human rights and justice in the South and the nation,鈥� according to , the first Black female director of the nonpartisan Voter Education Project. a long-time secretary of the NAACP, discussed the importance of women leaders in local branches: 鈥淲ell, actually when you think about women’s contributions to the NAACP, without the women we wouldn’t have an NAACP.鈥�
Some of the 220 African-American students from Florida A&M in a circuit court room to face charges of contempt for demonstrating against segregated movie theaters.
In society, and even within the movement, many Black women experienced discrimination and harassment. Starting in 2009, the interviewed participants in the struggle and included points of pride along with candid assessments about the difficulties women faced within the movement.
was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and one of three women to serve as field director for the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project. She noted that gender equality was not a given: 鈥淚 often had to struggle around issues related to a woman being a project director. 鈥� We had to fight 鈥� it was a struggle to be taken seriously by the leadership, as well as by your male colleagues.鈥�
I love this statement made by , an extraordinarily effective leader for civil and women鈥檚 rights who 鈥� along with so many involved women 鈥� most people probably don鈥檛 know. Dorothy Height wanted to 鈥渂e remembered as a woman who used herself and anything she could for justice and freedom. I want to be remembered as one who tried.鈥�
Women marching in 1963 March on Washington. Photo from Library of Congress.
How will we try? As individuals and as a community, how will we change our habits, listen with humility, learn to trust women鈥檚 stories, and not just bear witness to but march alongside women? It is time to聽extend the work for justice and equality where Dr. King left off in Memphis the day he died. If we are to learn from this moment, on the 50th anniversary of his death, let鈥檚 choose community over chaos and view King鈥檚 birthday and his death as a renewed call to action to use ourselves for justice and liberty for all.
Undergraduate Academic Affairs is thrilled to announce Adiam Tesfay as the new director of Academic Support Programs (ASP). Tesfay joined Academic Support Programs in 2011, first serving as assistant director, then associate director and most recently interim director. Over the course of her tenure, she has actively worked to help students navigate the transition to the 天美影视传媒 and become their most successful selves.
Tesfay first discovered her passion for helping students adjust to college while an undergraduate resident assistant at Northern Arizona University (NAU). This experience motivated Tesfay to stay at NAU and earn her Masters in Educational Counseling.聽 At NAU, Tesfay joined TRiO Student Support Services and went on to advise first-generation, low-income and disabled students on personal, academic and financial issues. Her programming helped the students considered most at risk of not graduating to graduate at a higher rate than the rest of the university. Tesfay brings this same dedication and tenacity to her work at the UW.
鈥淎diam is a champion of students across the University from all backgrounds, particularly of those students with the greatest needs,鈥� says Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Ed Taylor. 鈥淪he is unwavering in her commitment to the success of all students, and unwavering in her belief that all students can be successful.鈥� Tesfay believes that community is key to students鈥� success and holds this as a guiding principle in her work. She is dedicated to increasing educational equity and access, and works with both professional and student staff on these issues.
鈥淚鈥檓 really proud that ASP鈥檚 staff is able to have open and honest conversations about equity. This is really hard to tackle at the university level. We work together to find new, innovative ways to support our students,鈥� explains Tesfay. To accomplish this, Tesfay recently led her team through a strategic plan to evaluate their effectiveness and find new opportunities to reach more students. As a result of this work, Tesfay and her team will be offering additional coaching sessions, workshops on topics including 鈥渨hat to do if you fail a test鈥� and additional events for students to build communities with each other.
We are teaching students what to do when what they鈥檝e traditionally done no longer works. We want them to talk to each other; to share with their friends that they are struggling. But no one does because they are embarrassed. We want to normalize failure. Failure can still be great. It gives you a sense of discovery. 鈥� Adiam Tesfay
Through the work of ASP, Tesfay strives to teach students to be their own best advocate. She maintains ASP鈥檚 programs are so effective because the students open up to their peers in ways that they don鈥檛 with her and the other staff members. To ensure this system works for everyone, Tesfay is committed to training both her student and professional staff and creating an open, collaborative environment for her team.
Academic Support Programs currently runs the and . Both rely on peer-to-peer support. CLUE offers late-night drop-in tutoring, discussion sessions, a writing center and test prep sessions, fielding over 35,000 student visits each year. The 120 undergraduate and graduate student tutors are trained to teach students how to figure out difficult problems, helping develop confidence and creative thinking.
The academic achievement courses are specifically geared toward freshman, sophomore and transfer students who are struggling with their transitions to UW. Every student in these courses is paired with a with whom they meet three hours a week. Both the classes and tutoring sessions focus on note-taking, essay writing, time-management and other study skills. Tesfay explains, 鈥淭he work we are doing is these classes is transformative for these students. Helping change a student鈥檚 trajectory at the UW will impact the student and their family for the rest of their life.鈥�
Our work within UAA and out across the University is tied together and interdependent. Research, service and scholarship go hand in hand. The first-year experience, and students鈥� transitions through to declaring a major and graduating into lives outside the University are one and the same. Leadership, service and ethics all serve the same purpose: To become a more thoughtful and compassionate public.
Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor offered his thoughts on today’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Links to President Cauce’s statement and resources are also available here.
Congratulations to the 2016-17 Undergraduate Academic Affairs staff recognition awardees. Selected for their dedication to supporting UAA鈥檚 mission of creating innovative academic experiences for undergraduates, these six UAA staff members made an indelible impact on UW students, faculty and staff.
Bryan Nakata, digital media producer, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Award for Excellence
Awarded to employees who have worked in UAA for at least five years, this award celebrates the employee鈥檚 leadership in creating formative student experiences and building the necessary infrastructure to support their vision. Recognizing the critical role advisers play in the undergraduate experience, Aley Mills Willis evolved the Honors advising program to be an essential piece of her students鈥� experience. Understanding the importance of experiential learning, Kathryn Pursch Cornforth actively works with peers across the campus and community to lay the foundation for students to engage in service learning.
Aley Mills Willis, the advising mastermind
鈥淎ley is a natural and gifted adviser, always fully engaged with each student she works with, while simultaneously thinking about the bigger picture of academic services. She is thoroughly dedicated to students and works tirelessly and creatively to ensure that they have rich and challenging experiences, while also supporting them in that journey. When recent graduates of our program are asked 鈥楬ow did Honors help you in your time as an undergrad?鈥� the nurturing, individually tailored advising experiences is most-often cited.鈥�
鈥� UW Honors Staff
Achievements of note: Created the Honors advising program, consistently provides support for her staff to grow; founded the Honors Field Studies Program; played a key role in building the Honors admission process; integral in developing the Honors 100 first-year seminar and the 2010 Interdisciplinary Honors curriculum; instrumental in creating the peer mentoring program; and formalized the National Collegiate Honors Council鈥檚 Partners in the Parks program.
Kathryn Pursch Cornforth, the visionary facilitator
鈥淜athryn is an inspirational, thoughtful and patient lead for UAA and for faculty teaching around the presence of Tent City 3 on campus during winter quarter. She worked tirelessly with the Tent City Collective, Tent City residents and with faculty to ensure that our collaborations were substantive, ethical and appropriately engaged. I could not have successfully offered my own class, 鈥楨ngaging Homelessness,鈥� without her wonderful partnership. We are so lucky to have Kathryn in the Carlson Center!鈥�
鈥� Dr. Vicky Lawson, director of Honors and professor of geography
Achievements of note: Played a critical role in fostering an impactful stay for Tent City 3, including building relationships with Tent City 3 residents, vetting learning opportunities with Tent City 3, including classes, conversations and meals; led the development of MLK week; heads the service learning teams, which impacts 3,000 students, 350 community partners and 100+ faculty; assisting with the development of a pilot study aboard program in Berlin, Germany.
See highlights from MLK Week, which Kathryn Pursch Cornforth plays a large role in organizing.
Outstanding Achievement Award
Recognizing the innovation, collaboration and tenacity it takes to initiate change, this award acknowledges the leaders behind some of UAA鈥檚 innovative programming. Ali Albrecht鈥檚 commitment to serving transfer students led her to create more robust experiences for them. Carey Christie鈥檚 vision for an Honors alumni network inspired her to build an active and engaged community of alumni.
Ali Albrecht, the transfer student advocate
“Ali has taken the lead on improving the transfer experience for more than 2,000 new transfer students every year. Even before she formally took on this role, Ali exhibited innovative thinking by hosting a Transfer Husky Kick-off event with remarks from President Cauce … Ali has always thought creatively about how we can broaden the UAA footprint to acknowledge and celebrate the diversity a transfer student brings to our campus.”
鈥� The First Year Programs Team
Achievements of note: Collaborating cross campus to improve the transfer student experience, including: hosting a Transfer Husky Kick-off event, establishing the Transfer Ambassadors peer mentor program, a seminar for transfer students and strategic plan to stay engaged with these students year-round and actively mentors students.
Virtually attend Transfer Dawg Daze, which Ali initiated:
Carey Christie, the alumni network architect
鈥淐arey has made the position her own, defining and crafting it to create a model of innovation, imprinting her creativity, her ‘can do’ attitude, and diverse communication skills to the task of alumni outreach and community building. Her special achievement of increasing alumni engagement in Honors has accomplished many layers of good for the Program and ripples across our work in Honors, as well as advances UAA鈥檚 mission to deepen and strengthen community.鈥�
鈥� UW Honors Staff
Achievements of note: Establishing the Honors Alumni Program from scratch; producing and coordinating the Global Challenges Event; creating the Honors Alumni Panel, now an integral part of the program; managing and steering the Advisory Board; Honors Hearths, which brings faculty and alumni into the residence halls for heartfelt conversations; and marketing the Honors Program.
Outstanding Student Employee Award
Student employees are an integral part of the UAA staff. This award recognizes the outstanding achievements of two student employees. Chloe Lee鈥檚 enthusiasm for her work as a TA is contagious and regularly inspires those around her to get involved with causes they feel passionate about. Bryan Nakata鈥檚 creativity has played an integral role in shaping UAA鈥檚 communications work.
Chungeun 鈥淐hloe鈥� Lee, leading by example
鈥淢any Robinson Center students have been inspired by Chloe鈥檚 initiative and leadership and have followed her into these groups to give back to their community in ways that Chloe has modeled. … Chloe鈥檚 contributions to the Robinson Center鈥檚 mission have been vast and, in every role she takes on, she demonstrates exceptional professional integrity, personal responsibility and care for others. We simply could not ask for a better teacher, leader and mentor for our community of students, and we feel so lucky that Chloe has given so much of her professional and personal energy to supporting others who wish to follow in her footsteps.鈥�
鈥� Curtis Hisayasu鈥�, associate director of programs, UW Academy, Robinson Center
Achievements of note: Founder, 鈥淗uskies for Kids鈥� registered student organization (RSO) which raises awareness of childhood poverty and illness; officer in 鈥淗and2Hand,鈥� which works with several women鈥檚 and youth shelters. As a T.A. performed better than most graduate students and set the bar for future T.A.s
Bryan Nakata, the up-and-coming filmmaker
鈥淏ryan has great technical knowledge and ability, and he also has a strong degree of self-awareness, creativity, drive, narrative instinct, receptivity to others鈥� ideas, and empathy to tell stories really, really well. His technical ability supports his creativity in his video work. He knows the effect of a particular camera lens, or lens flare, or angle, or lighting. And he鈥檚 constantly striving to push himself to learn more and use the technical to support the story.鈥�
鈥� Kirsten Atik, communications director, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Achievements of note: Consistently producing top quality films and photos, including the MLK video above. Here are some additional videos he’s produced:
Mary Gates Endowment 20th Anniversary
Making art out of rejection: Miha Sarani paints his heroes
Lupita Tovar originally intended to major in business. However, the opportunity to get involved with research changed her mind. Now an astronomy major, Lupita investigates telescopes to map exoplanets (words outside our solar system). If successful, she鈥檒l pitch her ideas to NASA and the greater science community.
“The ideas of service and leadership connect to each other because a good leader is one who serves.”
鈥� Ernie Tao, 鈥�18, political science and biochemistry and volunteer firefighter
For UW student Ernie Tao, volunteering as a firefighter allows him to serve our communities with the highest level of engagement: 鈥渉is own hands and feet.鈥�
