Astrobiology -- the study of life in the universe -- investigates the wide range of multidisciplinary factors that may influence the origin and evolution of life on Earth and beyond. Such investigation demands intense interdisciplinarity, for which the astrobiology program at the University of Washington is creating a new community of scholars, investigators, and educators -- a community skilled in multidisciplinary methods and thinking that pushes boundaries beyond the commonplace with intellectual vigor, creativity, and rigorous methodology. Astrobiology at the University of Washington builds on the strengths of traditional academic structure to transcend the limits of specialization through the synergy of multidisciplinary cooperation in both research and education.