in review

Focus on fall quarter

Fall is an exciting time — for students, our university and the UW Alumni Association too. In fall we kick off the new year with some of our most popular programs, making meaningful connections between alumni, students and campus.

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Get those paws moving. Alaska Airlines Dawg Dash, the annual 5K walk/run and 10K run, is one of the UWAA’s biggest events of the year, bringing together a wide range of members of the UW community, from alumni, students and staff to fitness-focused residents who live in the area. In this dog-friendly event, they gather to be active, enjoy a run through the beautiful UW campus and support students. Proceeds go to the University of Washington General Scholarship Fund.

This year’s event, held on Sunday, Oct. 22, followed up a successful 2016 Dawg Dash, which saw record attendance and raised record amounts for students. Bolstered by support from the business community, such as Alaska Airlines, Brooks Running, PEMCO, WSECU, UW Medicine, BECU and University Boostore, a new high bar was set with 4,300 Dawg Dashers. Early returns show we raised over $20,000 for scholarships, proving once again what we can do when we come together as a powerful UW community.

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Thoughtful conversations. Meaningful connections. There’s nothing like gathering with others to learn something new — listening, responding and questioning with other curious minds to gain a deeper understanding of our world. That’s why the UWAA is proud to join with departments across campus to present public lectures. Every quarter, thousands pack Kane Hall and other locations to hear from top thinkers. Open to all members of the UW community for free or a small fee, public lectures are just one way the UWAA carries out its commitment to lifelong learning.

The UWAA has partnered with the Graduate School Public Lectures again with the popular and impactful Equity & Difference lectures — an ongoing series, now in its third year, that explores how we can come together to build a more just society. This fall’s lectures focus on rights, while past lectures in the series have explored a wide range of topics, from privilege to politics. Topics this quarter include civil rights, healthcare, immigration and how young people are shaping the political landscape.

Other fall partners include the College of Engineering, presenting its series Engineering the Data Revolution; UW Bothell, facilitating Pub Night Talks at McMenamins Anderson School; and the College of Environment, hosting former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell at Benaroya Hall. We’re proud to collaborate with our campus partners to make these learning opportunities accessible to the wider community.

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Honoring our country’s best. During Veterans Appreciation each year, the UW community takes time to recognize those who have served our country. This year’s events span all three UW campuses and a range of activities, from supporting student veterans and a women veteran leadership panel to a 5K Ruck March and Birthday Ball.

The focal point of the week is the Nov. 11 Veterans Day Ceremony. As an organization, the UWAA takes special pride in presenting the annual UW Distinguished Alumni Veterans Award. This year’s recipient is Ray Emory, ’52. A veteran of Pearl Harbor, Emory served until 1946 and then moved to Hawaii when he retired in 1985. After learning that many of the sailors killed at Pearl Harbor were buried as unknown, Emory began a 20-year mission to find their identities and return their remains to their families. For his service during and after active duty, Emory will be honored as the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Veteran.