husky community

Statewide Impact

Forget the ivory tower. The UW Alumni Association has been building the state-wide Husky community by bringing UW news to alumni, where they are.

Welcome to the Husky family. Ninety incoming UW students, parents, alumni and friends from the Spokane area gathered together on Wednesday, June 14, for the Welcome to Washington event. Every year, this celebration gives newly admitted students and their families the opportunity to connect with the UW community and learn about life at the UW. They were joined by 28 UW faculty members traveling as part of the Faculty Field Tour — the annual tour of the state for faculty members new to the state and the University. Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Ed Taylor, along with rising junior Sanjay Kubsad (a Spokane native), addressed the crowd. Scholarships were awarded to Madison Meuler and Michael Chan. To their delight, the new UW families received yard signs that read “New Husky #UWFamily,” allowing them to show their purple pride.

Next up, Vancouver-area alumni will welcome new students at an August 16 Student Send-Off.

New Husky Holiday! On May 5, (5/09) the UWAA celebrated the Husky community east of the Cascades with the launch of the first annual 509 Day. Emails and social media encouraged alumni and friends in the 509 to join us in claiming purple pride. More than 1,000 UW fans signed up to receive a complimentary UW spirit flag. So many heeded the call, we had to order more! Flags were mailed to homes in June, and we look forward to seeing how fans put them to good use.

Searching for solutions together. On April 19, University of Washington Chief of Pain Medicine Dr. David J. Tauben, M.D., Res. ’82, spoke in Spokane. As the use of prescription opioid medication to relieve chronic pain grows, we find ourselves in the midst of an epidemic that is hitting especially hard in smaller communities. Dr. Tauben, a nationally renowned and often-quoted expert on this topic, shared his thoughts on the treatment of chronic pain and what patients need to know. Dr. Tauben spoke with a few first year medical students over lunch before heading off to the Historic Davenport to speak to alumni, staff and the local community. This event was presented by UWAA, the UW School of Medicine and Gonzaga University as part of the continuing Next Generation Medicine lecture series.

Going across the state with President Cauce. Earlier this year, UW President Ana Mari Cauce went to Richland to meet with UW alumni and friends. On April 30, she took the show on the road again, traveling to Bellingham for a free reception for Husky faithful at Depot Market Square. Over 100 attendees enjoyed brews and food from Bellingham’s Boundary Bay Brewery, and VIP guests included former UW regent Craig Cole and past UWAA president the Honorable John Meyer. President Cauce tweeted about the event, posing with “Airy,” the UWAA’s unofficial mascot.

Great evening in Bellingham with UW alums! Go Dawgs! pic.twitter.com/HdRcPlmM3E

— Ana Mari Cauce (@amcauce) May 1, 2018

Next up, President Cauce will visit with Huskies across Puget Sound in Bremerton on August 6.