Husky 100

September 11, 2019

Student Stories: Erin Cote

Erin Cote

Sammamish, WA2019 Husky 100 Erin Cote
M.A., Museology

Year awarded 2019

Why did you apply for the Husky 100?

I wanted to apply because I have been a Husky for a long time. I was an undergrad here studying Biology and Linguistics. I was really excited to get the chance to come back to UW for my Master’s degree in Museology. I felt like the Husky 100 was a chance for me to give back to my program and help people hear about it. I was also excited to have another forum for sharing my thesis work.

What does being a Husky 100 mean to you and your communities? 

My program, the Master’s of Museology program is quite small and few people outside of the museum field have heard of the program. The Husky 100 is a way to recognize the really interesting, interdisciplinary work being done through the program.  

Through your experience, how did you embody one of the Husky 100 criteria?

I think I particularly embody the criteria of Connect the Dots. I have embodied this through my thesis work with the Seattle Aquarium. I applied much of my classwork on advocacy, data visualization and nonprofit work to designing a series of advocacy infographics for the Southern Resident Orcas. I was only able to sift through a huge amount of scientific data on these whales to find data I wanted to visualize because of the skills I learned as an undergrad in Biology at UW. Through my thesis, I applied skills from class I have taken over the six years I have spent at UW.

How does the Husky 100 inspire other students?

The Husky 100 highlights for everyone at the UW all the opportunities that are available. It shows everyone just how diverse this community and the huge number of ways that people can make the most of their time. When I hear about what the other Husky 100 have done I am always inspired and impressed by their amazing work.

Were there mentors or communities that were a part of your journey at UW?

The faculty with UW Museology have been amazing mentors to me. In particular, Angie Ong and Meena Selvakumar have been instrumental in providing guidance through the last year of my program as I was working on my thesis.