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June 13, 2023

UW welcomes PepsiCo as official partner beginning July 1

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The UW selected PepsiCo as its official beverage partner beginning on July 1.University of Washington

The University of Washington today announced that PepsiCo will become its official beverage partner beginning July 1.

PepsiCo’s relationship with the UW is built on a commitment to enhancing the student experience, innovating around sustainability, supporting the UW’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals, and creating more positive impacts for all.

UW will offer the full suite of PepsiCo products in its three main campuses, hospitals and athletics venues for the next 10 years. The relationship is valued at more than $24.92 million, with an additional $2.4 million in PepsiCo products.

“We’re very pleased to welcome PepsiCo as a partner and sponsor. Their commitment to supporting core UW values — the Husky Experience; diversity, equity and inclusion; and sustainability — will expand our capacity to provide a world-class education for students and increase access to the UW,” UW President Ana Mari Cauce said.

A committee of representatives from across the University — including all three campuses, UW Medicine and Intercollegiate Athletics — unanimously selected PepsiCo in a competitive bidding process.

“We at PepsiCo are excited and honored for the opportunity to partner with the University of Washington as their exclusive beverage provider,” said Shay Hobby, senior vice president of Commercial, PepsiCo Beverages North America – West Division. “Through this partnership, we are committed to making a positive impact on the Husky student experience and community.  We are grateful for UW’s collaboration and excited to share this news with our passionate Pepsi teammates who live in that community.”

By becoming a University of Washington signature partner, PepsiCo will:

  • Support the student experience by funding scholarships that uplift diversity, equity, and inclusion and for students serving in the military at UW Bothell, UW Tacoma and on the Seattle campus
  • Boost student exposure to career opportunities, with specialized programming at UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, and on the Seattle campus through Student Life and the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. PepsiCo also will provide real-world job experience by hiring student ambassadors to represent its brand at the UW.
  • Help fight food insecurity among the UW student population with direct support to the Any Hungry Husky food assistance program
  • Limit and reduce beverage packaging and single-use containers, seeking solutions to minimize waste and shift toward clean energy by endowing an on-campus innovation fund
  • Provide UW Athletics with Gatorade sports beverages and offer UW coaches access to the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, a team of researchers working to optimize sports nutrition. PepsiCo also will support the Athletics Impact Fund in Intercollegiate Athletics.
  • Promote more positive impacts, pledging that two-thirds of PepsiCo’s product line will contain 100 calories or fewer per 12-ounce serving by 2025 all as a part of its pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) transformation initiative, which centers on sustainability and inspires positive change for the planet and people

PepsiCo equipment is scheduled to be installed across the UW campuses this summer. For more information click here or contact uwnews@uw.edu.

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Here’s what other UW leaders said about the new partnership:

“Pepsi’s commitment to invest in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the UW will help the university advance important efforts across the three campuses,” said Rickey Hall, the university’s diversity officer and vice president of the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. “Investing in these programs places a college education in reach for more students, from more parts of Washington, and will help with efforts to create more accessible and welcoming campuses.”

“PepsiCo’s commitment to supporting the Husky student experience is terrific! From scholarships to career opportunities, this partnership will benefit UW students for years to come,” said Denzil Suite, UW Vice President for Student Life.

“We are excited to welcome Pepsi to UW,” said Pamela Schreiber, assistant vice president for Student Life and executive director of UW Housing & Food Services. “We look forward to a partnership with shared values and priorities, and ensuring a variety of product options across our campus dining operations.”

“We are excited about bringing PepsiCo and their full range of product offerings to the UW,” said Jen Cohen, director of Athletics. “We know our partnership will be extremely beneficial for our student-athletes, staff and Husky Nation, and the opportunities that are created from our collective collaboration will make an incredible impact both on campus and in the community.”

“We commend PepsiCo’s movement towards healthier drinks and wellness and its commitment to sustainability, equity and diversity for a better future,” said Cynthia Dold, interim president of Hospitals & Clinics, UW Medicine.

“Gatorade is a trusted brand in the sports beverage industry that is backed by the work they do at the Gatorade Sport Science Institute,” said Mike Dillon, associate athletic director for Health & Wellness. “We are thrilled to have access to their extensive product line that spans hydration, fueling and recovery as well as direct access to the research and support from GSSI. Gatorade has a long-standing history in the world of sports and constantly prioritizes the overall student-athlete experience.”

“The announcement of this partnership is perfectly timed with the opening of our Terrace Dining Pavilion later this summer,” said Scott James, vice chancellor for the Division of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, UW Bothell. “We welcome PepsiCo to the UW Bothell campus and look forward to collaborating on ways to enrich opportunities for our students.”

“We are excited to partner with PepsiCo to punch up the flavor of the student experience on the UW Tacoma campus. Their support for scholarships, internships, sustainability initiatives and events like Convocation will immeasurably strengthen the Husky community,” said Mentha Hynes-Wilson, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, UW Tacoma.

(Editor’s note: Due to an internal miscommunication, the original content of this news release was edited after publication. The full, original text has been restored.)

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