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Remembering the Legacy of E.J. Brisker
November 15, 2023
Emanual J. (EJ) Brisker Jr., ’70, passed away on September 21, 2023, at the age of 80. The Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and the University of Washington owe Brisker a debt of gratitude for his activism as a student, and beyond, that led to the establishment of OMA&D and laid the foundation for many of our access programs…
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2023 Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture Recap
November 6, 2023
On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, OMA&D held its annual Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture. This year, the lecture featured Dr. Joanne Woiak, Associate Teaching Professor for the Disability Studies Program at the University of Washington. Her lecture “Engaging Disability, Empowering History: Ethics and Politics of Disability History” highlighted the exclusion and erasure of disabilities from history and the impact…
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The Raap Approach
October 25, 2023
How Melissa Raap’s first-generation college student experience shapes her work today. Melissa Raap, MSW (’11) manages the University of Washington’s Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity Champions program. Champions serves students on the UW Seattle campus who are alumni of foster care or unaccompanied homeless youth by helping them navigate the challenging bureaucracies that come with being a student.…
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OMA&D Congratulates Alumna Evangelina Galvan Shreeve
September 18, 2023
The US Department of Energy announced earlier this month that Evangelina Galvan Shreeve (’89, ’96) will receive a 2023 Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Award from the Clean Energy & Empowerment (C3E) during the C3E Annual Symposium, Sept. 27-28. C3E a public-private sector collaboration focused on advancing women in the energy sector, led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)…
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Thank you! 2023 Celebration Event Recap
June 6, 2023
With help from OMA&D supporters, we raised over $370,000 for OMA&D and EOP scholarships! On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and the Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program Board of Trustees hosted 550 people in the University of Washington Husky Union Ballroom for a wonderful evening of music, dancing, dining and celebrating together in…
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OMA&D Remembers Trailblazing Artist Alfredo Arreguin
May 2, 2023
Alfredo Arreguin ‘67, ’69, passed on April 24, 2023, at the age of 88. Many articles have been written about Arreguin and his journey from his home country of Mexico to the University of Washington, his early life struggles, his draft service into the Korean war, and his world-renowned success as an artist. A biographical essay by Sheila Farr from…
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Dina Ibarra appointed new GEAR UP director
December 1, 2022
Dina Ibarra, Ed.M. has been appointed the new director for UW GEAR UP/Rise Up team effective Jan 3, 2023. GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a national college-readiness program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. OMA&D, in partnership with 13 rural school districts…
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Dr. Norma Zavala Selected as Next Charles E. Odegaard Award Recipient
November 22, 2022
November 22, 2022, Seattle, WA – Today, the University of Washington (UW) Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA&D) and the Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program (FEOP) Board of Trustees announced their selection of Dr. Norma Zavala for the 2023 Charles E. Odegaard Award. The award is the only University and community selected award and is regarded as the…
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OMA&D Alum Ricardo Ruiz – We Had Our Reasons
November 14, 2022
Book Reading UW alum and former OMA&D student and now author, Ricardo Ruiz (’21), has published a book of poetry titled We Had Our Reasons. As described by Ruiz, it is a collection of poems he created in collaboration with other members of the Mexican farm community in Eastern Washington. “The poems, vivid and pointed, guide the reader through the…
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Remembering Garry Owens
November 9, 2022
Garry Owens, one of the founders of the 1968 UW Black Student Union that is responsible for the infamous sit-in that led to the founding of the Office of Minority Affairs, died on September 30 at the age of 77. Owens was among those who received the 2008 Charles E. Odegaard Award on behalf of the 1968 BSU. The 1968…