The news of the Las Vegas mass shooting has filled us all with horror and deep sadness – for the dozens of lives lost, the hundreds injured and the thousands of friends and loved ones whose lives will be forever altered. One of the injured is a member of our community, Melinda Brockie, an MSW student in the UW School of Social Work and member of the Lummi Nation.
Presidential Blog
UW alumnus Jeffrey C. Hall awarded Nobel Prize for groundbreaking genetics discoveries
It was with great pleasure that we learned University of Washington alumnus Jeffrey C. Hall has been awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with two of his colleagues, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young.
To our community, new and returning, welcome!
After a hazy, smoky last few days of summer here in Washington, the snap in the autumn air is a welcome change. It matches the mood at our great University as we welcome a new entering class, transfer students and returning students, many of whom arrived on our campuses last week to begin the 2017–18 academic year.
As new GIX building opens, collaboration holds the key to our future
Yesterday marked the official opening of the new Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) facility – the newly-christened Steve Ballmer Building – in Bellevue’s Spring District. The celebration was a momentous occasion, fitting for the scale of impact I believe that GIX will have in uniting universities, civic leaders, government officials, industry partners, artists and entrepreneurs around global challenges. With the launch of this building, GIX welcomes the students, faculty and industry experts from around the world whose work and education will serve to benefit our region, and the world.
Welcoming the Cuban all-female orchestra, Camerata Romeu *UPDATE* Performance canceled
I’m looking forward to Camerata Romeu making their Seattle debut at Meany Hall on September 25. I’m even more excited to be there surrounded Cuban string orchestra Camerata Romeuby our community of friends, alumni, employees and students. I hope to see you there.
UW remains committed to preventing and addressing campus sexual assault
Last week, we learned that the U.S. Department of Education plans to revise existing guidelines for protecting students from — and responding to — sexual violence under the gender equity law, Title IX. While we don’t yet know exactly what those changes will be, or how they will be implemented, I want to state clearly that our commitment to preventing violence and to properly investigating and addressing allegations is unwavering.
Committed to our DACA Dreamers
Today we learned that the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will come to an end in six months unless there is legislative action to protect it. This decision could have extremely serious consequences for students on all three of our campuses who are an integral part of our community. I want to reassure every affected person that if DACA comes to an end, the University of Washington will do everything within its power to minimize the disruption to your lives and education.
Reflections on the tragedy of Charlottesville
This weekend was a difficult and painful one for all of us committed to a more equitable and inclusive society — to those of us who believe in justice and equity. There should be no question whatsoever that those white supremacists who marched across the University of Virginia campus and gathered across Charlottesville hold views that are anathema to our values, and that their actions were beneath contempt.
Community gathering space
Monday, Aug. 14
10 a.m.–noon
Mary Gates Hall,
Room 224
Resources for:
Bothell students
Seattle students
Tacoma students
Faculty & Staff
The pain, and yes anger, evoked by what happened is intensified for those of us who live, work or study on college campuses. It is no coincidence that they chose a campus for their march, for they know that universities are diverse, vibrant communities, which are striving to become even more inclusive and are committed to building a better world for all humanity.
My own reactions are impossible to fully describe, for they are very personal. The images of the Klan, Nazis and neo-Nazis brought me back to the horror of almost 40 years ago to another Saturday morning when people from these same groups murdered my own brother, Cesar, then 25. My heart aches at the loss of the young woman, Heather Heyer, who was killed and the two state police offers, H. Jay Cullen and Berke M.M. Bates, who died in the line of duty, as well as for their families and loved ones and the many who were injured. This will be with them forever and I can only hope that together with the pain, they find strength and inspiration.
I recall a late night conversation with my brother, in which he talked about “the struggle.” He did not view justice as an endpoint, or a goal with a clear finish line. Justice, he said, was a constant work-in-progress. You pushed the boulder up the hill, it would slide back, and you would have to push again. You needed to stay vigilant.
We are at a time in our country’s history where we must put our shoulder to that boulder, for it is sliding back down with a momentum many of us thought was impossible in this day and age. We must recommit to equity and inclusion — for all. But even in our grief and anger, it is important to remember the words of Martin Luther King, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
I do not have a road map forward, but I do know that we must find that way together. When our hearts are heavy, we find comfort in the collective embrace of community.
Celebrating the life and impact of Jeff Brotman
With the passing of Jeff Brotman the University of Washington has lost one of its greatest volunteers and most accomplished and generous graduates. His and Susan’s principled and passionate leadership, coupled with their generosity — particularly in support of students and of advancements in medicine — have left a lasting impact on our University and all those we serve. Thousands of students were able to attend college and earn degrees thanks to the Costco Scholarship Fund, which he helped launch, and his dedicated support for UW Medicine, including his vital role in the development of the South Lake Union Campus, are just two examples of the many ways his heartfelt devotion will continue to change lives for years to come.
Jeff earned two degrees from the UW, an undergraduate degree in political science and a J.D. in law. His role as a co-chair, together with Susan, of the UW’s Be Boundless campaign, and his previous service as a Regent, and as a leader on numerous UW boards and initiatives, including his significant roles at UW Medicine, have been defined by his strong advocacy and forthright counsel, both of which have been invaluable to me and to many UW leaders. He was actively involved in advancing the School of Law, and as a passionate Husky, he could be found at almost every home football game.
We send our heartfelt condolences to Susan, to their children Amanda and Justin, and to his loved ones. As we remember Jeff, we will rededicate ourselves to his long-held belief in social justice and equity. His generosity is a model for what it means to give back to your community and to provide opportunities for all, and for that we are forever grateful.
Inclusion and non-discrimination are now and will always be core to the UW
LGBTQ rights are human rights. The Justice Department’s brief – even as it is being downplayed by some – has the potential to expose more people to workplace discrimination and signals broadly that discrimination against gays and lesbians is acceptable. This is a dangerous and destructive precedent that will have real consequences in people’s lives.