Funding opportunities abound across UAA with a broad range of funded opportunities — scholarships, internships and jobs — that connect to and support students’ interests.
Category: Features
Typically longer in length and relevancy than content in the news category. Features content is more likely to be republished over time.
Celebrating the 2023–24 Undergraduate Medalists
Each year, the University of Washington awards the President’s Medalist Award to its top undergraduates. For 2023–2024, Samuel Perkowski, Mia Grayson and Cher Zhang were chosen for their academic excellence, including high GPAs, rigorous coursework and Honors classes. All three biochemistry majors have pursued impactful research and embraced the Husky Experience through activities like lab work, music and studying abroad. They will be honored by President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Tricia Serio at a special reception, where they’ll receive their medals in front of family, friends and mentors.
Dialogue, disagreement and democracy course highlights reel
In the leadership course, “2024: Dialogue, Disagreement and Democracy,” students learned tools to engage thoughtfully with contentious issues. Offered in the autumn of 2024, this class helped undergraduates navigate complex topics, forge meaningful relationships and have productive conversations in a polarized world.
UW Community College Research Initiatives awarded $1.7 million grant from Ascendium Education Group to continue STEM Transfer Partnerships program
The University of Washington’s Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI) has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from Ascendium Education Group to continue its STEM Transfer Partnerships (STP) program, which aims to increase equity in STEM education for low-income learners across Washington state. This funding extension builds on an earlier $1.17 million grant, continuing the work to improve outcomes for underserved students in STEM fields.
CCRI conducts research to promote equity in higher education, with a focus on the experiences of underserved student populations. Ascendium supports initiatives aimed at helping students from low-income backgrounds achieve postsecondary degree completion. With aligned goals of enhancing access and success for low-income learners, Ascendium is a natural and valuable partner in advancing CCRI’s efforts.
From mentorship to MBA
Alumnus Izaiha Ellis, ’20, began his interdisciplinary journey at the University of Washington with the Honors Program course, “Leadership, Democracy and a More Thoughtful Public.” Each week, he read essays by global politicians and writers, exploring how individual actions shape community dynamics. The course challenged students to consider how their choices impact the support or neglect of others.
Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind, Stayed on Freedom) [video]
Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Ed Taylor shares his talk, “Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind, Stayed on Freedom)” at the College of Education’s EduTalks: Thriving Generations on March 28, 2024. Taylor is also a professor in the College of Education.
In appreciation of David Bonderman, whose vision broadened horizons and changed lives
Photo by Web Summit Web Summit, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
We join friends, colleagues and the Bonderman Fellow community who are saddened to learn of David Bonderman’s recent passing. David earned his undergraduate degree in Russian from the University of Washington in 1963. A proponent of the transformative power of travel, he created the Bonderman Fellowship in 1995 to provide opportunities for students to have life-changing, international experiences.
His influence in and talent for business, and his interests in sports and rock-and-roll music are well-documented with far-reaching impacts. The Bonderman Fellowships at the UW are, arguably, the most individually-impactful of David’s visionary interests and gifts. David received a travel fellowship after graduating from Harvard Law School which inspired his vision for the Bonderman Fellowship at the UW.
Bonderman Fellowships offer undergraduate, graduate and professional students at the UW $26,000 for independent exploration and international travel. Bonderman Fellows travel on their own for eight months, to at least six countries in two regions of the world. Their “assignment” is to seek out new experiences and learn about the world around them. While there is frequently a guiding interest that shapes their trip, fellows are not allowed to engage in formal study at a university, conduct research or travel with an organized group.
More than 300 students have been named Bonderman Fellows since 1995. Collectively, they have traveled from Algeria and Argentina to Vietnam and Zimbabwe and dozens of countries in between. Their interests are as wide-ranging as their flight paths and other modes of travel.
“These journeys have created a sense of connection with all of humanity and trust in oneself that can’t be replicated by any other experience,” said Brook Kelly, Bonderman alum and assistant director in the Honors Program who also supported the Fellowship for nearly two decades.
“My own Bonderman journey was 20 years ago, and I first met David just after I’d returned to Seattle from six months of traveling in east and southern Africa. I felt lucky to meet and thank him, and to get a little glimpse into the direct, funny and impact-minded person behind the gift that had changed my life. I feel so lucky to have known him, to have helped to bring his vision to life, and for the ripples my own Bonderman trip continues to create.”
— Brook Kelly
Upon learning of David Bonderman’s passing, Bonderman Fellow Drew Pierce-Street wrote that she “reflected on how every nook and cranny of my present day have been touched by David Bonderman’s generosity, and how vastly different I am from one year ago (almost to the day) when I boarded a plane to discover the greatest internal adventure and period of growth in my life. … Perhaps there is more motivation for me now to keep surging forward with an added sparkle of gusto on the path that the fellowship laid down for me.”
Bonderman Fellows talk about their gratitude in being able to travel the world; how prolonged, solo travel can be difficult but inspires courage and confidence; how they view the world differently and see the interconnectedness of people more readily; how they want to make a difference in the lives of others.
Bonderman Fellow Bryan Nakata reflected they were “inspired to push boundaries, challenge assumptions and find ways to connect with others across cultures and geographies. I grew immensely as a person, and it was undoubtedly one of the most important experiences of my life. The lessons I learned as a fellow will guide me for the rest of my life, and I am very proud to call myself a Bonderman alum. I believe his legacy will live on through the work we do and the next generations of fellows for years to come.”
Bonderman Fellowships are administered by Undergraduate Academic Affairs and The Graduate School. In 2017, the UW Bonderman Fellowship expanded its impact with a $10 million endowment from David Bonderman. Prior to that he funded the Fellowships annually.
Read President Ana Mari Cauce’s appreciation of David Bonderman.
Learn more about the experiences of Bonderman Fellows through this audio slideshow, created in 2007 for the 15th anniversary of the Bonderman Fellowships.
Bridging science and humanity
Daniel Chen’s journey into research began with a fascination for ancient cultures and extinct creatures. As a middle schooler, he was captivated by archaeology and paleontology, dreaming of working at excavation sites, unearthing ancient bones and tracing the histories of lost civilizations. Over time, that early curiosity shifted toward biology, particularly as computational modeling emerged as a powerful tool.
UAA statement on leadership transition for the Robinson Center for Young Scholars
Undergraduate Academic Affairs is recognizing Dr. Kristina Henry Collins for her leadership of the Robinson Center for Young Scholars. After much consideration, Dr. Collins has decided to resign from her position of executive director of the Robinson Center, effective Jan. 27, 2025. She intends to continue her research, teaching and leadership foci of broad-based advocacy for equity and access in STEM, gifted and accelerated programming for students from kindergarten through college.
During her time as executive director, Dr. Collins and the Robinson Center’s directors:
- Updated the Center’s mission, vision and values to align with the UW’s Diversity Blueprint and addressed operational recommendations from an evaluation taskforce.
- Made the Transition School application more accessible, leading to an increase in students, scholarships and student diversity.
- Increased enrollment for all Robinson Center programs, which include Transition School, Academy and Enrichment.
- Developed a new partnership with the Auburn School District to support student transportation needs and increase access to Robinson Center summer programs.
- Enlivened community and donor outreach through a refreshed e-newsletter; saw record giving for the Center’s involvement in Husky Giving Day; and reinstated parent programming.
As a public scholar and expert in the field of gifted and talented education, Dr. Collins has advised the Seattle Public School District and Washington state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction on matters related to equity in education for highly capable learners. She is co-author, with Javetta Jones Roberson, of the 2024 book “Sparking Change to Promote Equity: Implementing Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices in Gifted and Advanced Programs” and works with the national nonprofit Council for Exceptional Children to create standards for gifted education that can inform standards for different states.
For more than 40 years, the Robinson Center has offered accelerated learning opportunities to young learners who are highly capable and motivated. It is recognized as a national leader in this field.
As plans for the Robinson Center’s next steps take shape, LeAnne Wiles has been appointed to serve as interim executive director. This decision reflects Wiles’ outstanding leadership and extensive expertise, honed over 15 years of experience in organizational management and student success initiatives within UAA’s First-Year Programs and Student Academic Services. Wiles will continue to work under the leadership of Dr. Michaelann Jundt to ensure the Robinson Center’s continued success.
Contact: Kirsten Atik, katik@uw.edu
Sean Gehrke named assistant dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Undergraduate Academic Affairs is pleased to announce Sean Gehrke’s new role as assistant dean. Sean Gehrke has served over 20 years in higher education, holding a variety of administrative, research and assessment roles.