Undergraduate Academic Affairs – Page 4 – Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Celebrating the 2020鈥�21 Undergraduate Medalists

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on February 17, 2022March 3, 2023

From the thousands of undergraduate students at the 糖心少女, three are selected each year for the prestigious President鈥檚 Medalist Award.

Piper Coyner, Olivia Brandon and Catherine Chia are the medalists for 2020鈥�21, selected by a committee for their high GPAs, rigor of classes and numbers of Honors courses. All three are students in the University , completing the Interdisciplinary Honors track.

Each medalist has carved a unique path at the UW, but they鈥檙e united in their passion for their chosen areas of study, ranging from neuroscience to anthropology to film studies. They鈥檙e also dedicated to giving back to the community, in both their extracurricular activities and their post-graduation career plans.

The students will be recognized by University President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Mark Richards at a special reception, where each recipient will receive their medal in front of family, friends and mentors.

Read on to learn how these exceptional students embody the Husky Spirit.

Piper Coyner, junior medalist

Majors: Near Eastern studies鈥搇anguages and cultures; cinema and media studies
Hometown: Olalla, WA

The moment Piper Coyner learned that the 糖心少女had a Near Eastern studies major, she knew she wanted to become a Husky. Since childhood, her dream had been to study the Middle East 鈥� and she was thrilled she could do it so close to home.

At the UW, Coyner has been able to dive into many aspects of Middle Eastern culture, history and language, studying Persian and Arabic. She has also discovered a second major in cinema and media studies, thanks to her involvement with the 糖心少女Film Club, where she leads a team of 20 writers. When she鈥檚 not exploring a canon of classic films or writing reviews, she鈥檚 an avid reader who enjoys contemporary fiction and history.

Whether focused on the screen or the pages of a book, Coyner takes inspiration from 鈥渟tories of perseverance and self-sacrifice, of people caring deeply for others and making change in the world.鈥� It鈥檚 with this model of making a difference that she hopes to attend law school after graduation.

For Coyner, who was also recognized in 2020 as a freshman medalist, this award is an important validation of her passion for and pursuit of the humanities.

鈥淚 often compare myself unfavorably to those in STEM and buy into the narrative that my work is not as important,鈥� Coyner says. 鈥淭his award shows me that鈥檚 not true 鈥� that students who study arts, cultures and languages are just as valued.鈥�

Olivia Brandon, sophomore medalist

Majors: Neuroscience and public health鈥揼lobal health
Hometown: Seattle, WA

Olivia Brandon became fascinated with the study of human physiology during an introductory survey class 鈥� and that has shaped her 糖心少女journey.

Realizing her true passion, she packed her schedule with chemistry, biology and global health classes. She landed on neuroscience after learning about brain pathology as a research assistant in 糖心少女Medicine鈥檚 Neonatal Neuroscience Lab.

In her research role, Brandon works closely with 糖心少女faculty to help develop treatments for babies at risk for encephalopathy. 鈥淏eing able to ask a scientific and medical question, create the database, extract the necessary variables, analyze the data and convey the information has sparked the scientist in me,鈥� she says. Later this spring at the 2022 Pediatric Academic Societies medical conference, she plans to present a research project she spearheaded.

Inspired by her lab mentors and her physician parents, Brandon plans to attend medical school after graduation.

鈥淚 hope to become a physician who has an impact on improving people鈥檚 health, but I also want to be an advocate for improving equity in global and public health systems,鈥� says Brandon, who is also majoring in public health鈥揼lobal health. During her first year at the UW, Brandon gave a TedX talk about the importance of addressing global issues like climate change.

As an animal lover, Brandon is also president of the 糖心少女equestrian team and has raised funds and volunteered for an equine rescue and rehabilitation center.

Catherine Chia, freshman medalist

Hometown: Redmond, WA
Majors: Biochemistry, neuroscience and anthropology

Catherine Chia got a firsthand look at the UW鈥檚 Seattle campus 鈥� and its many opportunities 鈥� when her older brother became a Husky. That glimpse helped shape her decision to attend the UW.

With a goal of attending medical school, she found herself naturally drawn to studying biochemistry and neuroscience.

鈥淚 love the mechanistic nature of both subjects, where I can learn to look for sources of a disease from the tiniest mechanisms of the body,鈥� explains Chia, who is balancing her two science majors with anthropology. That subject serves as 鈥渁n important reminder that innovation and development should always be aimed at helping others.鈥�

Outside the classroom, she鈥檚 an undergraduate research assistant in Prof. Jonathan Posner鈥檚 lab, which is developing a diagnostic test for hepatitis C. The supportive community of the lab has built Chia鈥檚 confidence as a scientist and made her feel more at home at the UW.

Chia鈥檚 volunteer work includes helping elementary school students develop reading skills, leading summertime science activities at the Pacific Science Center and mentoring her fellow students in the 糖心少女Honors Program. As a future physician, Chia hopes to improve people鈥檚 lives in a holistic way. She鈥檚 passionate about rectifying education disparities and plans to continue volunteering in learning spaces.

鈥淩eceiving this honor is not just for me,鈥� Chia says, 鈥渂ut also for everyone who has been there for me along the way.鈥�

Q&A for UW/Seattle Colleges partnership

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on June 2, 2021June 3, 2021

Overview

The 糖心少女 is excited to build upon the success of to connect students to a baccalaureate degree at the UW. Historically, transfer students have had success at the UW, but there are still barriers. Prospective students need better information about options for majors and how to prepare for them. Newly admitted transfer students often need up-front academic support in order to transition to a research university. Investment in this partnership will provide information and support to ensure that Seattle Promise students can reach their academic goals.

A Seattle Promise student鈥檚 journey with this partnership

Year one of the student鈥檚 journey

Q. Who is eligible to participate in this opportunity?

Seattle Promise students who have completed their first year at Seattle Colleges.

Q. What happens in the first year of the partnership program?

Year one of the partnership program is designed to help students understand what academics at the 糖心少女are like, to support their academic planning and career preparation, and to introduce them to opportunities that are unique to a research university. It helps them learn how to take advantage of the supports that exist at different institutions so they can have a successful transfer experience.

Details:

Academic preparation

From late-August to mid-September, Seattle Promise students who have completed their first year at a Seattle College take a three-week course focused on a subject that relates to what they are interested in majoring in.

Course is taught by a 糖心少女faculty member.
Student will earn credit that will apply to their Seattle College AA degree.

Major and career exploration

The 糖心少女is proud to offer more than 180 undergraduate majors and recognizes that some are better known than others. Part of our goal with this partnership is to support students鈥� exploration of majors that are both well-known and those that tend to fly under the radar but would still support students鈥� academic and career goals. To that end, this partnership will support students鈥�:

Academic planning for multiple majors.
Mapping academic and experiential learning opportunities to their career interests.

Research university opportunities

As one of the country鈥檚 leading research universities, we are excited to ensure Seattle Promise students are aware of the benefits and opportunities that exist at the UW. Students who earn their bachelor’s degree from a different institution still benefit from a deeper understanding of how a research university in their backyard connects to their lives.

Year two of a student鈥檚 journey

Q. Who is eligible to participate in the second year of this partnership?

Seattle Promise students who have been admitted to the 糖心少女for autumn quarter. Some, but not necessarily all, will have participated in the first year of the program.

Q. What happens in the second year of the partnership program?

Year two of the partnership program will delve into preparing specifically for entering the UW鈥檚 Seattle campus.

Details:

Academic preparation

From late-August to mid-September, Seattle Promise students admitted to the 糖心少女for autumn quarter take an intensive, four-week course focused on writing and research.

Course is taught by a 糖心少女faculty member.
Students will learn about academic resources such as libraries, writing centers, tutoring centers.

Grounding and belonging

Research tells us that students who feel grounded and find a sense of belonging are more likely to persist through college and earn their degree. The unique circumstances and lived experiences of transfer students, coupled with their shorter time on campus can make it more difficult for them to find those points of connection and community. Year two of this partnership aims to lessen those difficulties in these ways:

Develop a cohort of Seattle Promise students who are new to the UW
Build community among other new transfer students
Connect this cohort with current 糖心少女students who have already experienced what it鈥檚 like to transfer to the UW
Orient Seattle Promise transfer students to campus resources and opportunities before the beginning of autumn quarter

Operational details

Q. How many students will this partnership support?

We鈥檒l know how many students we will be able to support once all the details of the funding are known. That said, and while it depends on the final funding, we鈥檙e hopeful that we鈥檇 be able to serve 100 Seattle Promise students to start.

Q. How will this partnership be staffed?

A 糖心少女adviser will be dedicated to this partnership and will work closely with Seattle Colleges and Seattle Promise students on admissions requirements, exploring majors and being academically prepared. Additionally, this adviser will be able to show how academics at Seattle Colleges specifically map to different majors at the 糖心少女and they鈥檒l be able to connect students with financial aid and other student resources for Seattle Promise students who transfer to the UW.

Q. What kind of financial aid is available to students to participate in the program?听

The programs will be free for Seattle Promise students 鈥� all course costs will be covered by this investment in the partnership. Seattle Promise students who are admitted to the 糖心少女as transfer students will be eligible for financial aid. Many of the current Seattle Promise students who are from low-income backgrounds will be eligible for the Husky Promise (which covers tuition and standard fees at the UW).

Q. What does the program cost to students? Will students have to pay tuition for the three- and four-week courses?

There is no charge to Seattle Promise students to participate in this program or the three- and four-week programs.

Q. What happens after 2023, when the federal funding runs out? Will the program continue?

While we don鈥檛 want to speculate about funding sources after 2023, we know that the UW鈥檚 commitment to continuing to build upon and improve partnerships to benefit transfer students will remain strong.

Q. Where can students learn more about and sign up for this program?

We鈥檙e glad you鈥檙e interested! We are working out those details with our partners at the Seattle Colleges. Please stay tuned and check back.

Q. Does this guarantee admission to the 糖心少女for Seattle Promise students?

This partnership does not guarantee 糖心少女admission for Seattle Promise students. We do anticipate that students who participate in the program beginning after their first year in a Seattle College will be well-positioned to be admitted.

Q. For participating students admitted to the UW, does this guarantee admission into the major of their choice?

This partnership does not guarantee admission into particular majors for Seattle Promise students. We do anticipate that students who participate in the program will be well-informed about their major options.

For more information about this partnership, please contact Michaelann Jundt, associate dean, Undergraduate Academic Affairs.

The 24th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium to happen virtually on May 21

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on May 16, 2021March 3, 2023

On Friday, May 21, nearly 750 undergraduates from all three 糖心少女 campuses as well as local community colleges and regional colleges will participate in the 24th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, which will be held online for the second year. The UW鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Symposium is one of the largest in the country and provides a professional opportunity for undergraduates to present their research, scholarly and creative work.

Registration is required to attend the virtual Symposium. To register, visit symposium.uw.edu. Attending the event is always free. Pre-recorded presentations followed by a live Q&A will happen in real time and will not be available for later viewing.

Undergraduates from all disciplines show the ways their research connects to issues that matter in our communities and contributes to the University鈥檚 work as a leading public research university. In 2019-20, nearly 8,300 students participated in at least 1 quarter of research. More than 1,200 students presented their work in the 2019 Undergraduate Research Symposium, and over 850 students presented in the virtual Symposium in 2020.

This year is the fifth year that the UW鈥檚 Population Health Initiative is awarding select student presenters a Population Health Recognition award for 鈥渢heir innovative and well-presented research work.鈥� Among this year鈥檚 12 student awardees are these timely and challenging research projects:

Dancing Around the Point: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Puget Sound Region by Annette Mercedes, who’s majoring in anthropology and biology.
Ultrafine Particle Inequality by Race, Ethnicity, and Income in Seattle by Kaya Bramble, who’s majoring in industrial engineering.
Firearm Injury and Violence Research Articles in Health Sciences by Funding Status and Type: A Scoping Review by Pavithra Prabhu, who’s majoring in microbiology.

鈥淭he application of classroom concepts in problem solving and experimentation have made me a better student, a better learner, a better teacher, a better thinker, and a better person. I believe every student, no matter the field, should conduct a mentored internship/research project in their area of study.鈥�
鈥� 2020 Symposium Presenter

Overview of the format and registration

Support student presenters through social media. Add a special frame to your Facebook profile pic; download graphics and post about it. Change out your Zoom picture and background for the Symposium.

The Symposium begins at 9 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time, and will run to 5:00 p.m. 糖心少女President Cauce, Provost Mark Richards and UAA Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor have each recorded videos to welcome students and guests; congratulate undergraduates on their accomplishments; share who the recipients of the Research Mentor Awards are; and recognize the invaluable role mentors play in encouraging undergraduates to transform their education through research.

Students will present their research in one of these formats, all followed by a question and answer period:

Lightning talk presentation,
10-minute oral presentation,
Visual arts and design presentation, or
Performing arts presentation

Registered guests will be able to access students鈥� abstracts and presentation times, watch presentations by students they specifically want to see, and explore and attend multiple sessions.

All presentations will be pre-recorded and played in real time, according to the event schedule; they will not be available for later viewing. Registration is required to attend this free event.

To view the sessions, and make sure to if you do not already have one. Information about how to access the sessions and a detailed Symposium conference schedule will be emailed to registered attendees the week of Symposium.

糖心少女junior awarded selective Goldwater Scholarship

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on March 26, 2021March 26, 2021

Congratulations to 糖心少女 junior Daniel Chen, whom the Goldwater Foundation honored with its undergraduate scholarship for students studying the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Chen, who is majoring in and , is one of 410 undergraduate students selected for the award from a pool of 1,256 students nominated by 438 institutions across the country.

糖心少女junior Daniel Chen was selected for the competitive Goldwater Scholarship. (Photo taken following public health guidelines at the time.)

Goldwater Scholarships are granted to sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise and plan to pursue research careers in math, engineering or the natural sciences. These scholarships award up to $7,500 a year to help cover costs associated with tuition, mandatory fees, books, room and board.

Chen on a snowy hike above Pratt Lake in Washington.

Chen鈥檚 interest in challenging himself can be seen through his academic choices: In addition to majoring in two disciplines, informatics and microbiology, he is pursuing in microbiology. Chen has previously been awarded the Levinson Emerging Scholars award and the , and is also listed on the annual Dean鈥檚 List.

He began his college path early, entering the 糖心少女after middle school through the . To balance out his rigorous academic and research work, Chen enjoys hiking in nature preserves and crocheting amigurumi animals, hobbies that suit the environment of his hometown of Sammamish, WA.

鈥淭his news is simply wonderful,鈥� says Undergraduate Academic Affairs Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor. 鈥淭hrough his involvement in undergraduate research, Daniel has shown a dedication to furthering science and understanding as well as to the purpose of making people鈥檚 lives better. As a University community, we couldn鈥檛 be more proud of him. I extend my warmest congratulations to Daniel as well as his faculty mentors and others who have supported him on his journey so far.鈥�

As an undergraduate, Chen was one of the co-authors of the research paper,

Chen currently conducts research under Dr. Yapeng Su and Professor Jim Heath in the Heath lab at the Institute for Systems Biology. His research is focused on using the single-cell multi-omic paradigm to analyze COVID-19 peripheral blood mononuclear cells to identify the disease state effects of SARS-CoV-2 on patient immune systems. Such research has also branched out into investigating heterogenous patient responses to COVID-19 in convalescence along with interrogation of patient epigenomes to identify the early-stage immune cell subpopulations responsible for humoral immunity formation and the epigenomic changes that may guide such. In combination with Chen鈥檚 previous research investigating melanoma subpopulations using single-cell transcriptome (scRNA-seq) and epigenome (scATAC-seq) data, his current research projects have continued to push and develop his passion for biomedical informatics particularly when applied to clinically relevant problems.

After his undergraduate studies, Chen intends to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. centered on leveraging computational resources and advances to solve human medical challenges such as cancer and infectious diseases. He particularly looks forward to identifying best practices and applications for such research to develop more accessible medical solutions for the given problem. He eventually hopes to pursue a faculty position at a university to conduct translational research in biomedical-informatic oriented fields.

For more information, contact Robin Chang, director of the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards, at robinc@uw.edu.

Husky Stories show there are many, many ways to be a Husky

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on February 12, 2021March 3, 2023

Each and every Husky goes through their own journey, undergoes their own unique experiences and, most importantly, has their very own story to share. Husky Stories is a mini-series in which Huskies share their successes, failures, experiences 鈥� their stories. There is no one way to be a Husky. Indeed, the culmination of individuals’ stories shape the picture of what it means to be a Husky.

Husky Stories: Taking advantage of failure with Ryan Lowery

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on November 10, 2020

Welcome to the very first episode of Husky Stories! Ryan Lowery is majoring in math and atmospheric sciences here at the 糖心少女. Other than school, Ryan is also involved with the , a program within Undergraduate Academic Affairs. Here, he shares his stories of dealing with failure and resiliency. (Note: This interview took place prior to the coronavirus pandemic.)

The Resilience Lab is a campus partner in the Husky Health & Well-Being initiative. If you would like to talk with a counselor or simply learn more about the mental health resources available to students, visit the .

Video by Sovechea Sophanna.

New guidebook helps faculty and instructors support student well-being

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on October 29, 2020October 29, 2020

This week, the 糖心少女鈥檚 Resilience Lab released the , a new resource for instructors to aid them in designing learning environments that promote well-being. Combining research, best practices and personal testimony, the guidebook gives faculty and other instructors concrete ideas and direct input from the campus community around supporting the whole student and promoting resilience and compassion on campus.

Students鈥� well-being has been a growing concern for several years and has been exacerbated by 2020鈥檚 COVID-19 pandemic, economic fallout and the national reckoning over race and policing. A recent found that campus mental health was the top concern of university presidents.听

鈥淎s we prepare the next generation of citizens and servant leaders, future educators, researchers, entrepreneurs and more, it really is critical that we incorporate practices that support our students鈥� whole lives and lived experiences,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean on Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淎s a public research university, much of our work is focused on understanding the factors that contribute to resilient communities. This guidebook helps us with that work right here at our 糖心少女home, knowing that it expands beyond campus as we all interact with our broader community through research, service and teaching.鈥�

The guidebook鈥檚 Foundations for Advancing Student Well-Being are the framework for the guide and include the themes of teaching for equity and access, building resilience coping skills, nurturing connection and connecting to the environment. This framework promotes core skills and mindsets of social and emotional learning and draws on best practices modeled at other institutions. This resource was researched, developed, co-written and edited by the Resilience Lab team and more than 40 Well-Being for Life and Learning Fellows who are faculty members, instructors, staff and students across disciplines and from all three 糖心少女campuses. Their contributions give the guidebook a UW-focused, holistic perspective on the impact of teaching the whole student. In that way, the guidebook is both a call to action and an invitation to the work of helping students develop the tools and habits for well-being so they are mentally and emotionally equipped to learn and thrive.听

鈥淎ll of us at the Resilience Lab are so honored to have worked on this guidebook with such a committed group of instructors, staff and students,鈥� says Resilience Lab Director Megan Kennedy. 鈥淲e know that advancing student well-being really takes all of us, so our goal was to create a tool for our campus colleagues to add to their pedagogical toolbox. We wanted to give instructors a foundation of both why this work matters and how they can incorporate it into their teaching no matter where they are in terms of personal and professional experience.鈥澨�

Support resilience, compassion and well-being

The Resilience Lab promotes well-being at the 糖心少女 through education, research partnerships, and core programs and initiatives.

The Well-Being for Life and Learning guidebook sits at the prevention and promotion end of a mental health continuum of care within the 糖心少女and is aimed at preventing larger issues or crises by bolstering students鈥� resilience coping skills and helping them respond to stress and stay connected to others. It鈥檚 a part of the Resilience Lab鈥檚 Well-Being for Life and Learning initiative, one of the Lab鈥檚 efforts toward building and sustaining a culture of well-being at the UW.

About the Resilience Lab

The Resilience Lab was founded in 2015 and is a program within Undergraduate Academic Affairs that promotes well-being at the 糖心少女through education, research partnerships and core programs and initiatives.

For more information about the Resilience Lab or its Well-Being for Life and Learning initiative and guidebook, contact Megan Kennedy at meganken@uw.edu.

Dear Students: Voting is a habit that holds our democracy together

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on October 21, 2020October 22, 2020

Voting is a habit that holds our democracy together.

The 糖心少女 has one of the highest voter participation rates of any college or university in the nation. This legacy of civic participation 鈥� that #HuskiesVote 鈥� is something we can all be proud of. And it鈥檚 something we can continue.

If you are eligible to vote make sure that your voter registration status is up-to-date so you are ready to vote in the upcoming November 2020 election.

Important dates

October 26, 2020

Deadline for online voter registration in Washington state.

NOTE: Deadlines and processes vary from state to state, so it is wise to register as soon as you can. Check the for deadlines in other states.

November 3, 2020

Election Day

In Washington state, your ballot must be in a ballot box before 8 p.m. on November 3 or postmarked on or before November 3.

This November, you have the chance to vote for the president, governor and local officials as well as ballot initiatives 鈥� all of which are important decisions that impact your life. Voting is a way you can use your civic voice; we encourage you to use it. But first: You need to register.

As the largest and most diverse generation alive right now, young people have a chance to make a real impact in our country 鈥� if every eligible voter participates in elections. In order to make sure that you can vote in the upcoming local, state and federal elections, you need to be registered to vote at your current address.

Please take five minutes and听.听

Let鈥檚 exercise some civic muscle and vote.听#HuskiesVote

Additional resources

:听Check your voter registration status and find out more about upcoming elections, including how to vote safely by mail. If you are residing in another state, this website has information about voting in each state.

Huskies Vote:听Get step-by-step guidance on how to vote and how you can help others vote.

Do you need in-person assistance or did you miss the registration deadline?

Come to the Vote Center at the听. It will be open Saturday, October 31, 10 a.m.鈥�4 p.m.; Monday, November 2, 8:30 a.m.鈥�6:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, November 3, 8:30 a.m.鈥�8:00 p.m. You鈥檒l be able to register for the first time or update your registration, get a replacement ballot if you need one, or use an accessible voting unit if you have a disability and would prefer an audio ballot, touchscreen or other adaptive equipment. Public health precautions will be in place and wearing a face covering will be required.

This post is an edited compilation of a couple messages sent to students at UW鈥檚 Seattle campus to encourage them to register to vote and vote because civic engagement is an important component to a 糖心少女education.

Megan Kennedy named director of 糖心少女Resilience Lab

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on July 31, 2020March 3, 2023

Megan Kennedy, director of the 糖心少女Resilience Lab

Undergraduate Academic Affairs is happy to share that Megan Kennedy was named director of the UW鈥檚 Resilience Lab in May. Kennedy has been connected to the Resilience Lab through multiple roles on campus that have all focused on student well-being. Since August, 2019, she served as interim director of the Resilience Lab, a unit within Undergraduate Academic Affairs that promotes mental health and well-being at the 糖心少女through education, research partnerships and a range of programs and initiatives.

Kennedy brings more than 20 years of experience to the role, ranging from a deep, clinical understanding of the importance of mental health to influencing organizational structures and systems so they better support individuals. Creating more concrete connections between the Resilience Lab and other campus partners whose work intersects with resilience and compassion is one of the ways Kennedy is infusing the Resilience Lab鈥檚 work more deeply into current structures.

Kennedy says she thinks about the Lab 鈥渁s existing along a continuum of care at the UW, working collaboratively and intentionally with colleagues on campus, whose work is complementary. This work is also deeply aligned with my values of community well-being and kindness. It鈥檚 one of the ways the Lab is reflective of who I am.鈥�

The Resilience Lab situates itself on the prevention side of that continuum, promoting resilience coping skills and mindsets across campus, including collaborating with faculty and programs to support integrating resilience practices into classroom settings and existing structures.

鈥淭he work of compassion for self and others is guided by important research and is much needed now,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淯ltimately, Megan鈥檚 work on well-being, mental health and her alliance building aims to foster compassionate communities. I am glad Megan is leading this work here.鈥�

As director, Kennedy will primarily focus the Lab鈥檚 work on:

Supporting faculty to promote well-being within their classrooms by modeling and teaching social and emotional skills and mindsets
Providing seed grants to support resilience- and compassion-building initiatives that foster connection and community
Offering the 6-week long Be REAL program (Resilient Attitudes and Living) to 糖心少女students, staff and instructors
Revitalizing a vulnerability collective, a student-led initiative that encourages compassion and fosters resiliency through storytelling
Deepening and developing research partnerships with faculty, other 糖心少女divisions and initiatives that research themes of resilience and well-being
Launching the Well-Being for Life and Learning guidebook, a tool to equip faculty and instructors with foundational research about the importance of integrating well-being practices into their pedagogy as well as practical, how-to tactics.

鈥淭his work is designed to deepen the resilience and coping layers of the University so students can see and experience staff and instructors modeling the change,鈥� explains Kennedy. 鈥淪taff and faculty play a key role in inspiring a culture of well-being at the 糖心少女鈥� starting with ourselves is part of that work.鈥�

Prior to her work with the Resilience Lab in UAA, Kennedy served in the division of Student Life as the manager of strategic initiatives for student wellness and the suicide intervention coordinator. Before coming to the UW, Kennedy was clinical director and interim outreach director at Youth Eastside Services, where she counseled youth and families, was a leader in the organization鈥檚 diversity efforts, and brought the clinic鈥檚 work into school district and community-based organizations. She is the co-founder and gender and sexual diversity consultant and trainer for Revelry Media and Methods, a consulting company that addresses social isolation, violence and mental health disparities faced by LGBTQ youth. Through this work and her work as an independent counselor and consultant, Kennedy鈥檚 career has focused on issues of well-being and equity, empowering individuals to build their resilience and well-being, and engage in the long-term work of creating more equitable systems.

The 23rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium moves online

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Posted on May 12, 2020May 13, 2020

On Friday, May 15, 2020, more than 850 undergraduates will participate in the 23rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, which will be held online. When held in person, the UW鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Symposium is one of the largest in the country. This year鈥檚 online event is likely to follow suit. Student presenters represent all three 糖心少女 campuses as well as some community colleges, regional colleges and universities.

听

Registration is required to attend this year’s virtual Symposium. To register, visit symposium.uw.edu. Attending the event is always free.

Show students your support by updating your social media profile picture with a Symposium avatar, available for researchers, mentors, parents and champions of undergrad research.

Planning for the traditional event, which completely takes over Mary Gates Hall and expands into Odegaard Undergraduate Library, was well underway by the Undergraduate Research Program. Then the novel coronavirus pandemic hit, putting a halt to in-person events. More than 1,200 students had already applied to present their research, and staff were reading their applications and abstracts.

Rather than simply cancel the event outright, Undergraduate Research Program staff surveyed students to learn if they would want to present their research in a virtual format. The demands and new realities of students鈥� research projects varied 鈥� some projects, for example, are on hold and cannot be moved forward remotely and others are able to continue remotely 鈥� yet students鈥� interest in presenting was overwhelmingly positive.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium typically happens in Mary Gates Hall and will be online this year.

鈥淚 believe it is more important now than ever to have a feeling of pride in our community,鈥� says Hank Cheng, 糖心少女senior majoring in biology. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 think of something better than bringing together hundreds of scholars to share their accomplishments.鈥澨�

Organizers committed themselves to maintaining a professional Symposium experience for student presenters and to creating learning opportunities along the way, just as they have done for past symposia. Students were given feedback on their abstracts, offered workshop opportunities to learn how to put together a presentation or poster, and encouraged to participate in practice sessions to test-drive their presentation.

鈥淚鈥檓 just so impressed and excited by the way these students rose to this challenge,鈥� says Jennifer Harris, director of the Undergraduate Research Program. 鈥淥ur undergraduate researchers, working under the guidance of world-class mentors, demonstrate resilience, creativity and truly engaged learning.鈥澨�

Harris also noted that one of the benefits of being online this year is that students鈥� friends and family from around the region, country and world will be able to tune in to their presentation.听

As in years past, the Undergraduate Research Symposium showcases the diversity of undergraduate research, which spans politics to pediatrics, astrobiology to oceanography, history to computer science, engineering to education and more, showing that undergraduate creativity and scholarship truly is boundless.

Overview of the format and registration

The Symposium begins at 9 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time, and will run to about 4:30 p.m. 糖心少女President Cauce, Provost Mark Richards and UAA Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor have each recorded videos to welcome students and guests; congratulate undergraduates on their accomplishments; share who the recipients of the Research Mentor Awards are; and recognize the invaluable role mentors play in encouraging undergraduates to transform their education through research.

Students will present their research in one of these formats, all followed by a question and answer period:

3-minute poster presentation or lightning talk,听
10-minute oral presentation,
5-minute visual arts and design presentation, or
15-minute performance presentation.

Registered guests will be able to access students鈥� abstracts and presentation times, watch presentations by students they specifically want to see, and explore and attend multiple sessions.听

All presentations will be pre-recorded and played in real time, according to the event schedule; they will not be available for later viewing. Registration is required to attend this free event.听

Support undergraduate researchers

There are many ways to support undergraduates presenting their research.

Through undergraduate research, students contribute to groundbreaking work and gain the experience necessary to one day lead innovative research themselves. 糖心少女undergraduates are getting involved in research in increasing numbers 鈥� more than 9,000 students participated in research in 2017鈥�18. More than 700 faculty, post-doc, research staff and graduate student mentors supported this year鈥檚 Symposium presenters through their research, helping students develop subject area knowledge, transferable skills and an entrepreneurial perspective that will prepare them for future employment, education and civic engagement.

Join the undergraduate research ecosystem by supporting the Symposium in these ways:

Attend the Symposium and ask questions. and tell your friends.

Show your support on social. Invite your friends and family ahead of time, and then post and tweet about your experiences using #UWsymp. Incorporate a new avatar and images from the Symposium social media toolkit.

Make a gift. Because of the generosity of donors, our students can continue their research and stay on track in the face of unprecedented challenges.

Support undergrad research