img:is([sizes=auto i],[sizes^="auto," i]){contain-intrinsic-size:3000px 1500px} /*# sourceURL=wp-img-auto-sizes-contain-inline-css */

糖心少女

Skip to content
Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Author: Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Reviewed 9/22

Three 糖心少女students named Goldwater scholars for 2020

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on
Congratulations Keyan Gootkin, Parker Ruth and Karen Zhang, UW’s newest Goldwater Scholars. Photo: 糖心少女News

The Goldwater Foundation honored three 糖心少女 students this year with its undergraduate scholarship for students studying the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Undergraduates Keyan Gootkin, Parker Ruth and Karen Zhang were selected for the award from a pool of more than 5,000 undergraduate students from 461 institutions across the country.

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. For the 2020-21 academic year, 396 college students nationwide were selected for the competitive scholarship.

鈥淚 am delighted and inspired by this news,鈥� says Undergraduate Academic Affairs Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor. 鈥淪upporting students on their journey through the 糖心少女helps our students to understand and improve the world we live in. Faculty of public research universities like the 糖心少女guide and mentor this next generation of researchers and scientists. With our support and their talent, our aim is to develop the scientific talent our world needs. I extend my warmest congratulations to Keyan, Parker and Karen as well as their faculty mentors and others who have supported them on their journeys so far.鈥�

Keyan Gootkin

Keyan Gootkin, an astronomy and physics double-major, studies 鈥渢he universe’s most massive stars near the end of their lives.鈥� In addition to his work as an undergraduate researcher, Gootkin actively brings the stars down to Earth through service: He serves as the student coordinator at the UW鈥檚 historical Theodor Jacobsen Observatory; co-chairs the Mobile Planetarium Committee; and is the outreach coordinator for the 糖心少女League of Astronomers.

Gootkin has received a Washington Research Foundation Fellowship, a Washington Space Grant scholarship, been named to the College of Arts & Sciences Dean鈥檚 List and is a Washington State Opportunity Scholar.

He plans to earn a Ph.D. in astrophysics 鈥渟o that I can continue doing research as long as I can.鈥�

Parker Ruth

Parker Ruth is earning a double degree in computer engineering and bioengineering; he is part of the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and is pursuing Departmental Honors. His research explores the design of computational tools to improve access to healthcare. As a member of the Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) research lab advised by Professor Shwetak Patel, Ruth has contributed to the development and testing of mobile health applications for sleep apnea screening, cardiovascular health, osteoporosis detection and physical activity quantification.

Outside the classroom Ruth started a club to help students get involved with research in bioengineering-related fields. His additional honors and scholarships include a Levinson Emerging Scholars Award, Microsoft Endowment Scholarship, Washington Research Foundation Fellowship, Mary Gates Scholarships, and selections to the Dean鈥檚 List.

Ruth plans to obtain a Ph.D. in computer science, with a long-term goal of pursuing a career as a researcher using computers to improve people鈥檚 lives.

Karen Zhang

Karen Zhang is double-majoring in biochemistry and microbiology. She is part of the Interdisciplinary Honors program and is pursuing Departmental Honors in biochemistry. Zhang is also a Mary Gates Scholar and Annual Dean鈥檚 List awardee.

Currently, Zhang is an undergraduate researcher in the Molecular Information Systems Lab (MISL) at UW. Her lab investigates technologies for storing digital data in DNA and is interested in all things at the intersection between computer science and biology. Through this interdisciplinary lab, she has gained invaluable experience in professional research and discovered a passion for synthetic biology. She has also developed an appreciation for bioinformatics and the essential role that computational algorithms play in interpreting biological data.

Outside of academics and research, Zhang is an editor for the 糖心少女Microbiology Journal where she guides writers in developing informative and fascinating articles about topics in microbiology. In her free time, she enjoys reading (and maybe one day writing) fantasy novels.

After graduating from the UW, Zhang aims to obtain a Ph.D. in either synthetic biology/bioengineering or bioinformatics. She is 鈥渄eeply passionate about studying the machineries of life at a molecular level and engineering them to perform novel tasks.鈥�

 

This news item also appeared on the 糖心少女News blog.

About the Goldwater Foundation

Goldwater Foundation鈥檚 scholarship program honors Senator Barry Goldwater and encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Learn more about scholarship opportunities at UW

The Goldwater Scholarship application process is supported by the (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.

###

For more information:

Kirsten Atik, communications director, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, at katik@uw.edu or 206-221-6130.

Robin Chang, director, Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards, robinc@uw.edu, 206-543-2603.

 

糖心少女recognized for institutional commitment to community engagement

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on

All three 糖心少女 campuses are among the 119 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the this year, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement.

This important classification is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution, which is then assessed by a national review committee led by the Swearer Center for Public Engagement at Brown University, the administrative and research home for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.

Read the campus announcement here.

The Classification for Community Engagement is not simply a designation from the Carnegie Foundation. The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 14 years. It requires evidence-based documentation of institutional practice and a process of self-assessment and quality improvement for community engagement.

鈥淭his is more than a point-of-pride for the UW,鈥� says Ed Taylor, UAA鈥檚 vice provost and dean. 鈥淩eceiving this classification truly puts into focus that the three core entities of the 糖心少女鈥檚 mission 鈥� teaching, research and service 鈥� are all equally important and inspire our intention to serve the public good.鈥�

鈥淭he expectation that we have in UAA for all our students is to learn and to serve,鈥� he continued. 鈥淥ur hope is that they leave the University and be servant-leaders and thoughtful public citizens.鈥�

Undergrad Auston Jimmicum and elementary school students work on their video for Pipeline Project’s Telling Our Stories project. This was one of the featured projects in the application for this designation.

Toward that end, UAA recently brought together its community engagement and leadership education programs, including Othello-糖心少女Commons, in one center. Engaging students in college access, P-12 student success, community-engaged courses and internships, all while emphasizing strong community partnerships and leadership development, make plain that educating undergraduates to be thoughtful servant-leaders in and with community is among our highest priorities.

UAA programs whose community-engagement work was included in the application are the Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center, Dream Project, JumpStart, , , , and the .

The application process for the Seattle campus was led by Rachel Vaughn, former director of the Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center, and Jen Davison, program director at Urban@UW, and included a group of more than 30 colleagues from across campus as well as community-based partners. The study produced a rich and compelling application and set of recommendations for the University鈥檚 next steps in community engagement.

鈥� Content for this announcement was also drawn from the 糖心少女News release.听

Student-athletes are golden on and off the field

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on

Student-athletes work hard to be top competitors in their respective sport. They also take the “student” part of student-athlete seriously and work hard in the classroom.

In autumn quarter 2019, the overall department GPA was 3.27. This is a new all-time high since tracking began in autumn of 2003.

Congratulations to 糖心少女student athletes and their networks of support for a terrific autumn quarter in the classroom!

Resilience Lab announces 2018 seed grant recipients

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on

The 糖心少女 Resilience Lab recently awarded 16 grants to 糖心少女projects designed to cultivate kindness, compassion and gratitude; to engage hardships, setbacks and failures with compassion and vulnerability; to foster connectedness, belonging and community; and to embrace both common humanity and diversity within the human experience. Students, staff and faculty from all three campuses applied for seed grants to fund research, workshops, retreats, activities, faculty-invited speakers and other events tailored for students, faculty and staff in support of these aims. The Resilience Lab awarded a total of $25,000 to the individuals and groups. This base amount was increased by 41% through matching funds from the associated schools, colleges and departments. The combined support raises the total value of these awards to more than $35,500.

 

The range of proposals demonstrate the need and collective interest to realize resilience-building and compassion-building work. In all, students, faculty and staff submitted 44 proposals from 29 different departments across all three 糖心少女campuses. From that group, 16 grants were made to fund the ideas of faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students representing 13 departments from all three 糖心少女campuses. Funded projects are intended to benefit the broad 糖心少女community.

 

鈥淭he creative ideas people had to build connection and support well-being was just inspiring,鈥� said Anne Browning, director of the Resilience Lab. Projects range from alleviating burnout among medical residents, a resilience and compassion podcast series, a wellness challenge and much more, all with the intent of creating more compassionate and resilient communities.

 

For their project, 鈥淲hat Compassion Looks Like: Journaling for Self-Kindness,鈥� School of Medicine associate professors Jennifer Best and Jennifer Zumsteg said, 鈥淲e hope to break down Health Sciences silos, foster vulnerability and combat isolation in clinical practice and education; cultivate peer communities; and curate stories of self-compassion to sustain our community.鈥�

 

A list of funded projects and the project leads is below. For more information about the projects, . Funding for these seed grants is provided by the Maritz Foundation.

 

Funded projects and project leads are:

 

A Pilot Study of Search Inside Yourself for 糖心少女Faculty and Staff

Project lead: Anthony Back, Professor, School of Medicine, Oncology, Seattle

 

Building Compassion and Promoting Burnout Recovery Through Resident Team Reflection

Project lead: Michelle Lam, Resident Physician, School of Medicine, Seattle

 

CARE Training to Prevent Burnout and Improve Well-Being at the Center for Equity and Inclusion

Project lead: Jane Compson, Associate Professor, Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Tacoma

 

Changing the Culture of the University: Beginning Within

Project lead: Kelly Edwards, Associate Dean, Student and Postdoctoral Affairs in the Graduate School; Professor, Department of Bioethics and Humanities, School of Medicine, Seattle

 

Cultivating Compassion and Resilience Through Mindful Inquiry

Project lead: Anil Coumar, Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Seattle

 

Engaging Students in Creating Inclusive, Welcoming and Connected Learning Environments

Project lead: Sujata Pradhan, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Seattle

 

Knit for Nice

Project lead: Alyssa Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Bioengineering, College of Engineering and School of Medicine, Seattle

 

Map of Restorative Spaces on 糖心少女Seattle’s Campus

Project lead: Beck Tench, Ph.D. student, The Information School

 

The Resiliency Collective

Project lead: Marissa Jackson, Master of Public Health student, School of Public Health

 

Resilience and Compassion Podcast Series

Project lead: Gregory Heller, Adviser, Senior Associate Director, MBA Career Management, Foster School of Business, Seattle

 

Self Care is Revolutionary

Project lead: Alice Pederson, Lecturer, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Bothell

 

Starting the Year off Right: Cultivating Community in the Epidemiology Department

Project lead: Jen Balkus, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Seattle

 

Trauma Informed Yoga

Project lead: Brittany Bowhall, Student Advocate for Sexual Assault, Relationship Violence, Stalking, and Harassment, Health and Wellness, Division of Student Life, Seattle

 

What Compassion Looks Like: Journaling for Self -Kindness

Project lead: Jennifer Best, Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, and Jennifer Zumsteg, Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Seattle

 

The Whole U Summer Wellness Challenge

Project lead: Lauren Updyke, Assistant Director, The Whole U, Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma

 

About the 糖心少女Resilience Lab

The promotes resilience development while normalizing failure and acknowledging the wide range of hardships our community members have faced and continue to face. As a laboratory space, the Resilience Lab tries new and creative methods for rethinking the 糖心少女experience in and out of the classroom.

UAA鈥檚 Associate Dean Janice DeCosmo elected to president of national Council on Undergraduate Research

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on
Janice DeCosmo, associate vice provost and associate dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Photo: Photo by Bryan Nakata

Janice DeCosmo, associate vice provost for undergraduate research, associate dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, and affiliate faculty member in the has been elected president of the national nonprofit听听(颁鲍搁).

A longtime proponent of undergraduate research, DeCosmo was the first director of the UW鈥檚 and has been involved in or running the Undergraduate Research Symposium since its inception in 1997. Her work has been instrumental in developing a national model in undergraduate research at the UW. In 2016-17, more than 8,400 undergraduates participated in undergraduate research. In the recent 2018 Undergraduate Research Symposium, more than 1,250 students presented their work.

鈥淥ur Undergraduate Research Program 鈥� its size, breadth and excellence,” says 糖心少女President Ana Mari Cauce, “is one of the crown jewels of our Husky Experience.鈥�

鈥淢y early experiences with undergraduate research were as a graduate student,鈥� says DeCosmo, 鈥渨here myself and my peers found ourselves mentoring first-generation college students who were struggling with coursework and finding their way at a large university. As the students learned our protocols and became part of our teams, we saw them blossom and gain new confidence; their grades also improved. That experience stayed with me, and later I jumped at the chance to develop a grant-funded undergraduate research initiative.鈥�

DeCosmo says the community and network of CUR members helped bring ideas and collegial support as the UW鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Program developed and matured.

For nearly two decades, DeCosmo has been an active CUR member. Her diverse volunteer experiences within CUR include service on program review and nominations vetting committees, undergraduate research programs division chair, two terms on the governing board for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, and a term on CUR鈥檚 executive board. A prolific writer and presenter on undergraduate research scholarship, DeCosmo serves as issue editor for CUR鈥檚 flagship journal,听听(SPUR).

鈥淚 am humbled to be president-elect of [CUR],鈥� says DeComo, 鈥渁nd I look forward to advancing opportunity for students in all disciplines and types of institutions to have the chance to develop their creativity, critical thinking, and communications skills 鈥� so essential to their future success in work and life 鈥� through research.鈥�

DeCosmo earned a BS in physics from the University of Iowa in 1979 and a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from the 糖心少女 in 1991, specializing in atmosphere-ocean interaction. She oversees the UW鈥檚 Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity, which includes undergraduate research, service learning, leadership, and scholarship programs. She represents the 糖心少女on statewide higher education policy groups that oversee new academic programs and the transfer process for students from Washington鈥檚 two-year colleges to four-year institutions. DeCosmo was director for 10听years of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium, a NASA-funded effort to support innovative education and research initiatives across the state.

糖心少女 Undergraduate Research Program

The facilitates research experiences for undergraduates with 糖心少女faculty members across the disciplines. Its signature event is the annual , which happens each May. This year, more than 1,250 students presented their research. The Undergraduate Research Program is an Undergraduate Academic Affairs program, housed in the Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity.

 

糖心少女

The is one of the world鈥檚 preeminent public universities. Our impact on individuals, our region and the world is profound 鈥� whether we are launching young people into a boundless future or confronting the grand challenges of our time through undaunted research and scholarship. Ranked No. 13 in the world on the听, the 糖心少女educates more than 54,000 students annually.

 

Council on Undergraduate Research

The听听supports faculty development for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. More than 700 institutions and nearly 13,000 individuals belong to CUR. CUR believes that the best way to capture student interest and create enthusiasm for a discipline is through research in close collaboration with faculty members.

 

This announcement draws upon and is based on .

Two 糖心少女undergrads receive the Udall Award

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on
Udall scholars Ashley Lewis (left) and Alishia Orloff (right).

Juniors Ashley Lewis and Alishia Orloff will join 50 students from around the country as Udall Scholars. A competitive award, the review committee selected this year鈥檚 scholars from 437 nominees based on the student鈥檚 commitment to careers in the environment, Native health care or tribal policy, as well as their leadership potential, public service and academic achievement.

The scholarship provides each student with up to $7,000 for use on tuition, room, board or supplies. The Udall Foundation also hosts a five-day orientation in Tucson, Arizona. There, scholars will meet each other and program alumni, complete a case study and interact with community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care and governance.

For both Lewis and Orloff, this scholarship aligns closely with their career goals.

Ashley Lewis

Udall Scholar Ashley Lewis

Hometown: Elma, WA
Graduation: 2019 (projected)
Major: Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; Communications

“Being named a Udall scholar for the second time provides more opportunity to strengthen tribal nations and to protect resources of the Pacific Northwest, I couldn’t be more proud to be among a group of people that are committed to changing our world.”

Business owner and outdoor enthusiast Ashley Lewis is eager to protect the outdoors she loves so much. As a female Native American fishing guide, she is eager to show the world that leaders come in all forms. Through her fishing business, she has become a leading voice in the community: as a brand ambassador for Shimano, and as a contributor to ESPN鈥檚 show 鈥淭he Outdoor Line.鈥� Connections to her community are strong. As an active member of the Quinault Indian Nation, Lewis is dedicated to working with her tribe to advocate for our natural resources. She also volunteers with The Fallen Outdoors, where she supports American Army Veterans鈥� rehabilitation through connecting with nature.

The combination of her passion for the outdoors, with her drive to protect our Northwest environments, prompted her to return to college. She is currently pursuing her bachelor鈥檚 degree, with the long-term goal of earning a master鈥檚 in aquatic and fishery sciences. Professionally, she plans to work in public policy, where she can help strengthen Pacific Northwest fisheries, and show that investing in outdoor spaces benefits the larger community. 听听听

Alishia Orloff

Udall Scholar Alishia Orloff

Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Graduation: 2019 (projected)
Major: Environmental Science and Resource Management

An active researcher, Alishia Orloff has a strong interest in terrestrial and riparian environments. Fascinated by the interdisciplinary processes that drive our environments, Orloff is dedicated to continuously learning more about these complex ecosystems. Throughout her research, Orloff has partnered with the University of Minnesota Duluth, Ojibwe Resource Management and the Tulalip Tribes. Orloff believes the management of natural resources affects each person鈥檚 daily life. She views helping people understand the source of these resources is crucial to protecting the environment. Recognizing the importance of community involvement, she currently volunteers as a Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED) executive, where she promotes sustainability on campus, and as a native plant nursery volunteer, where she cultivates native plants.

In the future, Orloff aspires to earn a doctoral degree and become a leading researcher at an organization that proactively engages the community to preserve our natural resources.

鈥淭he Udall award serves as a recognition of my stewardship in the environment with a specific focus in traditional ecological knowledge thus far. Through this award, I can more vigorously develop a stronger connection to protecting our natural resources and serving the communities that are impacted. I am greatly appreciative of this opportunity to collaborate with other great stewards from around the nation and work together to broaden our understanding and exposure of environmental and social issues.鈥�

Learn more about scholarship opportunities at UW

The Udall Scholarship application process is supported by the (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.

 

Undergraduates to present research spanning academic disciplines on May 18, 2018

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on

On Friday, May 18, more than 1,200 糖心少女 undergraduates and visiting undrgraduates student scholars will participate in the 21st Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium 鈥� an event that is one of the largest of its kind in the nation.

The Symposium runs from 11 a.m.鈥�6 p.m. on the 糖心少女Seattle campus. Students will present their research in poster, oral and performing arts sessions in Mary Gates Hall and Johnson Hall, and in a visual arts and design showcase in Odegaard Undergraduate Library (see event details below). 糖心少女President Ana Mari Cauce is scheduled to provide opening remarks at 11 a.m. in Mary Gates Hall.

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 8,400 students participated in research in 2016鈥�17.听More than 1,000 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.

Students will share their research on topics as diverse and broad as better diagnosis of pediatric concussions; improving regional climate prediction; innovations in pain management; predicting tooth decay; gratitude in relation to adolescent mental health; the complexity of the canoe in Samoan culture; forensic anthropology; and much, much more.

The titles of students鈥� presentations gives more detail about the range and complexity of their projects. A small sampling of titles include:

  • BrainNet: First Three-Person Brain-to-Brain Communication System
  • Star Formation in Low Metallicity Environments
  • Curation: A Performance
  • My Work as an Artist and Designer on the DFL鈥檚 3D Game, Hug the Line
  • Forensic Anthropology and Human Rights in Latin America

The Symposium is open to selected undergraduates from other institutions, and we are thrilled to welcome presenters from听22 other institutions in addition to听, the Seattle Colleges, Montana State University, Washington State University and the University of Victoria听(complete list below).

The Symposium is organized by Undergraduate Academic Affairs鈥櫶�Undergraduate Research Program.

Event Details

What: The 21st Annual Research Symposium at the 糖心少女

Who: More than 1,200 inspiring undergraduates at 糖心少女presenting ground-breaking research and selected undergraduates from other institutions

When: Friday, May 18, 2018, 11:00 a.m.颅鈥�6:00 p.m.

Where: Mary Gates Hall, select rooms in Johnson Hall, and Odegaard Undergraduate Library
Plan ahead: See event schedule and search the Online Proceedings at听

Institutions Represented

  • Bellevue College
  • Boise State University
  • California State University San Marcos
  • College of St. Scholastica
  • Edmonds Community College
  • Everett Community College
  • Grays Harbor College
  • Heritage University
  • North Seattle College
  • Pacific Lutheran University
  • Pierce College
  • Portland State University
  • Shoreline Community College
  • Seattle Pacific University
  • South Seattle College
  • Seattle Central College
  • University of Nevada Las Vegas
  • Wenatchee Valley College
  • Western Washington University
  • University of Puget Sound
  • University of Wyoming
  • Whitman College

 

Photos by David Ryder.