Four hours in and the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels remain tied at 2-2, a full 18 innings into the game. The Mariners are at bat with the bases loaded and two outs. They send their hitter to the plate, the batter surely feeling the fate of the game push down on his knuckles as he prepares for a swing. Everybody, including Mariners batboy and 糖心少女 alumnus Oscar Castro, is anxious.
Category: Features
Typically longer in length and relevancy than content in the news category. Features content is more likely to be republished over time.
Winter 2014 lineup for Collegium Seminars
Winters in Seattle are an ideal time to stretch your academic interests. Here, freshmen can find a number of interesting classes to fill our their schedules. Take a class that’s a little different from what you normally take. Collegium Seminars are low-risk (they’re 1 credit, credit/no credit); they’re taught by some of the UW’s best faculty; and they’re limited to 20 students. Plus, taking a Collegium Seminar will add a little intellectual sunshine to the gray winter days.
Winter Quarter 2014
Note: For more specific information about a particular seminar, please contact the instructor listed for the course.
The History of Innovation
Margaret O鈥橫ara, History
- GEN ST 197 A, SLN 14486
- W 11:00-12:50
Where do good ideas come from? How do ideas become world-changing innovations? How and why does innovation thrive in certain places, at certain times? How can history help us understand what might come next? This seminar will address these questions by exploring historical cases of people, groups, and places that have sparked innovative thinking. We will consider innovation in business, society, politics, and art – from ancient Athens to modern Seattle, from Gutenberg to Gates. Curriculum will include a visit to the newly opened Bezos Center for Innovation at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry. 聽Students will be expected to read 20-50 pages per week, actively engage in class discussion, write three one-page reflective essays, and serve once as a discussion co-leader.
Introduction to the Digital Humanities
Tyler Fox & John Vallier, 糖心少女Libraries
- GEN ST 197 L, SLN 14497
- TH 2:30-4:20
The Digital Humanities Freshman Seminar will introduce students to the emergent field of digital humanities. The term Digital Humanities means different things, but broadly speaking it can be considered to lie at the nexus of critical thinking about digital culture, integrating technology into traditional humanities practice, and incorporating research methodologies from social sciences or other disciplines. It can also be a combination there in. Students can expect to participate in hands-on workshops in digital imaging, maps, text analysis, design research and more! We will also incorporate recent digital scholarship and guest presenters from digital scholars on campus.
Seminar in Animal Communication
Joseph Sisneros, Psychology
- GEN ST 197 B, SLN 14487
- M 1:30-2:20
Have you ever wondered how complex animal communication signals may have evolved? The objective of this weekly freshman seminar is to provide a general understanding of the principles and mechanisms that govern the evolution of animal communication systems and the related processes of perception, thinking, and social behavior. The emphasis will be on integrating information from areas of animal behavior and communication sciences to make this understanding as general as possible. The seminar will primarily consist of group discussions of research topics and papers related to the field of animal communication.
Marketing in the 21st Century
Leta Beard, Marketing and International Business
- GEN ST 197 C, SLN 14488
- M 11:30-12:20
This course is intended to expose the students to the world of marketing and to examine how marketing is changing in the 21st century. We will look at various companies and assess what they are doing correctly and what could be done differently. We will have a guest speaker and go on a field trip. Students will participate in a tradeshow at the end of the quarter.
Genetically Modified Foods: Menace or Magic?
Linda Martin-Morris, Biology
- GEN ST 197 D, SLN 14489
- W 3:30-4:20
Are genetically modified foods a miracle or a menace? Do they offer real promise to improve food production and nutrition or do they represent poorly-conceived, aggressive science that fails to consider long-term ramifications? Who stands to benefit the most from GM foods – individuals or corporations? In addition to considering these issues, we will investigate the biology behind how GM foods are made and how they are tested in order to properly label foods for wary consumers.
Growing Up with Fiction
Mark Patterson, English
- GEN ST 197 E, SLN 14490
- W 2:30-3:20
Literature is about change, and it also changes us as we experience it.聽 In this course we will read a short story a week and through this process we will trace the complex transformations from childhood, to adolescence, to emerging adulthood, to adulthood, and finally to old age (and beyond?).聽 The stories will come from different cultures, different historical periods, and they will be written by a variety of men and women.聽 Despite these many variations, as the works tell stories about older and older people, I hope we can begin to see some patterns in them and experience some change in our understanding of literature and ourselves.聽 Requirements will include short writing responses to the readings.
Leadership: Up, Down, and Sideways
, Evans School of Public Affairs
- GEN ST 197 F, SLN 14491
- M 11:30-12:50
Leadership: Up, Down, and Sideways will help students cultivate the skills required to lead in any context and thrive at the 糖心少女. Not everyone is endowed with naturally high emotional intelligence but certain habits, if developed deliberately and practiced, can achieve similar results.聽 Successful students and leaders must also write clearly, speak publicly, negotiate persuasively, and appreciate the differing communication styles of those with whom they work. This course will help students focus upon and progress in each of these areas.聽 Recently Dr. Bullitt spoke about managing life鈥檚 transitions to young adults, view the 糖心少女talk title online.
Public Controversies and the Law:聽 Major Recent Cases in the U.S. Supreme Court
Steven Herbert, Law, Societies and Justice
- GEN ST 197 G, SLN 14492
- W 9:30-10:20
Many controversial public issues ultimately find their way into the legal arena, and some are addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court. This course will involve analysis of several recent cases to address the following questions: What roles do courts play in resolving public controversies? How are such controversies defined as matters of law? What types of arguments do judges make in justifying particular stances on controversial issues? How should we assess those arguments? Does the Court possess the proper amount of influence? Why or why not? Classes will involve discussions of particular cases and the opinions issued by the Justices. The issues addressed by the cases will include: potential limits on political campaign contributions; the ability of cities to regulate gun ownership; the role of race in assigning students to public schools; the Constitutionality of sentencing juvenile offenders to life without parole; and other hot-button issues.
The Violence of the Small: Looking into Global Complexity
Clarke Speed, University Honors Program
- GEN ST 197 H, SLN 14493
- W 1:30-2:20
I have always been interested in the rest of the world鈥攐ff the global path but tied to all things global. Here one finds the power of the small鈥攑eople and societies that resist globalization and in a few cases those that remain un-captured by larger global flows. In some cases, the power of the small upsets the rule of law and the Nation State, as ethnic groups and factions in various regions fight both cultural and technological wars for survival. I want to talk about these small wars at very basic levels to get the big and small pictures of the power of the small.
Sustainable Energy Solutions for the 21st Century: Science, Technology, and Policy
Payman Arabshahi, Electrical Engineering
- GEN ST 197 J, SLN 14495
- T 9:30-10:20
Become an informed citizen of a new generation and prepare to contribute meaningfully to the energy debate. We will cover regional and global energy demand, sources, policy, current and future technologies, costs of sustainable energy production and its impacts on climate and the environment, and solutions to our energy problems. The class text will be “Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air” (download at http://withouthotair.com). Class will be structured around field trips and group projects.
Imagining Latin America
Jose Antonio Lucero, Latin American and Caribbean Studies
- GEN ST 197 K, SLN 14496
- M 10:30-11:20
What do you think of when you think of “Latin America”? Since 1492, the continent has been fertile ground for the imaginations of conquistadores dreaming of cities of gold, colonialists building new states, and Native peoples who had their own counter-imagingings of their lands and the foreigners who were colonizing them. This seminar looks at the long history of cultural representations, from Columbus to Disney, Hernan Cortez to Breaking Bad, to understand how the dreams and nightmares of conquest, revolution, drug wars and development shape the present and future of the Americas. Through short readings, videos and films, students will understand how culture shapes politics and politics shapes culture.
Navigating the scholarship process
The world of scholarships can be a daunting one. The Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (OMSFA) helps undergraduates foster the skills and vision that are necessary to attain scholarships fit for their goals. Here, Mona Pitre-Collins, director of OMSFA, Robin Chang, assistant director of OMSFA and Sara Stubbs, global opportunities adviser, answer some common questions regarding the scholarship process.
Q: If a student is interested in applying for scholarships, what鈥檚 their first step? What should they be doing to make themselves competitive applicants?
Sara Stubbs (SS): When I meet with students, a distinction I often start with is high school versus college level scholarships. In high school, students would write an essay and get some cash. At this level, scholarships are often designed to pursue a particular endeavor, such as study abroad or research. The first step is really for students to develop their interests by using their resources, academic or otherwise. At that point it becomes a bit easier in a meeting with one of us to determine the kinds of opportunities that will help them support their endeavors. A student who comes in and says they just want some cash is very limited in the sense of scholarship searches.
Mona Pitre-Collins (MPC): Students should become engaged and they should use their academic work to develop a stronger understanding about the kinds of things they really want to do and the bits and pieces that will help them flesh that out and help them become stronger candidates, focused, more directed in relation to the goals they鈥檙e in the process of articulating. Sometimes the bits and pieces are developed in a nice plan, most other times they鈥檙e鈥� not聽 [laughs].
Robin Chang (RC): In order to widen the universe of scholarships you鈥檙e considering, you have to think beyond what will just put money in your pocket for school and see scholarships as facilitating gaining the experiences you need while in school to get a job, or go to graduate school or whatever comes later on after school.
Q: What are some benefits of applying for a scholarship, even if you are not selected to receive an award?
SS: The process really encourages students to think about and articulate their particular goals. When we start talking about what a student wants to get out of a particular scholarship opportunity, they end up figuring out even more goals for the future. Not only does fleshing out their plans make their application stronger, they鈥檙e also fleshing out their plans for what they want to do next. Without having been pushed to write that essay, they probably wouldn鈥檛 have thought that far.
MPC: Students have to develop a comprehensive way of talking about why they want to do this next endeavor, and applying for scholarships really helps with that.
RC: It also forces you to talk to and get to know your faculty members. You get a lot of relationship building going on.
Q: What is the number one thing that students overlook when they start applying for scholarships?
RC: The application component that applicants don鈥檛 spend enough time on is the resume. We see a lot of lists of activities completed, without any details or descriptions of what those activities were or what the student鈥檚 role was. I think a lot of people shortchange themselves on their resume because they think they don鈥檛 have a lot of stuff to put on there, but in reality they have more than they think.
MPC: Letters: how to approach someone to ask for a letter and materials they need to give a letter writer. A lot of students ask a faculty member or staff member to write a letter, but all they give them is the recommendation form. Even in high school, you have individuals that may not remember you that well. They can look in their gradebook, but that doesn鈥檛 say a lot about an individual.
SS: Exactly. A letter writer may know the student and know their work, but they may not know about the RSOs they鈥檙e involved in, any jobs they have, or any other circumstances in the student鈥檚 life. 聽Students need to inform their letter writers.
Q: What are some common misconceptions students have when they come in to meet with one of you?
RC: It really does takes more than just having a good GPA. Some students come in with the thinking of 鈥淢y high school GPA is a 3.96, why aren鈥檛 you giving me money?鈥�
SS: I meet with a lot of students who don鈥檛 think they are candidates for any scholarships. When I meet with them initially they say they aren鈥檛 doing anything interesting, but when I talk to them it actually really is interesting that could fit with a particular scholarship.
MPC: A lack of scholarship availability. There are actually scholarships out there that are not as well populated; there aren鈥檛 thousands of people applying to them.
RC: Thinking that you have to wait to apply for scholarships when you need the money or when you鈥檝e been accepted into a study abroad program. If you want to do something junior year you should be thinking sophomore year what your options are in terms of scholarships.
Q: What can students expect when they meet with you?
RC: We basically help them get started. We chat with them about what they were previously involved in, what they are involved in, what they hope to be involved in, and what tools are available to them.
SS: We help students brainstorm.
MPC: We鈥檙e also a door that opens students to other resources that might be available, such as scholarships in their own department or just good programs that help them become more competitive applicants for more scholarships.
The Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards is one of many programs within Undergraduate Academic Affairs. OMFSA is located in Mary Gates Hall 171. To schedule an appointment regarding the scholarship process, contact OMSFA at 206-543-4282.
鈥擩asmine Kim is a sophomore in the University at Washington Honors Program majoring in cellular, molecular, and developmental biology with a minor in near eastern studies.
糖心少女football team has 2nd highest graduation rate in Pac-12: article
On October 10, 2013, the Seattle Times reported that the 糖心少女football team has the 2nd highest graduation rate in the PAC-12.
Citing 糖心少女athletic officials, the Times reported that the “football team has a combined grade-point average of 2.78 and 74 percent of Husky football players graduate from college within six years.” Stanford has the highest graduation rate in the PAC-12.
provides academic support and teaches life skills to the UW’s 650 student athletes.
Autumn 2013 lineup for Freshman Collegium Seminars
It鈥檚 your first year at the UW. You鈥檙e looking for an interesting class to fill out your schedule, maybe a class that鈥檚 a little different from what you normally have to take. You don鈥檛 want another classroom with the desks arranged in rows. You want something fresh, lively, maybe a little off-beat. You want a class in which you can meet other people and get to know the professor. And you want a class where you don鈥檛 have to worry too much about the final grade.
Does this describe you? Then you should check out Collegium Seminars.
Autumn Quarter 2013
Note: For more specific information about a particular seminar, please contact the instructor listed for the course.
From the Colosseum to Husky Stadium: Sport, Spectacle, and Society
Sarah Stroup, Classics
- GEN ST 197 A; SLN 14559
- Th 10:30-11:20
Face Offs. Big Hits. Broken Bones. Bad Calls. The Roar of the Crowd. Victory! Defeat. But wait鈥攁re we talking about the gladiators of ancient Rome, and the violent clashes in the Colosseum, or about our own Husky football players, and our own Husky Stadium? In this freshman seminar, we shall talk about both, for sport and spectacle鈥攁nd often, violent spectacle鈥攚as as culturally central to ancient Rome as it is to modern America. While focusing on a comparative (and enjoyable) study of past and present, students in this discussion-based seminar will gain crucial research and argumentation skills.
The Violence of the Small: Looking into Global Complexity
Clarke Speed, University Honors Program
- GEN ST 197 C; SLN 14561
- W 1:30-2:20
I have always been interested in the rest of the world – off the global path but tied to all things global. Here one finds the power of the small – people and societies that resist globalization and in a few cases those that remain un-captured by larger global flows. In some cases, the power of the small upsets the rule of law and the Nation State, as ethnic groups and factions in various regions fight both cultural and technological wars for survival. I want to talk about these small wars at very basic levels to get the big and small pictures of the power of the small.
Looking Through the Lens of Language
Laura McGarrity, Linguistics
- GEN ST 197 D; SLN 14562
- T 12:30-2:20
Language is a fundamental human characteristic. As such, the study of language can provide a window into human nature. This course aims to look at ways in which the study of language can be combined with a number of disciplines at the UW, cross-cutting various areas of study. Selected readings and potential visits to language-related labs and projects of study around the University will guide class discussions.
Doubt and Discovery in Astronomy: From Crystalline Spheres to an Infinite Universe
Ana Larson, Astronomy
GEN ST 197 E; SLN 14563
T 2:30-3:20
You are a student in Alexandria, Egypt, in 140 AD, under the tutelage of Claudius Ptolemy. You study an earth-centered universe made up of the planets and a crystalline sphere of stars. In 2013 AD you are a student at the U of W. The Universe has no center and possibly no edge; we cannot see and do not know what 96% of it is. How did we get to where we are? Where did the knowledge come from and why did it take 2000 years for our enlightenment? We will actively explore and find the answers to these questions.
Neuroscience and Society
Ellen Covey, Psychology
- GEN ST 197 F; SLN 14564
- M 2:30-3:20
This seminar will explore the ways in which neuroscience research influences, and is influenced by, society as a whole. We will consider the application of neuroscience concepts and methodology to fields such as forensics, law, marketing, medical ethics, artificial intelligence, warfare, entertainment, and education, and will consider how neuroscience research is influenced by factors such as economics, politics, religion, and technology. Students will conduct independent research on a topic of personal interest and discuss topics chosen by the instructor. There will be field trips and/or guest presentations to observe and/or learn about neuroscience techniques such as functional brain imaging.
How to Make Friends (and influence people)
Christina Fong, Management and Organization, School of Business
- GEN ST 197 H; SLN 14566
- W 10:30-11:20
This seminar will focus on the science of your social relationships. We鈥檒l draw from social psychology, sociology, and other disciplines to discuss the theory and research behind how we make and maintain friends, and how our social relationships shape who we are, how we think, and how we behave. We鈥檒l answer questions such as 鈥淲hat makes us likeable?鈥� 鈥淲ho do we want to be friends with?鈥� and 鈥淗ow do our friendships affect our abilities to lead and change those around us?鈥�
University Fiction: Is This Stuff True?
Anu Taranath, English and CHID
- GEN ST 197 I; 14567
- T 1:30-2:20
We all know that the academy- this place we spend most of our waking hours- certainly introduces us to new ideas and people. But did you know that the academy also breeds its own sordid plots, flamboyant characters and riveting dramas? 鈥淯niversity Fiction,鈥� also known as campus novels, refers to a growing genre of literature where the main action is set in and around a university. This quarter, we鈥檒l read some funny and thought-provoking examples, debate their veracity, and learn a lot more about departmental politics, illicit romance, or plain old academic jealousy than you ever thought possible.
What is Philosophy?
William Talbott, Philosophy
- GEN ST 197 J; 14568
- W 3:30-4:20
What is Philosophy? This seminar will provide you an informal introduction to philosophy at the 糖心少女. In this seminar, you will learn about some of the major areas of philosophy, you will read about some of the important philosophical issues in each of the major areas, and you will have an opportunity to discuss those issues in an informal setting. Questions to be discussed include: What makes acts right or wrong? What reason is there to do the right thing? What do we know and how do we know it? Is death bad? Are women oppressed? How many consciousnesses are inside my head?
Mathematics in our World
Andrew Loveless, Mathematics
- GEN ST 197 K; SLN 14569
- W 3:30-4:20
Mathematics is in everything we do. Topics will vary based on student鈥檚 interest, but I personally have interests in problems that appear in cryptography, networks, and discrete mathematics. Questions like how do we encode our credit card number so that only Amazon.com can read it? Or how can a delivery company minimize its fuel use? We will touch on many such questions and broadly discuss problems that are interesting to mathematicians and have far reaching applications. Throughout this discussion, I hope to convey the beauty and joy of problem solving which is at the heart of my love of mathematics.
Documents that Changed the World
Joseph Janes, Information School
- GEN ST 197 L; 14570
- Th 1:30-2:20
What do a standardized test, an x-ray, a papal decree, the rules of soccer, a map of a 19th century cholera epidemic, the president’s birth certificate, and the 19th Amendment to the Constitution have in common? Each of them, in their own way, has had an impact on some aspect of human history and society. In this seminar we’ll discuss these and other documents that have made a difference, how and why they were created, how they might be done today, and learn what all that tells us about documents…and about ourselves.
Sustainable Energy Solutions for the 21st Century: Science, Technology, and Policy
Payman Arabshahi, Electrical Engineering
- GEN ST 197 N; 14572
- T 9:30-10:20
Become an informed citizen of a new generation and prepare to contribute meaningfully to the energy debate. We will cover regional and global energy demand, sources, policy, current and future technologies, costs of sustainable energy production and its impacts on climate and the environment, and solutions to our energy problems. The class text will be “Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air” (download at ). Class will be structured around field trips and group projects.
Travel Writing for Student Travelers
Shawn Wong, English
- GEN ST 197 O; 14573
- W 11:30-10:20
This course will focus on travel writing and the kind of writing a student might find themselves engaged in while enrolled in a study abroad class. In other words, writing as a “traveler” rather than a tourist. Writing underneath the canopy of the popular tourist sites and looking for the understory. Students will not only read examples of travel writing by professional travel writers, but also writing by 糖心少女students who have participated in study abroad classes and/or traveled independently. Forms of writing will include memoir, personal essay, and “fictionalized autobiography.”
Leadership: It鈥檚 Not About the Title
Jerry Baldasty, Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Student Affairs
- GEN ST 197 P; 14574
- T 3:30-5:00
Acquiring leadership skills will be vital to success in your career 鈥� both here at 糖心少女and after you graduate. In this seminar, you’ll learn how to build and expand your own leadership abilities, and develop your own approach as a leader. Learn from some outstanding 糖心少女and community leaders 鈥揳nd learn that leadership is something you can exercise NOW; it’s not just a fancy title that you might acquire years from now.
Diversity Issues in Science
Beth Traxler, Microbiology
- GEN ST 197 R; 14576
- W 3:30-4:20
鈥淒iversity issues in Science” has been taught by Dr. Traxler since 2005. It is a seminar course focused on discussion of how people of different ethnic/social groups or nationalities experience “research” and how research impacts peoples’ lives. Issues include what informed consent for research means, how different people perceive ethical research, and how politics can inform and affect scientific research.
Welcome from the Dean Autumn 2013
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Fall quarter is always an invigorating time for me. We begin by welcoming our newest students to the academic life of the 糖心少女 at Freshman Convocation, an event that represents the moment when students fully transition into the UW.
These students join those who are settled and have found their groove here. And many of those returning students actively welcome their new fellow Huskies by being orientation leaders, Freshman Interest Group (FIG) leaders, peer mentors, tutors, and more.
Through programs in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, students鈥攏ew and returning鈥攆ind opportunities to connect with the academic communities here; explore the worlds of service and research; achieve excellence as they define it; and benefit from faculty innovations in the classroom.
The undergraduate experience is an indicator of the quality of the 糖心少女as a whole. Recently, the 糖心少女has received some distinctive rankings including:
- in a study by the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. The study ranked universities on quality of education, quality of faculty, research output and per capita performance.
- Washington Monthly ranked the 糖心少女 Washington monthly ranks universities based upon social mobility, research production and commitment to service.
- for our undergraduate program in America鈥檚 Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.
What this means for undergraduates is that they can avail themselves of educational opportunities as unique as they are. Students from rural Washington can find research opportunities in rural China. Undergraduates from across the nation and world can learn together and alongside distinguished faculty in a freshman seminar. Returning students and new students alike embrace service and leadership and grow into the leaders our world needs.
Though the trees and squirrels on campus are getting ready for the winter, I鈥檓 getting ready for what I think of as the season of renewal and am excited for the year to come and the promise our students hold.
Sincerely,
Ed Taylor
Vice Provost and Dean
Students from unique summer research programs share their work
Many undergraduates return home for the summer; some study abroad; some work fulltime; some take classes. Some students spend the summer in available at the 糖心少女. Undergraduates who participated in a variety of research programs over the summer will share their work with their peers and the public over three days the week of August 19, 2013.
Summer STEM Research Poster Session
Starting on Wednesday, August 21, undergraduates from the 糖心少女and schools across the country will present their research in STEM disciplines at the . This event is a collaboration among several 糖心少女summer research programs connecting undergraduates to research in science, technology, engineering, and math.
- Poster session
Wednesday, August 21 | 9 a.m.-noon
Mary Gates Hall Commons
Amgen Scholars and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Students
Amgen Scholars and students in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research Opportunities Program will share their research via oral presentations on Thursday, August 22.
The provides a transformative opportunity for some of the nation鈥檚 top undergraduates to explore and prepare for careers in scientific research. Students are placed in premiere 糖心少女research groups in the biomedical sciences and participate in related seminars, career exploration, graduate school preparation, and other activities. The 糖心少女is one of 10 U.S. sites to host an Amgen Scholars Program.
The provides talented undergraduates with outstanding summer research experiences that encourage them to pursue careers in academic science.
- Oral presentations
Thursday, August 22 | 2:30-5 p.m.
Mary Gates Hall, rooms 171, 284, 288
Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities
The week closes with a day-long series of presentations by students in the . Taught by faculty from the departments of geography, comparative history of ideas, and international studies, undergraduates focused on the interdisciplinary theme, 鈥淥utbreak! Reimagining Death and Life, Disease and Health.鈥�
- Student Presentations
Friday, August 23 | 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Allen Library Auditorium
The in Undergraduate Academic Affairs organizes the STEM Research Poster Session, hosts Amgen Scholars and HHMI Exceptional Research Opportunities Program students, and collaborates with the Simpson Center for the Humanities to produce the Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities.
Message from Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor
Dear Alumni and Friends of Undergraduate Academic Affairs,
We recently celebrated the 糖心少女鈥檚 . Each year, graduation is an opportunity for me to reflect on the early accomplishments of our newest alumni and anticipate their future contributions to the world. 糖心少女 undergraduates are getting involved on campus and beyond in record numbers. Their deep dives into research questions, community-based service, leadership, and scholarship create legacies on campus and imprint the power of engagement on their hearts.
Spring 2013 e-Newsletter Contents
They are evidence that how we do our work and how we live our lives matters. By choosing to bring their academic work beyond the classroom and into labs and the community, these new graduates took the kind of intellectual risks we asked of them several years ago at Freshman Convocation.
The students you鈥檒l read about in this issue of Undergraduate Academic Affairs鈥� alumni e-newsletter are all risk-takers in the best sense. They鈥檝e pursued their interests on campus, in the city, and across the world. They鈥檝e realized an expanded worldview and see themselves as global citizens.
Learning to say 鈥渉ello鈥� in the language of their study abroad host country has meaning for these students. Compassion flows from their service to others. Undergraduates tutoring in preschool and elementary school settings know that their work involves more than reading to kids. It’s understanding the lives of these children, the context of their families, and the language they speak.
I鈥檓 inspired when I hear about the academic challenges our graduates have had鈥攂oth the success and failures. It鈥檚 an absolute marvel to hear a student tell his story of failing his first class ever and then realize triumph when he’s come to a place of mastery born out of that very failure. What important experiences to have as undergraduates. When we do our work well, students discover their strengths and passions in a supportive but challenging environment.
Each year at commencement, I see the sea of caps and gowns. Unified in the academic regalia yet distinct in the way they adorn themselves. Individuals who came here with unique stories now exiting the University with a more solid foundation ready to make their own broader contribution to our world. I couldn鈥檛 be more proud of our students or our University at this time.
Sincerely,
Ed Taylor
Vice Provost & Dean
Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Leadership: Beyond the yellow brick road
Spring 2013 e-Newsletter Contents
Transforming the world of Oz was a team effort by Dorothy, the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow. What was their secret to success? How did they lead? Here at the 糖心少女, we know that successful leadership begins with learning to lead and includes meaningful鈥攁nd multiple鈥攚ays to practice and sharpen those skills.
The new offers undergraduate students opportunities to discover who they are as leaders, grow their leadership abilities, and make a real difference in the world.
In fall, 2012, the Husky Leadership Initiative kicked off the year with the successful event, . U Lead We Lead used the ancient art of storytelling to start a contemporary conversation on leadership with 糖心少女undergraduates and community leaders. The conversation continued throughout the school year with the Spring Training Leadership Conference, a leadership certificate program, informal fireside chats with local luminaries, and now鈥攑utting learning into practice鈥攖he first 糖心少女team leadership scholarship award.
The Ackerley Learning to Lead Together scholarship program supports undergraduates developing their leadership potential in collaboration with peers through innovative team projects that build strong communities. The first Ackerley Learning to Lead Together scholarship was awarded May 7 at the Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership to Max Sugarman, Angela Feng, Carter Case, and Marina Kelsh for their project, 鈥淓mpowered Eco-Education: 隆Vamos a comer!鈥� Their project will offer lessons around the topics of food, nutrition, and access to healthy food as an environmental issue. They aim to serve elementary school students and their parents and high school students within Seattle鈥檚 South Park community.
Generously funded by the Ackerley Family Foundation, this scholarship is a direct reflection of the family鈥檚 belief that leadership is honed through learning and experience. 鈥淟earning to lead and learning the meaning of leadership is a very basic part in all of our roles in life,鈥� says Ginger Ackerley, who along with her late husband, Barry, established the Foundation. 鈥淲ithin the Foundation some of us have titles, some of us do not, however we all lead; we have to in order to complete our mission. I would hope the recipients of the Ackerley Learning to Lead Together scholarship would join us in an effort to be a positive influence in our world.鈥�
Team Dorothy reached their goal by recognizing the skills each team member brought to the job at hand. The Learning to Lead Together scholarship program enables 糖心少女team members to learn to lead collaboratively and experience the ways they complement each other to accomplish a greater goal.
鈥淟eadership is more than a position of authority,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淚t is a set of practices and behaviors incorporating teamwork, respect, responsibility, and civic engagement.鈥�
A Day in the Life: Dawn Tuason
Spring 2013 e-Newsletter Contents
If the 糖心少女 were a swimming pool, Dawn Tuason has not only swam the length of it, she鈥檚 swam the width of it as well.
Involved in service, research, and scholarship, Dawn exemplifies the potential of a 糖心少女undergraduate experience like no other. Throughout her time as an undergraduate, Dawn has been a mentor and student leader in the Dream Project; she鈥檚 presented in the Undergraduate Research Symposium; she鈥檚 been involved in the Pipeline Project; she works at the front desk of the Center for Undergraduate Advising, Diversity, and Student Success; and more. She鈥檚 discovered a passion for early childhood education and has truly embraced all that the 糖心少女has to offer. Dawn just graduated and will begin her master鈥檚 degree in the 糖心少女College of Education next fall.
Here鈥檚 a glimpse at a typical day for Dawn.
5 a.m.
As a commuter student from Renton, I wake up bright and early to start my emails to the various groups I鈥檓 a part of on campus.
5:30 a.m.
I grab breakfast, make some tea, and take careful preparation in getting dressed because as a college student, looking windswept and rushed is almost too easy. If it鈥檚 Monday, I even wear heels. At 5鈥�11鈥�, I鈥檓 a powerhouse but I need the extra courage (aka the height) to get up in front of nearly 400 undergrads as a class facilitator for the .
Public speaking is鈥n acquired taste. One I鈥檓 still learning how to do, but I know that someday, a student will see me and know that it鈥檚 possible for them to be just as courageous and trust that the support will be there to learn how to! I believe in doing something that scares me but will challenge me and change me for the better, in order to show others they can do it too.
6:00 a.m.
I鈥檓 on the road, stuck in traffic with the windows up singing at the top of my lungs to any kind of music currently on rotation. This week, it鈥檚 music from Bizet鈥檚 opera, Carmen, and the musical Wicked. I鈥檓 heading to my yoga, weight lifting, or spin class. Exercise is easier if you just get it over with first thing in the morning.
7:35 a.m.
I鈥檓 off to work at the . As a student associate, I greet students; answer phone calls, and make the atmosphere a generally positive place. Anywhere from scheduling advising appointments, to best places to grab coffee on campus, I鈥檓 there to support undergraduate students.
9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
I鈥檓 in a blur of classes and snacking my lunch throughout the day. This quarter I鈥檓 taking my second year of American Sign Language, my global health class for my minor in global health, and since I鈥檓 majoring in early childhood and family studies, I take two to three courses involving early childhood development, psychology, and service learning. Service learning requires me to gain field experience with the population I鈥檓 intending to work with after I graduate. This year, I鈥檓 excited to volunteer and work with 1-2 year old toddlers close to campus. Incorporating my knowledge of American Sign Language, global health, and education not just into my daily routine, but to my future endeavors is something I get by staying connected through the services that UAA offers.
1:30-2:30 p.m.
I visit the , the first department I ever connected with as an undergrad. I鈥檝e participated in the Alternative Spring Break program, the , the which is a support network for students interested in research and graduate school as supported through the , the , and the . This year, I鈥檓 utilizing the in pursuit of funding for my graduate studies. I鈥檓 excited to see where life takes me next, but having access to financial and mentor support is fundamental to my success and I know they offer that at the center ten-fold.
2:30-6 p.m.
If I鈥檓 not in a weekly lecture around this time, I鈥檓 back as a student associate at the advising office. It鈥檚 usually slow around 4 p.m. so I get to take a break at the front desk and do some homework as I wait for the evening shift to begin.
6-7:30 p.m.
My Dream Project co-lead and I prep for our upcoming lecture and think of ways to engage our class, which allows us to critically think about how we can best support not just our high school students but ourselves as mentors outside of and within the high schools we serve.
8 p.m.
After a full day of running around, it鈥檚 nice to release some pent up energy and head to my Zumba classes. I love to dance and move across the dance floor for one and a half glorious hours of fluid and flexible freedom.
9:30 p.m.
I get home in time to watch my weekly TV dramas on Hulu, work on any homework or graduate school applications that I didn鈥檛 finish during my occasional breaks between classes, and have some peace and quiet to end my night!