Diversity

Seven professors at the University of Washington are among 25 new members of the Washington State Academy of Sciences for 2022, according to a July 15 announcement.

University of Washington undergraduate Zoe Hana Mikuta made waves in the young adult (YA) book community last summer when she released her Sapphic sci-fi epic “Gearbreakers.” The novel — already optioned for a movie when it was published — features star-crossed lovers fighting on opposite sides of a robot war and was a staple on LGBTQ+ reading recommendation lists last year.

Fresh off the June 28 release of the book’s sequel, “Godslayers,” Mikuta, 22, spoke with The Seattle Times about the mecha, Sapphic duology.

Abdiel Jacobsen, a graduate in the Department of Dance and a former Martha Graham dancer, found freedom in hustle, which offers a progressive, gender-neutral vision of partnered social dance.

Kemi Adeyemi, Jasmine Mahmoud, and Nikki Yeboah first met as PhD students in Chicago. Now they pursue scholarship in support of Black arts as UW faculty.

A new Classics course looks at conceptions of race in antiquity and how ancient racial categories “put the arbitrariness of race as we know it into relief.”

UW Drama professor Valerie Curtis-Newton (MFA, 1996), who will present the University Faculty Lecture on May 3, has been stirring up "good trouble" and courageously unmasking uncomfortable truths for decades. 

A new generation of scientists is challenging the biased, hierarchical status quo in astronomy. The UW's Jessica Werk, Sarah Tuttle, and Emily Levesque, discuss.

In her work, artist and alum Barbara Earl Thomas "offers a lovingly tender elevation of Black people and their stories."

Stephanie Kerschbaum, English professor and director of the Expository Writing Program, has received national recognition for her inclusive mentoring. 

Through the Math Alliance, UW departments and programs provide mentoring and networking to encourage diversity in STEM fields.

Biology PhD student Ashely Paynter has created a podcast/organization that reflects her interests in science and activism. 

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month this September 15 through October 15 by exploring work by College of Arts & Sciences faculty, students and alumni.

As a child of Deaf adults, Christine Lew feels blessed to part of — and advocate for — the Deaf community and others.

Since 1994, alumni and friends in the Multicultural Alumni Partnership have worked together to promote diversity at the UW and address issues of equity and diversity on our campuses and in our community. This year’s promising scholars range from early undergraduates who are still zeroing in on a major to those pursuing graduate and professional degrees.

A new course explores rap music and its musical influences, with guest musicians and creative assignments.