Shelves of books in the Odegaard Library stacks

Building Community

Transformation in the academy takes time, thought, and collaboration. Building strong relationships across the College is a critical foundation for organizational change. We hope events like our annual Big Read will give faculty and staff the opportunity to get to know each other better, share ideas, and think about how we can improve the academy together.

Cover of book: Alternative Universities - Speculative Design for Innovation in Higher Education by David J. Staley

The Big Read (Fall 2025)

The fourth annual “Big Read” will take place on Tuesday, October 21, at 2:00 p.m. in the Husky Union Building (HUB) North Ballroom.

UW College of Arts & Sciences Dean Dianne Harris will lead a conversation with David J. Staley, author of Alternative Universities: Speculative Design for Innovation in Higher Education (2019). Staley challenges us to think creatively about the future of the university and the possibilities for transformation in higher education.

All members of the UW community are encouraged to attend.

Cover of Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson

The Big Read (2025)

The third annual “Big Read” took place on Monday, April 7, at 2:00 p.m. in the Husky Union Building (HUB) Lyceum.

UW Political Science Professor Dr. Jack Turner led a conversation with Dr. Heather Cox Richardson, author of Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America (2023). A leading voice on American democracy, Richardson has helped shape national conversations on history, politics, and civic engagement.

 

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Book cover for Unmasking AI by Joy Buolamwini

The Big Read (2024)

Dr. Buolamwini visited UW on February 20, 2024. A recording is available on the linked page.

CAS hosted a reading of Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines (2023) by Dr. Joy Buolamwini of MIT’s Media Lab during winter quarter 2024. Buolamwini, a scholar at the forefront of AI research, has exposed widespread racial and gender bias in AI services from tech companies. In her book, Buolamwini explains how she uncovered what she calls “the coded gaze”—evidence of encoded discrimination and exclusion in tech products—and how she founded the Algorithmic Justice League, an organization dedicated to preventing the harms of AI. 

 

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Cherry tress on the UW quad.

Recap on Cathy Davidson's Visit at the UW

Cathy Davidson, author of The New Education, visited the University of Washington campus Fall 2022. During her keynote conversation with Dianne Harris, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, she discussed how to transform the future of higher education to prepare students to meet grand challenges.

Read the Recap Article

UW Seattle Campus Quad during spring

Staff Gatherings with the Dean

This summer, we hosted staff from each division on the lawn of the Communications building for a light breakfast and good company. Stay tuned for more outdoor staff gatherings when the weather gets warmer!