Building on the UW quad

Impact Stories

Fueling Innovation Through Philanthropy

Since the founding of the University of Washington more than 150 years ago, we’ve trained the scientists and the artists, the performers and the reformers, the musicians and the statisticians, the writers and the researchers, the thinkers and the doers—the who and the what our region and world need to thrive.

From ground-breaking research leading to patents and vaccines to award-winning artists, our faculty, students, and graduates are changing the world in which we live.  Read on to learn more about how their work is fueled by philanthropy.

headshot photo of John Simpson

A Transformative Gift for Arts & Sciences

To honor his wife and support the college that has meant so much to both of them, former Arts & Sciences dean John Simpson created the Katherine and John Simpson Endowed Deanship. 

Group photo from Long Journey Home Ceremony in 2008.

The Long, Interconnected Journey Home

Allen Shimada invites you to join him in his effort to raise $100,000 for the endowed program support fund called "The Long Journey Home," created in honor of Professor Tetsuden Kashima for the Department of American Ethnic Studies.

Laura Matz and Larry Bliquez with Denny Hall in the background

A Gift to Honor a Beloved Professor

Alumna Laura Matz told her Classical Greek professor that she was creating an endowment in his honor. He was stunned — and touched.