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A&S alumna Maura O’Neill had just begun working for USAID when a 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti in January. "As the agency in charge of international development and disaster relief, we kicked into gear minutes after getting notice," recalls O'Neill, who offers an insider's look at the relief effort. 

“Yes, there is life after retirement, though sometimes I think it will be the death of me,” jokes Dan Waugh, who continues to travel to far-flung locations for his research. Waugh is one of four emeritus faculty, all from the College of Arts and Sciences, selected as Mellon Emeritus Fellows. 

Students in the course ”Fashion, Nation, and Culture” may never look at a three-piece suit the same way again. Or stilettos. Or any other article of clothing. The course explores Italian culture from the late medieval period through the present day through the study of clothing. 

The new Center for Human Rights, based in the College of Arts and Sciences with Angelina Godoy as director, hopes to encourage broad collaboration on human rights issues. “It’s gratifying to see how readily colleagues across the campus have embraced the Center’s interdisciplinary vision,” says Godoy. 

Most undergraduates arrive at the UW with only a vague understanding of various academic disciplines and the distinct perspective that each provides. A&S hopes to increase students' awareness of various disciplines through Academic Learning Links, a pilot project for freshmen. 

Have you ever read a book steeped in science and wished you could discuss it with an expert in the field? That's the idea behind the Biology Book Club, introduced by a professor and a staffer in the Department of Biology. 

Craig Nakagawa (’89) is co-founder of VillageReach, an NGO aimed at improving health care distribution systems in the most distant reaches of developing countries, beginning with Mozambique.

Matthew Alexander (‘01) is founder of Ahmsa, an NGO in Bogotá, Colombia that provides skills training, microcredit, and other support to alleviate poverty in Bogotá.

Harriet Dumba (‘04, ‘07) and Agnes Oswaha (‘05, ’09) founded the Southern Sudanese Women’s Association to help new refugees connect and settle into life in the U.S.

Anthropology Professor Steve Harrell, PhD students Barbara Grub and Tami Blumenfield, and alumna Victoria Poling ('04) created the Cool Mountain Education Fund, providing scholarships for students in China’s Liangshan region to continue their studies beyond primary school.