Diversity

Markus Teuton, a musician and citizen of Cherokee Nation, explores contemporary Indigenous music through his academic work and as host of “Indigenous Jazz,” a radio show.

New research from the University of Washington published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, shows how “microinclusions” — brief instances of positive treatment, especially from members of the dominant group — help women feel valued at work. UW News talked with lead author Gregg Muragishi, a UW postdoctoral scholar of psychology, to learn more about this research.

From high school to college, interest in learning a language can come from cultural obsessions, to hopes for a career in business, to fascination in personal ancestry. Kaoru Ohta, teaching professor of Asian languages and literature at the UW, is quoted.

At age 83, Linda Allen is graduating from the UW College of Arts & Sciences with a degree in integrated social sciences. "It's never too late to follow a dream," she says.

Assunta Ng, founder and publisher of Northwest Asian Weekly, has sold the 41-year-old newspaper to a group of Seattle-area investors. Ng, who will continue to advise the partners during the transition as publisher emeritus, said she believes the buyers share the same basic mission she started out with more than 40 years ago. “So I’m excited for them to take over and see what they can achieve,” she said.

Edgar Quiroz Sanchez, graduating with two bachelor's degrees, has been a powerful voice for the needs of undocumented students at the UW.

Through a UW-led storytelling workshop and course, English language learners in the Seattle area strengthened their language skills and built community.

Every January, the Jacob Lawrence Legacy Residency program invites an up-and-coming Black artist to exhibit new work and carry on the legacy of the late Jacob Lawrence. This year, the exhibition showcases Simon Benjamin, a Jamaican multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker based in New York. The School of Art + Art History + Design is mentioned.

Like many little girls, a young Kristi Yamaguchi loved playing with Barbie. With a schedule packed with ice skating practices, her Barbie dolls became her “best friends.” So, it’s surreal for the decorated Olympian figure skater to now be a Barbie girl herself. Sapna Cheryan, professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Rotarians gathered in April for an insightful panel discussion on the deepening connections between the Pacific Northwest and South Asia. The event boasted a distinguished lineup of speakers, including Radhika Govindrajan, associate professor of anthropology at the UW.

Jordan Jones has been appointed as the next Director and Curator of the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, to begin in April 2024. In her role as Director and Curator, Jones will provide curatorial, programming, and administrative leadership and oversight in a newly renovated state-of-the-art exhibition space within the School of Art + Art History + Design at the UW Seattle campus. 

E.J. Koh’s debut novel affirms her place among powerful American storytellers. Shawn Wong, professor of English, is mentioned.

National Poetry Month takes place every year in April. Its purpose is to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry nationwide. This year, Seattle residents will have the privilege and pleasure of discovering, installed throughout various parts of the city, poems by local poets on topics of place and sustainability. Jayme Yen, teacher of design at the UW, is mentioned.

Brittany Kamai, an astrophysicist with knowledge of Pacific Islanders' Indigenous navigation using the sky, is teaching a new UW course, Pacific Indigenous Astrophysics.

Five local Native American artists and cultural workers shared their feelings about how Lily Gladstone’s Oscar nomination blazes a new path for Indigenous creatives as well as the racist tropes still targeting Native Americans in the media. Charlotte Coté, professor of American Indian studies, is interviewed.