Profiles

Lokela Alexander Minami (BA, 2010; MA, 2012) turned a lifelong passion for opera into a career that introduces others to the art form.

As a dialect coach, Tré Cotten (MFA, 2017, Acting) has gained national attention for his ability to help actors bring authenticity to their characters. 

Alexa Bednarz (BA, Communication, 2012) turned an idea for environmentally friendly roofing material into Eco-Shelter Inc. Its first manufacturing facility will open in India in 2024. 

Tom Mara, who helms the Seattle International Film festival, is making history by transforming the Cinerama into SIFF Cinema Downtown. While at the UW, Mara studied broadcast journalism, which pointed him toward work in public radio.

Three new faculty books from the University of Washington cover wide-ranging topics: life in the Rio Grande Valley, fossils of Washington state and the colonial roots of contemporary intersex medicine. UW News talked with the authors to learn more. Collection highlights life in Rio Grande Valley “Puro Pinche True Fictions” is a collection of short...

"The questions are long-term questions," emeritus professor Marshall Baker says of his theoretical physics, which he is still pursuing at age 91. 

In collaboration with the UW Polish Studies Endowment Committee, award-winning poet and UW assistant professor Piotr Florczyk dedicated an event to the reading and discussion of poetry in Polish and English. Contributing writer Avery Cook dives into the importance of bilingual writing and writers.

"There are going to be many days where it doesn't seem to make sense, and that is an incredibly vulnerable space to maneuver, but just know that you belong here at this incredible university along with every great opportunity you come across in your journey.  It's okay to not have the answers or feel entirely comfortable in new spaces you'll find yourself in. Use curiosity to your advantage and ask questions, read for fun beyond the classroom, listen to new music that makes you want to bop around, or take a walk, and look for chances to join student organizations. Curiosity is a great tool in the classroom, and it will also serve you well beyond the University of Washington. Give it your all because you'll get back what you put in." - Juan Rodriguez, Marketing Production Specialist, College of Arts & Sciences

An interview with Dr. Loma Pendergraft on crow vocalization. Pendergraft — a current psychology lecturer in animal behavior-related classes — found interest in the noises the crows on the south side of the UW campus made as he fed them. This curiosity led to the experiment that comprised his master’s degree. 

Briana Abrahms serves as the Boersma Endowed Chair of Natural History and Conservation at UW, and recently received the prestigious Packard Fellowship. Abrahms’ lab will receive $875,000 to pursue research regarding the impacts of environmental change on animal behavior. Writer Samuel Abraham sits down with the professor and distills her ongoing research.

Some are stubborn optimists. Others struggle with despair. Their faces show the weight they carry as they witness the impact of climate change. Kristin Laidre, associate professor of aquatic and fishery sciences at the UW and principal scientist at the Applied Physics Laboratory, and P. Dee Boersma, professor of biology at the UW, are featured.

"Have faith in yourself. Guide the decisions you make with YOUR passions, YOUR insight, and YOUR questions, what feels good to YOU! Do not let others or your fear force you in a certain direction or limit your potential. I always said, and continue to say to myself, that the only person I am competing with in life is myself.  Do not let anyone hold you back. Ask tons of questions, do not be afraid to ask for support or help when you need it. The smartest people stop and ask for help or clarity when they are unsure. Listen to advice, but seek it from many people and use what resonates with you the most. Do not be afraid to fail or stumble. Everyone does!  Also, have fun." – Alexes Harris (B.A., Sociology), University of Washington Presidential Term Professor, Professor of Sociology; Faculty Regent to the University of Washington Board of Regents; and UW Faculty Athletics Representative

Tina Nguyễn has dipped her toes into everything, graduating with a double degree in informatics and global studies and receiving the prestigious Gilman scholarship, all while continuously creating remarkable art. She sits down with writer Alexa Meyer to discuss what's next as one of UW’s best. Jackson School's Center for Global Studies is mentioned. 

"You belong here. This place will change you and you will change it. I belong here, too, and I am forever grateful for the ways I’ve been changed by the students, staff, and faculty in my part of the UW community." - Andrea Woody, Divisional Dean of the Social Sciences

Chandan Reddy, an associate professor of gender, women and sexuality studies and of the comparative history of ideas at the University of Washington, has been named a “Freedom Scholar” by the Marguerite Casey Foundation.