Profiles

"Being the first person in my family to go to college means that I enter every space as an excavator, a fugitive, a conspirator, a fighter, a bridge builder, a fire starter, and an advocate for myself and for my communities." Julie Feng, Student

"I encourage first-gen students to ask lots of questions, to develop community, to celebrate their accomplishments, and to value the unique contributions they will make from their specific perspectives and background." - Rebecca Cummins, Professor, Art, Photo/Media + New Genres, Floyd and Delores Jones Endowed Professor in the Arts

"Being a first-gen means that I do not make assumptions about the support students might have or the struggle they face outside of school." - Kelli Kirk, Human Resources Manager, Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture & UW Alum (American Ethnic Studies, '96)

"The lack of familiarity most of us bring to the higher education academy is a detriment to successful navigation. I ask students to learn and share with fellow students and those who aspire to join the academy both course subject matter and the operation of the institution." - John Macklin, Professor Emeritus, Chemistry

"Whether it's talking to students about what it's like being the child of immigrant parents to talking about being the first in their family to work in a white-collar job, it's a privilege to share my story with students so they don't feel out of place at the UW." - Stanley Choi, Graduate Program Advisor, Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences & UW Alum (Communication, '04)

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our faculty and staff, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our students and alumni, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

Before the results of the 2024 election start rolling in, UW News asked three University of Washington professors of political science to discuss whatâs on their minds heading into the final hours.

"Have faith in yourself. Guide the decisions you make with YOUR passions, YOUR insight, and YOUR questions, what feels good to YOU!" – 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

Famous fiends like zombies, vampires and werewolves are hallmarks of All Hallow's Eve. But how much do you know about why that is, and where those creatures come from? Charity Urbanski, teaching professor of history at the UW, is interviewed.

Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, talks to GeekWire about the rise of Silicon Valley in the early 1980s.

Victor Menaldo, UW professor of political science, co-authored the forthcoming book, "U.S. Innovation Inequality and Trumpism." The book focuses on how former President Donald Trump â like other populists that came before him â exploits âinnovation inequality," or the divide between areas that are more technologically advanced and those that arenât.

As students and their professors head back to college classrooms and lecture halls this fall, the elephant in the room is ChatGPT. Katy Pearce, associate professor of communication at the UW, is quoted.

Ashleigh Theberge, associate professor of chemistry at the University of Washington, has been named to the Schmidt Sciences Polymath Program, entitling her to grants of up to $2.5 million over five years to "pursue risky, novel theories that would otherwise be difficult to fund," according to a Sept. 10 announcement from Schmidt Sciences. Theberge — one of six awardees this year — was selected from an applicant pool of 117, and is the first UW faculty member selected for the program, which is in its third year.

Through her love of languages and plants — and some serendipity — UW junior Katie Ruesink connected with a Korean family while studying in Seoul.