Profiles

Boeing is still a force locally, both in influence and sheer numbers. The company still receives very generous tax benefits from Washington, notes Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW. Yet its presence in the region isn’t top of mind for many anymore.

In her book “Grandmothering While Black: A Twenty-First Century Story of Love, Coercion and Survival,” LaShawnDa Pittman, associate professor of American ethnic studies at the UW, plumbs the nuances of the role of contemporary Black grandmothers in today’s landscape.

Holly Barker, a University of Washington teaching professor of anthropology, and three current members of the UW football team â Ulumoo Ale, Makell Esteen and Faatui Tuitele â are studying how the skills they develop to maximize their chances of victory on the field have applications outside the stadium. Their work, which is ongoing, is showing that the research methods and analytical abilities of student-athletes are applicable in academic and research settings, as well as jobs in a variety of fields.

Colleen J. McElroy, a nationally known poet and the first Black woman to serve as a full-time faculty member at the UW, died of natural causes Dec. 12. She was 88. Frances McCue, a teaching professor of English at the UW, is quoted.

Lisa Dabek (PhD, Psychology, 1994), senior conservation scientist at the Woodland Park Zoo, studies and protects tree kangaroos in the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea. 

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.