UW and the Community

"I researched what I did not find in academia. I sought out scholars already in the academy who practiced pedagogies that were aligned with my philosophy and understanding of the world.  With their work as a foundation, I have become more comfortable with the soundness of my own teaching/learning relationships and practices." - Jeanette M Bushnell (Ph.D., Women Studies, 2010; B.S.N., 1975; M.N., 1979), Faculty Instructor: Department of Comparative History of Ideas; Interdisciplinary Honors

"I think that my experience as a first-gen really gave me an awareness of and empathy for the world around me that is reflected across all areas of my work. Since my college days, the concepts of social justice, cultural identity, diversity, and inclusion became fundamental aspects of how I approach my personal and professional life — from the stories I want/need to share, the communities I want to make an impact on, to voicing my ideas and concerns on practices that will improve the experiences and outcomes for all students, staff, and faculty." - Leo Carmona (B.A., Psychology, 2016), Media Relations Specialist, School of Art + Art History + Design

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.

"Being a first-generation college student is a badge of honor and a responsibility I carry with immense pride. It symbolizes the collective hopes and dreams of my family and community, as well as the barriers I have overcome to attain higher education." – MJ Mencias, College of Arts & Sciences student double majoring in both Political Sciences and Law, Society, and Justice.

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to support the success of first-generation students, faculty, and staff, and celebrate their many contributions to our university community.

"My family could not provide me with information on what it means to be a university student, so I had to figure it out myself. It is a huge change going from high school to university. In the end, I viewed my experience as something that gave me an edge. I learned to solve problems and figure out answers as I needed them and this gave me strength and self-confidence." - Sándor Kovács, Professor, Department of Mathematics

"Find a sympathetic faculty member and start asking questions. How should you design your major?  How do you go about realizing your goals or what's the best way to clarify to yourself what your goals are?   You don't know what you don't know -- it's very, very easy to make mistakes that will have you miss out on opportunities without even realizing it!" - Stefan Steinerberger, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics 

Counterbalancing grief with wonder in works that heighten our awareness of the natural world and our connections to one another.

"I was 24 years old when I found support to apply for college. This support came from other first-generation college students who noticed my curiosity and inquisitiveness and sat with me while I applied. That support led me to graduate with a four-year degree and then be accepted to the University of Washington as a graduate student. Now that I am a professor, I want to continue to pass forward this support to first-generation students, to pursue paths deemed impossible or unlikely because of where we come from and who we are." - fabian romero, alum (Ph.D. Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies)

"Mostly, it's just comforting to meet others who have navigated similar obstacles. In terms of professional norms, knowledge, and expectations, I feel like it's taken me a few decades to catch up with my colleagues for whom higher education, and professional identity in general, was modeled in the family. Just the mechanics of an academic career, like applying to grad school, or even knowing the difference between an MA and a PhD, were all things I had to learn as I did them." - Louisa Mackenzie, Associate Professor, Department of Comparative History of Ideas 

Researchers from the University of Washington and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture will be partners in the newly announced $30M NSF Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science.  

Kick off the Autumn quarter and celebrate a return to campus with these can’t-miss recommendations from the College of Arts & Sciences.

The UW participated in its first Tribal Canoe Journey, with students, faculty, staff, and alums working together as a family — the Shell House Canoe Family, č̓away̓altxʷ ʔiišəd — to make it all happen.  

High school teachers spent four weeks at the UW Summer Institute in Physics and Physical Science to improve their understanding and teaching of physics. 

While it's hard to determine if today's poetry scene is any more successful than other times without taking a deep dive into data, there's currently a lot to celebrate in the Seattle poetry world: local poets are receiving critical acclaim and national recognition, a slew of books are being published and poets are choosing to move to the city to develop their craft. David Nikki Crouse, director of the UW's Creative Writing Program, is quoted.