Henry Art Galleries Events

January 4, 5:30 – 7:00pm | Auditorium

January 11, 5:30 – 7:00 pm | 听Auditorium

January 12, 3:00 – 4:00 pm | Education Studio

January 13, 3:00 – 4:00 pm | Education Studio

Through January 14 | Upper Level Galleries

Through January 14 | Upper Level Galleries

January 9, 6:30 – 7:30 pm | Online

The Department of Comparative History of Ideas invites Alice Wong, disabled activist and writer, to address topics on raising the visibility of disabled people through her book: 鈥淵ear of the Tiger: An Activist鈥檚 Life.鈥�

Alice Wong (she/her) is a disabled activist, writer, media maker, and consultant. She is the founder and director of the听Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture created in 2014.

Free |

January 9 – 27 | Jacob Lawrence Gallery

Here in the dark weeks, the School of Art + Art History + Design has invited a mix of artists to bring some light in. Through animation and lightbox, by mechanical means and historical exploration, the Jacob Lawrence Gallery will be hosting several beacons to visit with while the days start growing longer again.

Free |

January 9, 7:30 pm | Meany Hall

Faculty artist Ted Poor continues his exploration of the drum set with an evening of solo performances. This concert will show the drum’s versatility.

Buy Tickets |

January 10, 7:30 pm | 听Husky Union Building

The Simpson Center for the Humanities invites Dorothy Roberts to discuss the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health.听

Dorothy Roberts听is the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law & Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, with joint appointments in the Departments of Africana Studies and Sociology and the Law School, where she is the inaugural Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Professor of Civil Rights. She is also founding director of the Penn Program on Race, Science & Society.

Free |

HISTORY LECTURE SERIES | Seattle and the Salish Sea: Building and Belonging听

January 10, 7:00 pm | Kane Hall

January 17, 7:00 pm | Kane Hall

January 24, 7:00 pm | 听Kane Hall

January 31, 7:00 pm | Kane Hall

February 7, 7:00 pm | Kane Hall

All lectures will be recorded and made available in the

January 11, 3:00 – 6:00 pm | 听Husky Union Building Lyceum

Join the Center for Anti-Racism & Community Health for an interdisciplinary panel discussion with Professor Dorothy Roberts. Panelists will discuss the impacts of Roberts’ scholarship across law, public policy, medical ethics, nursing, and sociology.

Free |

January 12, 7:30 pm | Meany Hall

Artist-in-Residence Tekla Cunningham and guest pianist Sheila Weidendorf presents “Between Heaven and Earth: A Year with Brahms,鈥� a performance of the Brahms violin sonatas.听

Buy Tickets |

January 13, 8:00 am – 9:00 pm | Husky Union Building

The one-day conference, consciously scheduled for the Saturday before MLK Day, will begin with a series of roundtables and panels featuring scholars and activists to present on and discuss the Black Radical Tradition in honor of Jack O鈥橠ell鈥檚 life and work.

Jack O鈥橠ell (1923-2019) was a visionary intellectual and an astute organizer who helped shape the course of the Black freedom movement in the second half of the twentieth century.

Free |

January 15, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm | Northwest African American Museum

The Center for Communication, Difference, and Equity (CCDE) will host its first Interrupting Privilege Museum Exhibition featuring an immersive mixed-media exhibit. Attendees will learn the history and methodology of Interrupting Privilege and get the unique opportunity to listen to recorded dialogues from the Interrupting Privilege catalog to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Free |

Have an event that you would like to see featured in the ArtSci Roundup? Connect with Lauren Zondag (zondagld@uw.edu)

November 7, 4:30 – 6:00pm | Communications Building

This presentation by Sharon Stein asks how universities can navigate the complexity of confronting the colonial foundations of higher education and enabling different futures. This discussion approaches reparations as a potentially regenerative process of enacting material redistribution and restitution, (re)building relationships grounded in respect and reciprocity, and repurposing our institutions to be more relevant and responsible.

Free |

November 7, 6:00 – 8:00pm | 听Kane Hall

The Pandemics – COVID 19 and the worldwide racial reckoning – forever changed how people work, live, go to school, and interact as a community. Come listen to a recorded dialogues about the pandemics, and engage in dialogue with the 天美影院community. Together the session will remember and honor each individual’s lived pandemics experiences.

Free |听

November 8, 7:00 – 8:30pm | 听Burke Museum

Join the Burke Museum to celebrate Spirit Whales & Sloth Tales: Fossils of Washington State, by Elizabeth A. Nesbitt, Burke curator emerita of invertebrate and micropaleontology, and David B. Williams, Seattle-based author, naturalist, and historian.

From primitive horses on the Columbia Plateau to giant bird tracks near Bellingham, fossils across Washington state are filled with clues of past life on Earth. With abundant and well-exposed rock layers, the state has both old and 鈥測oung鈥� fossils, from Ice Age mammals dating only 12,000 years old back to marine invertebrates more than 500 million years old.

Free |

November 8, 7:30pm | Meany Hall

Seattle favorite Garrick Ohlsson has established himself as a pianist of masterful interpretive and technical skill. He commands an enormous repertoire ranging over the entire piano literature. He brings a full program of Chopin, Schubert, and Beethoven, along with an evocative work by Ursula Mamlok. Ohlsson鈥檚 brilliant stage presence and easy connection to audiences amplifies his well-earned reputation for bringing piano masterpieces to life with virtuosic firepower and resonant interpretations.

Buy Tickets |

November 8 | National First-Generation College Celebration

The 天美影院proudly supports the experiences of first-generation students. For the sixth-straight year, the 天美影院Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses are joining colleges and universities throughout the nation to participate in the on November 8.

Led by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and the NASPA Center for First-Generation Student Success, the day is intended to celebrate the success and presence of first-generation college students, faculty, and staff on campuses across the country.

Free | More info

November 9, 6:00 – 8:00pm |

Different disciplines, cultures, and individuals have distinct approaches to gathering information, interpreting it, and forming beliefs. This begs the question: 鈥淗ow do we know things and where else should we be looking for answers?鈥�

天美影院Honors鈥� annual Global Challenges/Interdisciplinary Answers conversation, led by Polly Olsen (Yakama), director of DEI & Decolonization and tribal liaison at the Burke Museum; Tony Lucero, Professor and Chair in the Department of Comparative History of Ideas; and Katie Davis, Associate Professor in the iSchool, consider questions cultivated by students in the University Honors Program. This conversation will be moderated by Samantha-Lynn Martinez, a rising junior marine biology major.

Free |

November 12, 11:00am – 12:00pm | Burke Museum

Burke Museum education partner Hindi Time Kids has planned an exciting all-ages event to teach visitors about the meaning and traditions of Diwali, a South Asian annual festival of lights celebrated in many parts of the world. The word 鈥楧iwali鈥� derives from Sanskrit language and means 鈥渁 row of lights.” Diwali is a time for gathering with loved ones, celebrating life, and enjoying the illumination of lights.

Free |听

November 12, 1:30 – 2:30pm | 听Henry Art Gallery

Meet curator Nina Bozicnik for a tour of Sophia Al-Maria: Not My Bag. Born in Tacoma, Washington and now based in London, Al-Maria is a Qatari-American artist, writer, and filmmaker. Not My Bag brings together, her recent trilogy of films. In this exhibition, Al-Maria interrogates histories of colonial authority in contemporary culture. During the tour, Bozicnik will share insights into the concepts, ideas, and artworks within the exhibition as well as take time for questions and conversation.

Free |

October – November | 鈥淲ays of Knowing鈥� Podcast: Episode 4

鈥淲ays of Knowing鈥� is an eight-episode podcast connecting humanities research with current events and issues. This week’s episode is with Louisa Mackenzie, associate professor of Comparative History of Ideas at the UW, will describe how human’s view of nature has evolved over decades, from fear to appreciation.

This season features faculty from the 天美影院College of Arts & Sciences as they explore race, immigration, history, the natural world鈥攅ven comic books. Each episode analyzes a work, or an idea, and provides additional resources for learning more.

More info

The 天美影院 today announced that PepsiCo will become its official beverage partner beginning July 1.

PepsiCo鈥檚 relationship with the 天美影院is built on a commitment to enhancing the student experience, innovating around sustainability, supporting the UW鈥檚 diversity, equity and inclusion goals, and creating more positive impacts for all.

天美影院will offer the full suite of PepsiCo products in its three main campuses, hospitals and athletics venues for the next 10 years. The relationship is valued at more than $24.92 million, with an additional $2.4 million in PepsiCo products.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very pleased to welcome PepsiCo as a partner and sponsor. Their commitment to supporting core 天美影院values 鈥� the Husky Experience; diversity, equity and inclusion; and sustainability 鈥斕齱ill expand our capacity to provide a world-class education for students and increase access to the UW,鈥� 天美影院President Ana Mari Cauce said.

A committee of representatives from across the University 鈥� including all three campuses, 天美影院Medicine and Intercollegiate Athletics 鈥� unanimously selected PepsiCo in a competitive bidding process.

鈥淲e at PepsiCo are excited and honored for the opportunity to partner with the 天美影院 as their exclusive beverage provider,鈥� said Shay Hobby, senior vice president of Commercial, PepsiCo Beverages North America 鈥� West Division.听鈥淭hrough this partnership, we are committed to making a positive impact on the Husky student experience and community.听 We are grateful for UW鈥檚 collaboration and excited to share this news with our passionate Pepsi teammates who live in that community.鈥�

By becoming a 天美影院 signature partner, PepsiCo will:

• Support the student experience by funding scholarships that uplift diversity, equity, and inclusion and for students serving in the military at 天美影院Bothell, 天美影院Tacoma and on the Seattle campus
• Boost student exposure to career opportunities, with specialized programming at 天美影院Bothell, 天美影院Tacoma, and on the Seattle campus through Student Life and the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. PepsiCo also will provide real-world job experience by hiring student ambassadors to represent its brand at the UW.
• Help fight food insecurity among the 天美影院student population with direct support to the Any Hungry Husky food assistance program
• Limit and reduce beverage packaging and single-use containers, seeking solutions to minimize waste and shift toward clean energy by endowing an on-campus innovation fund
• Provide 天美影院Athletics with Gatorade sports beverages and offer 天美影院coaches access to the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, a team of researchers working to optimize sports nutrition. PepsiCo also will support the Athletics Impact Fund in Intercollegiate Athletics.
• Promote more positive impacts, pledging that two-thirds of PepsiCo鈥檚 product line will contain 100 calories or fewer per 12-ounce serving by 2025 all as a part of its pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) transformation initiative, which centers on sustainability and inspires positive change for the planet and people

PepsiCo equipment is scheduled to be installed across the 天美影院campuses this summer. For more information click here or contact uwnews@uw.edu.

###

Here鈥檚 what other 天美影院leaders said about the new partnership:

鈥淧epsi鈥檚 commitment to invest in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the 天美影院will help the university advance important efforts across the three campuses,鈥� said Rickey Hall, the university鈥檚 diversity officer and vice president of the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. 鈥淚nvesting in these programs places a college education in reach for more students, from more parts of Washington, and will help with efforts to create more accessible and welcoming campuses.鈥�

“PepsiCo鈥檚 commitment to supporting the Husky student experience is terrific! From scholarships to career opportunities, this partnership will benefit 天美影院students for years to come,” said Denzil Suite, 天美影院Vice President for Student Life.

鈥淲e are excited to welcome Pepsi to UW,鈥� said Pamela Schreiber, assistant vice president for Student Life and executive director of 天美影院Housing & Food Services. 鈥淲e look forward to a partnership with shared values and priorities, and ensuring a variety of product options across our campus dining operations.鈥�

鈥淲e are excited about bringing PepsiCo and their full range of product offerings to the UW,鈥� said Jen Cohen, director of Athletics. 鈥淲e know our partnership will be extremely beneficial for our student-athletes, staff and Husky Nation, and the opportunities that are created from our collective collaboration will make an incredible impact both on campus and in the community.鈥�

鈥淲e commend PepsiCo鈥檚 movement towards healthier drinks and wellness and its commitment to sustainability, equity and diversity for a better future,鈥� said Cynthia Dold, interim president of Hospitals & Clinics, 天美影院Medicine.

鈥淕atorade is a trusted brand in the sports beverage industry that is backed by the work they do at the Gatorade Sport Science Institute,鈥� said Mike Dillon, associate athletic director for Health & Wellness. 鈥淲e are thrilled to have access to their extensive product line that spans hydration, fueling and recovery as well as direct access to the research and support from GSSI. Gatorade has a long-standing history in the world of sports and constantly prioritizes the overall student-athlete experience.鈥�

鈥淭he announcement of this partnership is perfectly timed with the opening of our Terrace Dining Pavilion later this summer,鈥� said Scott James, vice chancellor for the Division of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, 天美影院Bothell. 鈥淲e welcome PepsiCo to the 天美影院Bothell campus and look forward to collaborating on ways to enrich opportunities for our students.鈥�

鈥淲e are excited to partner with PepsiCo to punch up the flavor of the student experience on the 天美影院Tacoma campus. Their support for scholarships, internships, sustainability initiatives and events like Convocation will immeasurably strengthen the Husky community,鈥� said Mentha Hynes-Wilson, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, 天美影院Tacoma.

(Editor鈥檚 note: Due to an internal miscommunication, the original content of this news release was edited after publication. The full, original text has been restored.)

In 鈥�,鈥� chronicles the story of OMA&D from its 1968 inception to its current status as a model for university programs.

OMA&D owes its creation to student-led activism, which was fueled by the national movement to address structural and cultural racism in institutions. In 1968, members of the Black Student Union and their supporters occupied the office of then-天美影院President Charles E. Odegaard. They demanded an increase in minority student enrollment, more minority faculty, staff and administrators and the establishment of a program in Black studies.

Their demands led to the creation of the Special Education Program, which in 1970 was renamed the Office of Minority Affairs and became the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity in 2007.

At the time, Pitre was a 天美影院graduate student and founding member of the Black Student Union. He later served for 21 years as chemistry instructor and 13 years as director of OMA&D鈥檚 instructional center. Pitre was promoted to associate vice president for minority affairs in 2004, a position he held until his retirement in 2014.

天美影院News sat down with Pitre to discuss his book and the past, present and future of OMA&D.

What motivated you to write this book?

EP: In 2008, I was a guest on a radio show with Sheila Edwards Lange, the former vice president and vice provost for minority affairs & diversity at the UW. She鈥檚 now the chancellor at the 天美影院Tacoma. It was the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of OMA&D and people were giving their opinions on the history. She thought we needed to write a book so that we could tell our own story.

I wanted to make sure the story was told accurately and to preempt the revisionists who might have their own agenda. People don鈥檛 want to actually acknowledge a program like OMA&D, and when they do, it鈥檚 a cursory presentation. I wanted to make sure the impetus for the creation of OMA&D was very well known. For me, the first chapter is the most important because it documents the audacious fearlessness of students who chose to challenge the university and change the landscape. I also wanted to show the reason we need to have OMA&D now. Not only now, but we also need to have it far into the future.

The book documents how the OMA&D was a national leader, becoming the first program in the country to implement certain strategies and programs. What fueled that evolution?

EP: It was our desire to make OMA&D the finest program in the country. And really, it was also because of Charles Evans, the person President Odegaard chose as the program鈥檚 first director, and the support he got from fellow faculty members. We did not seek previously established models by other institutions to emulate but determined independently what needed to happen at the 天美影院to get off to the best possible start.

The person who followed Evans, Sam Kelly, was a unique individual. He came from a military background, and he understood hierarchy. He stipulated that he would only take the role if it was elevated to vice president for minority affairs. That made the program the first in the country to be led by a vice president, meaning he would have direct access to the president. Because Kelly really was a visionary, he chose to do things no one else had done. For example, he allowed for the creation of a unique academic support program. It started as a tutoring office, but the people he hired thought differently about how to support students and how to give them the best chance of being successful at the UW. The program employed discipline-specific professional instructors who had a deep knowledge of the subject matter, a unique ability to impart that knowledge to students and to teach them how to learn and solve problems independently.

The final chapter of the book details what needs to happen next for OMA&D. What do you address there?

EP: The last chapter is called 鈥淏eyond 50 Years (50 Next)鈥� and it looks at what is required over the next 50 years. There are still gaps that need to be closed in order for the population we serve to reach parity with that of the university student body. 听The chapter begins with a quote from Henry Louis Gates that says: 鈥淗ow could we have come so far and yet still have so far to go?鈥� That exemplifies the challenge of what lies ahead for OMA&D. We鈥檝e done quite well. I think we are arguably the most successful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program in the country. But just because we are better than the rest doesn鈥檛 mean we don鈥檛 need to improve further.

There鈥檚 an enrollment gap, a retention rate gap and a graduation rate gap for our students compared to the university student body. Also, our students don鈥檛 perform as well in gateway courses compared to course averages. I call them gatekeeper courses because they keep students out of the high-demand majors including the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, majors, as well as nursing and business. There鈥檚 also a lack of representation when it comes to earning degrees in the STEM disciplines. The population that we serve generally doesn鈥檛 earn a representative number of degrees in these areas, which is crucial in order to close the racial/ethnic wealth gap.

Based on projections, we know that the number of high school graduates from underrepresented and lower-income populations will increase by at least one-third in the next 10 years. These students come from high schools that don鈥檛 prepare them as well for college 鈥� Advanced Placement classes are typically not available to them, and they generally do not take college prep courses in high school. We need to be there to help close those gaps and provide them with the academic support they need to be successful and go on to pursue advanced degrees and increase diversity in the workforce.

We鈥檝e come up with best practices, and we think those best practices should be acknowledged by the 天美影院and woven into the very fabric of the institution. Diversity is not the charge of OMA&D alone but of the entire university. Everyone needs to be on board to move the needle forward, but OMA&D should lead the effort. After all, we have more than 50 years of experience helping students be successful. That鈥檚 part of the rationale for 鈥�50 Next.鈥� We鈥檙e still relevant. We still need to be ever vigilant. Just because parity is achieved, it does not mean we can rest on our laurels. We must continue to evolve in order to avoid retrogression.

##

For more information, contact Pitre at empit@uw.edu.

Visit the 天美影院鈥檚 once, and you鈥檒l be impressed by its size, the historic murals and the number of resources available to students.

Go a second time and you鈥檙e likely to make friends, feel at ease and find what many students call a 鈥渉ome away from home.鈥�

鈥淚t is like a totally family vibe,鈥� said Calen Garrett, a 天美影院junior studying psychology with an eye on medical school.

Garrett arrived on campus from his home in Concord, California, at 18, and felt immediately overwhelmed and alone. But he quickly found the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center, or Kelly ECC, and that set him on a path toward academic success and campus leadership. He鈥檚 now a student senator, president of the and vice chair of the Student Advisory Council in the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, OMA&D.

鈥淚 really felt like I wasn’t alone in my experience, because a lot of people that were in that room at the Kelly ECC were in the same situation that I was: I’m the only Black person in this class, I’m the only Black person in my major, I’m the only Black person who lives in the same residence halls as I did,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淎nd it was really refreshing for me to not feel isolated.鈥�

The 26,000-square-foot building on the corner of Brooklyn Avenue Northeast and Northeast 40th Street provides听study and meeting space for students and groups, a听computer lab, cultural conference rooms,听multipurpose rooms, a dance studio and a 161-seat auditorium.

It also has a history.

Born of the demands of the Black Student Union in 1968, on Thursday, the community will celebrate 50 years of the 天美影院ECC.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always been students leading, and we see that still today. They believe that this is their institution, as they should, and they believe that they should be treated fairly and equitably,鈥� said Rickey Hall, vice president of OMA&D and university diversity officer. 鈥淭he Kelly ECC was established because back then, it was important for students of color to see representations of themselves on campus. It is just as important now as it was then.鈥�

Back in 1968, 天美影院students from the Black Student Union staged a sit-in to demand a minority educational program. Despite UW鈥檚 sprawling campus, the number of Black, Latinx, Native American and other minorities enrolled was miniscule. The protesters wanted the 天美影院to recruit, retain, educate and graduate more Native American and Alaskan Native students and students of color, and diversify the faculty.

After months of discussions, the 天美影院opened the Office of Minority Affairs, which evolved into OMA&D, launched the Special Education Program (SEP 鈥� later to be known as the Educational Opportunity Program) and in 1972 opened the Ethnic Cultural Center/Theater.

Former King County Councilmember , helped lead the 1968 protests. He recalled that students demanded the establishment of a place on campus where they could go to feel more comfortable and less alienated.

鈥淚t would be theirs,鈥� said Gossett, who鈥檚 also the 2021 天美影院Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus, a 天美影院Wondrous 100, 1975 Charles E. Odegaard Award recipient and a graduate of the class of 鈥�71.

Originally, the ECC was to be a temporary, 10-year facility located on the west side of campus. Progress was made in the years that followed, with increasing representation of Native American and Alaskan Native and students and faculty of color. Gossett noted that in those early years, enrollment from underrepresented populations at 天美影院swelled.

New policies helped diversify the student population, but in 1998 the state legislature passed I-200, which eliminated the use of affirmative action on campus. Part of the university鈥檚 response to the legislation was a renewed investment in the ECC, including a $1.75 million grant to renovate and improve the building. In 2001, after three years of negotiations, design, development and construction, the ECC reopened.

Then, about a decade later, in 2013, the campus celebrated the grand opening of the newly renovated Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center, named in honor of the late听, the inaugural vice president for minority affairs at the 天美影院and the university鈥檚 first African American senior administrator.

鈥淪am Kelly was a really unique person, with high character and significant experience,鈥� Gossett said.听 鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 have made the progress we made without him.鈥�

The Kelly ECC became the largest and oldest stand-alone college cultural center in the United States. It is also the first 天美影院building named for an African American, and it houses 22 historical murals that were brought over and restored from the original building.

鈥淭he Kelly ECC is such a significant piece of how students express their identities and where they find community on campus. Today, there are more than 100 Kelly ECC affiliated registered student organizations, many of whom have dedicated office space in the building itself. The building is impressive, but it鈥檚 the students that bring it to life,鈥� said Kristian Wiles, the assistant vice president for Student Success in OMA&D.

For Letauaeletise 鈥淭ise鈥� Hunkin, a senior from Spanaway who is double majoring in American ethnic studies and medical anthropology with a double minor in diversity and Oceania and Pacific Islander studies, the ECC offered a safe place on campus where she could be herself, hang out, nap, watch TV and study.

鈥淚t’s really hard for underrepresented students to find a place where they feel comfortable enough to be themselves or safe to do so,鈥� said Hunkin, who chairs the . 鈥淲e’re all able to just be our authentic selves, and I feel like it’s hard to do that at a school as big as ours, like making a big campus smaller.鈥�

Wendi Zhou is a junior double majoring in history and philosophy. She鈥檚 chair of OMA&D鈥檚 Student Advisory Board and has benefited from OMA&D educational programs supporting underrepresented students in the graduate school application process.

鈥淚t really does show the importance of student activism and creating an environment where students can feel respected by the institutions that they’re a part of,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t also reflects an ongoing commitment to promoting justice and equity in our institutions.鈥�

She鈥檚 using her platform to call for more to be done. The university needs additional services, especially mental health, for students with marginalized identities, she said. And the Black Student Union continues to use campus activism to call for change. In January, the group updated demands first made in 2020: They鈥檙e asking the administration to improve campus safety, connect Black students with Black faculty, remove racist statues, create a Black dorm and provide healing circles for Black students.

鈥淚鈥檓 very confident that the university has not yet achieved satisfactory stature where we can say equity has been established,鈥� Gossett said. He blames state policies, like I-200, but also acknowledges that students today face many of the same struggles he did five decades ago.

Still, it鈥檚 important to celebrate successes and acknowledge the student activists and leaders working to ensure 天美影院is a space that respects all students, Zhou said.

鈥淭here’s still work to be done, but what has been accomplished over the years is really inspiring,鈥� Zhou said.

Diana Paola Vergara, a first-generation, first-year student from Auburn, sought out the Kelly ECC after reading about it on Instagram. As an undocumented student, she鈥檚 sought counseling from Leadership Without Borders, and, like so many other undergraduates, finds commonality and peers at the center. Vergara, who plans to major in business and labor studies, also chairs Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztl谩n, or M.E.Ch.A.

鈥淎s a person of color, you’re very afraid of coming to this new place where you have no idea and you don’t know what to expect,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut as soon as you come and you see that there is this place where there’s other students like you and they offer you hope and so many other resources, you kind of find peace there.鈥�

As students resume in-person classroom education, 天美影院 staff with the Educational Talent Search (ETS) program also move back into 14 partner middle and high schools in six Washington school districts, helping them gain the skills and confidence to pursue a college degree.

In fall 2021, the U.S. Department of Education renewed a five-year grant to ETS for $1,891,700 to continue the work.

Located within the 天美影院Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D), ETS is one of five long-standing programs and aims to promote educational opportunities for limited-income or first-generation students. The program provides guidance, access to and information on the processes of college admissions, financial aid and scholarships available for post-secondary study. ETS exposes students to the college environments with campus visits, cultural enrichment activities and career exploration.

Research shows that students who participate in college access programs like ETS are more likely to earn their high school diploma and pursue their postsecondary education than their peers who do not participate in similar programs. This year, 682 Washington students will participate in the 天美影院ETS program.

鈥淚 know these programs work and not just from the numbers. I participated in college access programs when I was in high school, and now I have my master鈥檚 degree in education and work at UW,鈥� said ETS Director Dina Ibarra. Ibarra participated in the Upward Bound program as a teenager and went on to get her degrees from Washington State University.

Students who participate in ETS must meet specific criteria to qualify: They must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, be income eligible as determined by federal low-income standards, or potentially be the first in their family to attend college. Two-thirds of program students need to meet all three of the criteria to participate. ETS is one of several college access programs for underrepresented students at the UW.

鈥淐ollege access is a major part of our work in OMA&D. Our goal is to put more underrepresented and underserved students on the pathway to higher education. We support students before they get here, while they are attending 天美影院and when they become alumni,鈥� said Rickey Hall, vice president of OMA&D and university diversity officer. 鈥淥ne of the most important things college access programs do is show middle and high school students that they can get to and be successful on a college campus. For some students, the first time they step foot on a college campus is through a trip with the ETS.鈥�

The new ETS grant began September 2021 and is funded through August 2026. For more information about the Educational Talent Search program at the 天美影院visit /omad/educational-talent-search/.

For more information, contact Eric Moss at ericmoss@uw.edu.

Edwards Lange has many years of experience in higher education and she is well known throughout the UW, having served as the vice president for Minority Affairs and Diversity from 2007 to 2015. At 天美影院Tacoma, she succeeds , who has served as chancellor since 2015 and now will join the faculty in the School of Engineering & Technology.

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled to have Dr. Edwards Lange return to the 天美影院in this leadership position at 天美影院Tacoma. Throughout her career, Dr. Edwards Lange has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. She has been a tireless advocate for the student experience and success 鈥� particularly for students of color 鈥� in a number of academic settings, from community colleges to regional universities to research universities,鈥� Cauce said.

As president of Seattle Central College, Edwards Lange leads all college operations, including instruction, student services, fiscal resources, human resources, facilities and community relations. She works closely and collaboratively with leadership across the Seattle College District to ensure students receive high quality and responsive education and services.

鈥淚 was attracted to 天美影院Tacoma鈥檚 urban-serving mission, commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and its stellar academic programs. That unique combination has enabled 天美影院Tacoma to be an active partner in economic development and prosperity in the South Sound,鈥� Edwards Lange said. 鈥淚 am excited about being part of this work and look forward to leading the institution at this critical time in its history.鈥�

In her time at Seattle Central, Edwards Lange led the college鈥檚 efforts to build partnerships with local industry, government and organizations to address community needs and help to bridge the opportunity gaps in Seattle and Washington state. Some of these initiatives include the , which guarantees Seattle high school graduates two years of free tuition and wraparound support at any Seattle community college; and the , an associate of arts degree with a focus on education and social justice that aims to increase the percentage of teachers of color in Washington state schools.

She also spearheaded transformative projects such as The Black Male Initiative, which works to remove systemic barriers to academic success for Black male students; and the creation of the Equity and Social Justice emphasis for associate degrees.

In addition, Edwards Lange has developed and maintained extensive community networks, serving on boards such as the Alliance for Education, Seattle Art Museum and the Community Development Roundtable. In 2020, she received the Washington Community College CEO of the Year award from the Washington State Association of College Trustees.

Under her leadership, the 天美影院Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity made great strides in the work to broaden college access, support student success and enhance diversity-related teaching and learning on campus. Included among the many milestones accomplished with Edwards Lange at the helm were the naming and renovation of the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center, the completion of a 40-year-plus dream to build a longhouse-style facility on the 天美影院campus and the passage of a diversity course requirement for all 天美影院undergraduates.

Edwards Lange earned her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies, as well as her master鈥檚 in public administration, from the UW, and her bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of California, Irvine. She began her career at Western Washington University, before taking on leadership roles at Seattle Community Colleges. While earning her doctorate at the UW, she developed research and teaching interests in higher education policy, diversity in higher education, assessment and program evaluation, and underrepresented student access STEM fields. She taught a graduate level course on race and public policy for several years in the 天美影院Evans School.

was established in 1990 to expand access to students in the South Puget Sound region in a way that transforms families and communities. As an urban-serving university, its educational programs and research are听connected to the needs and aspirations of its community. With an enrollment around 5,300 students, the 46-acre campus has been a catalyst for the revival of downtown Tacoma.

This week in the arts, School of Art faculty Whitney Lynn gives a lecture at the Art Building, 天美影院Symphony and combined choirs perform at Meany Hall, Dr. Charlotte Cot茅听shares lessons from the w菨色菨b蕯altx史 – Intellectual House, and more! To learn about more events taking place,听.

Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

Armon Dadgar, 28, and his partner Joshua Kalla, 27, made the commitment to establish the Armon Dadgar and Joshua Kalla Term Scholarship for Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Students. Dadgar graduated from the 天美影院in 2011 with a degree in computer science and is the co-founder and CTO at San Francisco-based , the leader in multi-cloud infrastructure automation software. Dadgar has been recognized by Forbes Magazine on its 鈥�30 Under 30: Young Innovators Transforming Enterprise Tech鈥� list. Kalla is an assistant professor of political science and statistics and data science at Yale University.

鈥淭his transformational gift commitment will have an immediate impact on the lives of our students, as well as their families and communities,鈥� said Rickey Hall, UW鈥檚 Vice President for Minority Affairs & Diversity and University Diversity Officer. 鈥淲e are incredibly grateful that Armon and Joshua recognize the needs of students to have access to a 天美影院education. Their contribution speaks to the significance of OMA&D鈥檚 work, as well as greater diversity efforts across our campus communities.鈥�

The scholarship will provide financial assistance to undergraduate students participating in the OMA&D鈥檚 Educational Opportunity Program or EOP. The EOP promotes academic success and graduation for underrepresented minority, economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students. The gift commitment is intended to cover room, board, tuition and related expenses until the student graduates and can be applied to any field of study the student chooses. As part of the scholarship, Dadgar and Kalla hope to serve as mentors and connect students with opportunities outside of the classroom.

“In life there are very few silver bullets but I think education might be one of the very few that exist,鈥� Dadgar said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to overstate the value of it. Our educations, especially the research opportunities outside the classroom, have been transformational to both Josh and me. We wanted to target this scholarship towards students underrepresented in higher education and ensure they were given the same immersive opportunities we had.”

Nationally, financial need remains a barrier for students to access higher education, especially first-generation students. Children of parents without degrees were less likely to persist through and graduate from college for economic and social reasons, according to a 2018 study published by the U.S. Education Department鈥檚 National Center for Education Statistics.

鈥淭he mission statement of a university is to improve the world today and for future generations, and I think that鈥檚 such a valuable mission statement,鈥� Kalla said. 鈥淔ocusing on students who might not otherwise afford higher education and fall through the cracks of other financial aid programs was important to us.鈥�

The recipients鈥� financial criteria do not qualify for Pell Grants and Husky Promise, but these students 鈥� both in-state and out-of-state 鈥� still struggle to afford all the costs associated with a university degree.

鈥淭he scholarships will really help us fill a growing, unmet need for our EOP students whose family financial contribution sits just above that low-income threshold,鈥� said Hall. 鈥淏ecause of their financial hurdles, these students often must take out loans and spend their time working to make ends meet, rather than being able to take advantage of their full Husky Experience.鈥�

The commitment will fund scholarship packages for three cohorts of approximately 10 students, depending on their financial need and will be awarded annually over the next 12 years. The first cohort will be extended scholarship offers by May 1 for the 2019-2020 academic year. Recipients will be incoming admitted first-year students who affiliate with EOP, either through self-identification or because admissions officials believe the student would benefit from EOP鈥檚 services. A second cohort of students will be identified in 2023, and the third will be identified in 2027.

EOP provides academic counselors who steward students through the selection and scheduling of classes, exploration of majors and development of career goals. The EOP team also helps students with financial aid, housing, personal matters and a host of additional support services. This support leads to results. For instance, EOP students who enrolled as freshmen in 2012 have a six-year graduation rate of 78% which sets the 天美影院apart as a four-year, public institution that serves underrepresented minority, economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students.

The gift commitment comes in the midst of the University鈥檚 most ambitious philanthropic campaign in its history, 鈥淏e Boundless 鈥� For Washington, For the World.鈥� Student scholarships are the backbone of transforming the student experience, a core pillar of our campaign, and more than 700 new scholarships have been established during the campaign thanks to donor support. Those wishing to donate to the Educational Opportunity Program can do so here.

Established in 1968, OMA&D broadens college access and supports the academic success of underrepresented minority, first-generation and economically disadvantaged students, as well as cultivates a campus climate that enriches the educational experience for all. OMA&D college access programs serve over 25,000 students in K-12 school districts and two-year colleges across the state of Washington and its student success programs serve over 6,000 天美影院undergraduates.

###

For more information about the 天美影院, contact Jackson Holtz at 206-543-2580 or jjholtz@uw.edu.

It was spring 1968. A group of students occupied the 天美影院 administration building calling for change: justice, diversity, agency for Blacks on campus.

The campus protests would pay off by planting the seeds of what today is the (OMA&D), considered a national leader in supporting underrepresented minority and economically disadvantaged students, and students who are the first in their families to attend college. That office now is a half-century of service.

It started in a year when civil rights protests were gripping college campuses around the nation. At the UW, members of the Black Student Union told then-President Charles Odegaard that his campus fostered not diversity, but policies that supported the white middle-class majority.

“Through its administration, faculty, curriculum, and admission policies, the University has sent white and black students into society with the racist notion that white, middle-class, Western ideals and practices are superior,” the students wrote in a letter to Odegaard.

The students made five demands for change on campus: They wanted a voice in decision making for Black students. They wanted to recruit more people of color to campus. They yearned to study Malcolm X and other Black authors. And the students demanded that their teachers and counselors reflect the diversity of the students: Black, Latino, American Indian and Asian.

Negotiations stalled, then the demonstrations escalated, culminating with the May 20, 1968, occupation of Odegaard鈥檚 office.

“We thought we were revolutionaries, and we were revolutionaries,” said Emile Pitre, 73, a graduate of the 天美影院and a听senior advisor听to the vice president of OMA&D, who took part in the occupation. “It changed things, and that’s what revolution is all about.”

The occupation ended that day when the administration capitulated, giving in to the Black Student Union鈥檚 demands and creating what would become the OMA&D.

鈥淚t was crying out for change, and we wanted our university to get well, to get better, to become healthier. We felt that all students and faculty would benefit from our five demands,鈥� said King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, 73, who helped lead the occupation. He鈥檚 also a 天美影院Wondrous 100 and a graduate of the class of 鈥�71. 鈥淭he university, after we had the sit-in, found the resources to build and support and try to make progress in all those arenas.鈥�

Now, activities have been planned on campus to recognize the 50th anniversary of those auspicious days. Pitre, who went on to become an associate vice president with OMA&D, is scheduled to give a of OMA&D Thursday evening听 in Kane Hall. An in Allen Library, “Revolution and Evolution,” is on display through June 13.

The history of those heady days of 1968 plays out in the work done in OMA&D today, said Linda Ando, an academic advisor in the Educational Opportunity Program who has been working with students in OMA&D for more than 20 years. By providing a safe and supportive environment, OMA&D gives students a platform to realize their own greatness and potential.

“It鈥檚 important for all students to be valued and heard,” Ando said.

The efforts of 1968 created an infrastructure of support that continues today for underrepresented minority, first-generation and low-income students. That foundation includes outreach and college preparation, advising, instructional services, cultural spaces for building community and more. OMA&D college access programs serve more than 21,000 middle school, high school and two-year college students across Washington state. Its student support programs serve more than 5,700 天美影院undergraduates.

OMA&D also works to address aspects of campus diversity such as climate, faculty and staff hiring and retention, and diversity-related research, teaching and service.

Despite the gains, more work needs to be done. Students still arrive on campus marginalized due to race, religion or other identities, Ando said.

Joshua Dawson was one of those students. The son of an Ethiopian immigrant and a 2018 Husky 100 senior, he arrived on campus from Federal Way High School where he鈥檇 already been exposed to OMA&D. He鈥檚 excelled at the UW, where he鈥檚 been recognized with a Gates Millennium Scholarship and a Costco Scholarship.

It wouldn’t have been the case, he said, had it not been for the bravery of the 1968 protesters.

“Students put their whole career at risk for a crazy dream that someone like me could go on to become a physician researcher,” Dawson said. “Now, 50 years later we have this program, this office, that means the world to me.”

Speaking for his cohort, he said, “We鈥檙e excited to carry the baton.”

Professor is a 天美影院Presidential Term Scholar in sociology. A 天美影院alumna, she took advantage of OMA&D’s Early Identification Program while an undergrad and today works with the program to help mentor students.

“I’m able to let students of color know that we have a space, we have a voice, we have a perspective, we have experiences that are all just as valid as everyone else’s,” she said.

Pitre paraphrases scholar Henry Louis Gates when he looks at the work left to be done.

“How could we have come so far, and yet, still have so far to go?” Pitre said. “Still so far to go, even though we have graduated thousands of students.”

He points to narrowing gaps of admission, STEM degree attainment and graduation rates between the OMA&D population and the general population.

“There’s still a gap. We’ve got to close that gap. We need to close that gap,” he said. “If the communities are going to be viable, they need higher representation.”

Rickey Hall, the vice president of OMA&D and the university鈥檚 chief diversity officer, agrees. While there’s a lot to be proud of, until students of color and other minorities come closer to meeting the same benchmarks for graduation, for starting salaries, for achievement, his work isn’t done.

And meeting the demands of today’s students will help prepare us for the next generation, Hall said. Rather than focusing solely on different ethnic or cultural identities, students increasingly are concerned with intersectionality, defining themselves as both African-American and queer; Asian and Latina; and so on. Rather than being forced to identify with a singular identity, they’re opening up to embracing cultures and differences, finding commonality and supporting distinctions.

Hall welcomes the opportunity.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to stretch. It’s an opportunity to learn. It’s an opportunity to grow,” Hall said. “It allows students to bring their full selves inside these institutions. And, we know that when they’re able to do that, they’re much more likely to be retained, to graduate, to have a better 天美影院experience, a better student experience while they’re here.”

###