img:is([sizes=auto i],[sizes^="auto," i]){contain-intrinsic-size:3000px 1500px} /*# sourceURL=wp-img-auto-sizes-contain-inline-css */

91爆料

Skip to content
Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Category: Features

Typically longer in length and relevancy than content in the news category. Features content is more likely to be republished over time.

Honors student Genevieve Gebhart selected for Luce Scholarship

Genevieve (Gennie) Gebhart is the 91爆料’s most recent Luce Scholar.

Genevieve (Gennie) Gebhart, a senior Honors student majoring in international studies and economics, was recently selected as a 2013-14 Luce Scholar. A graduate of Mercer Island High School, Gebhart is one of 18 students nationwide to receive this scholarship this year.

The 91爆料 is one of two Pac-12 institutions with a Luce Scholar this year.

The is a major national scholarship awarded to fewer than 20 students each year. More than 160 candidates were nominated by 75 colleges and universities this year. The program is designed to raise awareness of Asia among young American leaders and funds a stipend, language training, and places scholars in professional worksites in Asia. A unique element of the Luce Scholars Program is that the foundation seeks students with little to no experience in and of Asia. Students who have had broad experience in Asia or who are majoring in Asian studies, for example, are ineligible for the scholarship.

Though she isn鈥檛 new to international travel (and was in Rome when she learned about her selection), Gebhart wrote by email that 鈥淎sia is the area of the world about which I know the least. I hope to gain some insight into Asia in general and my country of placement in particular, and [I] feel lucky to be able to do it with the support of the Luce Foundation’s experience, expertise, and infrastructure.鈥�

As an undergraduate, Gebhart鈥檚 accomplishments extend well beyond the classroom and include research projects and leadership accomplishments. She has been on the Dean鈥檚 list every quarter since entering the 91爆料 in 2009; earned a Mary Gates Research Scholarship to research eating disorders, family dynamics and film in southern Italy; received Mary Gates Leadership Scholarships for her work developing the women鈥檚 program of the Husky Cycling Club and then serving as the club鈥檚 president; was the youngest-ever recipient of the 91爆料 Libraries Research Award for Undergraduates; and was selected for several additional scholarships. As if that weren鈥檛 enough, Gebhart is also a vocalist on the Grammy-nominated recording of 鈥淭he Shoe Bird鈥� with the Seattle Symphony.

Gebhart鈥檚 interests have led her on a multidisciplinary path culminating in a plan to pursue international librarianship and address issues of information access. She wrote, 鈥淢y multidisciplinary education has been one big string of surprises. I never could have predicted that I would be involved in economics, or film studies, or library sciences鈥攁nd, I never could have predicted that I would be doing those things all at once! My education at 91爆料 has made me more open to different fields and ways of doing things, and it’s made me more perceptive of unexpected connections among all those fields. For something like information sciences, this is invaluable鈥攚hat librarians do is so multidisciplinary and requires so much intellectual flexibility.

鈥淚nformation access takes a different shape in every nation and every community,鈥� writes Gebhart, 鈥渂ut in the end it comes down to a balance between literacy, distribution, and policy. I see my role as figuring out how to optimize these three elements, something that I think is impossible without public engagement and advocacy at every level. So,聽I think I can make the greatest contribution in clarifying and communicating the urgency of information issues to non-academic and non-professional audiences. We’ve got these buzz words like 鈥榦pen access,鈥� 鈥榠nformation justice,鈥� and 鈥榠nformation commons鈥� floating around, but the connections between them are new, counterintuitive, and not yet well understood.鈥�

Gebhart鈥檚 interest in libraries was inspired in part and wholly supported by her work in 91爆料鈥檚 library system. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the people I get to work with that have really role-modeled for me the many ways in which a librarian can be a force for the greater good,鈥� she notes.

After her term as a Luce Scholar, Gebhart is considering graduate school but also wants to be open to opportunities that may present themselves while in Asia. Ultimately, though, 鈥淚 see myself following a path that sticks to what I think is at the heart of librarianship, regardless of how technology and resources change. It’s about how about how people express, record, and narrate their experiences, and how available information can shape communities and the people in them. I hope to look back one day and be able to say that everything I’ve done has been in service to those greater ideas, to using information for public good.鈥�

In addition to her academic pursuits, Gebhart enjoys creative writing, swimming, hiking, and is studying Italian, French, and Latin.

Read a Q & A with Gebhart here.

Learn more about .

Learn more about the .

Q & A with Luce Scholar Genevieve Gebhart

Learn more about Gennie Gebhart’s experiences at the 91爆料 and what her future plans are in this Q&A, conducted over email while Gennie was on a study abroad experience in Rome.

Why did you apply for the Luce Scholarship?

I knew that I wanted to take time to travel after graduation, and I knew that I wanted to do something with libraries outside the US. I was especially drawn to the聽Luce聽because of the incredible amount of personal attention and support the program offers鈥攖he聽Luce聽Scholars Program works to find individual job placements for every scholar, and continues to support scholars with language training and periodic group meetings throughout the year.

What do you hope to learn through the Luce program?聽

I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of international travel, and Asia is the area of the world about which I know the least. I hope to gain some insight into Asia in general and my country of placement in particular, and feel lucky to be able to do it with the support of the Luce Foundation’s experience, expertise, and infrastructure.

Do you know where you鈥檒l be going? Where do you hope to go and why?

I’m still in the middle of the placement process, so I can’t say for sure yet. This is a great chance, however, to give the Luce Scholars Program huge thanks and praise for their placement process鈥攖heir support has been remarkable.

Your bio for the Luce scholarship says, 鈥淕ennie hopes to enter the global open access debate armed with international experience, a multidisciplinary education, and constant mindfulness of the vital human side of digital information technology.鈥� What do you imagine you鈥檒l do in the 鈥済lobal access debate鈥�?

Information access takes a different shape in every nation and every community, but in the end it comes down to a balance between literacy, distribution, and policy. I see my role as figuring out how to optimize these three elements, something that I think is impossible without public engagement and advocacy at every level. So,聽I think I can make the greatest contribution in clarifying and communicating the urgency of information issues to non-academic and non-professional audiences. We’ve got these buzz words like “open access,” “information justice,” and “information commons” floating around, but the connections between them are new, counterintuitive, and not yet well understood.

What is it about a multidisciplinary education that you’ve found valuable? How have your academic experiences shaped who you are as a thinker and doer?

My multidisciplinary education has been one big string of surprises. I never could have predicted that I would be involved in economics, or film studies, or library sciences – and, I never could have predicted that I would be doing those things all at once! My education at 91爆料 has made me more open to different fields and ways of doing things, and it’s made me more perceptive of unexpected connections among all those fields. For something like information sciences, this is invaluable – what librarians do is so multidisciplinary and requires so much intellectual flexibility.

You have a long and varied list of accomplishments and interests. How do you see them relating to one another, and what are you most proud of and why?

Looking back, I can see that the each of the things I have been drawn to do has held the seeds of this interest in information sciences. For example, in journalism and publishing, I got to explore free speech and a professional’s ethical responsibility to making information available to the public; in environmental economics, I have discovered models for the management and distribution of public resources, whether they be tangible ecological resources or digital information resources; and in international studies, I have been pushed to pursue lines of cross-cultural inquiry to surprising conclusions. Somehow, they have all connected to and informed the work I want to do in international librarianship.

How have you grown as a leader in your time at the 91爆料?

I have been a member of the Husky Cycling Club since my first day at 91爆料, and the club has defined my undergraduate experience.聽After having the opportunity to lead the club as president, I have learned that you don’t need to be the most skilled member of the group to be a leader. I am definitely not the fastest bike rider in the bunch, but Husky Cycling has been so special because you don’t need to be a fast or talented or exceptional cyclist in any way to be a valuable part of the group. Instead it is all about initiative and community and creative opportunities for one another. Elite athletes and curious beginners come together on Husky Cycling because we just like riding bikes, and the profound results of that simple feeling–from group cohesion to competitive success to community service–continue to amaze me.

What kind of leadership do you think the world needs and how of you hope to develop as a leader as a result of this scholarship?

We can never have enough of the kind of leaders who thrive in helping others discover and understand what they’re capable of. This scholarship is giving me a chance to get involved in projects that come down to that same leadership principle: using information, and access to information, to enhance people’s and communities’ capacity for self-realization and self-determination.

What was it about your work in聽Odegaard that led to these interests? Was there a particular experience whereby that experienced transformed from work to passion?

I can’t say enough about how my mentors at Odegaard – as well as in other parts of the 91爆料 Libraries like the Media Center, Suzzallo, and administration – have inspired and supported me. Work and projects in different parts of the 91爆料 Libraries have stimulated me and allowed me to learn more about day-to-day operations in such a massive library system, but it’s the people I get to work with that have really role-modeled for me the many ways in which a librarian can be a force for the greater good.

What do you see yourself doing after graduation and after your Luce experience?

Different travel/research fellowships are on my mind, as is grad school – but anything could happen during this next year, so I want to stay open to that, too. Right now, though, all my efforts right now are on selecting where I’m going to go as a Luce Scholar and preparing for that experience.

Project ahead鈥攚ay ahead鈥攁nd imagine you鈥檙e at your retirement party. From what are you retiring and what do you hope people will say about your life鈥檚 work? Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The technology and methods and goals are all changing so fast that it’s hard to predict what my job description will be in 40, 20, or even 5 years. That’s one of the things I like most about this field – how dynamic it is. I see myself following a path, though, that sticks to what I think is at the heart of librarianship, regardless of how technology and resources change. It’s about how people express, record, and narrate their experiences, and how available information can shape communities and the people in them. I hope to look back one day and be able to say that everything I’ve done has been in service to those greater ideas, to using information for public good

From Sputnik to the 21st century: A brief history of the 91爆料 Honors Program

Being a student of the popular TV show 鈥淢ad Men鈥� isn鈥檛 necessary to recognize the significant shifts in American society in the 1960s. The 91爆料 Honors Program was created in the midst of these changes. In this brief history, learn how and why the Honors Program came about and how it鈥檚 different today.

Seventh 91爆料 Common Book explores the meaning and power of respect

Respect: An Exploration by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot has been selected as the seventh 91爆料 . The 91爆料 Common Book project welcomes freshmen and transfer students to the University鈥檚 academic community through a shared reading experience and offers opportunities for students and faculty to enjoy special common book events and discussions.

Respect tells the stories of six remarkable but ordinary people and the central role that the value of respect plays in their lives and work. The accounts span the human experience, from birth to death and across a wide range of professions including midwife, pediatrician, teacher, professor, artist, and therapist, each revealing another dimension or 鈥渨indow鈥� into the nature of respect. Several stories also describe the experiences of students.

鈥淣ot only is respect a 91爆料 value,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淏ut the book itself is a wonderful introduction to a particular form of scholarship practiced by our faculty. This is work of deep inquiry. It is an example of questioning and the kind of discovery and insight that come from careful observation, analysis, and thought.鈥�

The author, Lawrence-Lightfoot, is a noted educator, researcher, author and public intellectual. She is a professor in the School of Education at Harvard University and author of 10 books. Lawrence-Lightfoot has received broad public and academic acclaim for her work, including a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.

As in past years, this year鈥檚 Common Book project encompassed a number of student oriented-activities including a 聽lecture by Lawrence-Lightfoot on November 5. Additionally, for the first time the Common Book served as a text for Freshmen Interest Groups (FIGs) and Transfer Interest Groups (TriGs). FIGs and TrIGS are small student-led classes designed to help incoming students make the transition into the 91爆料 community.

To help integrate the Common Book into the FIG curriculum, a group of student FIG leaders met weekly during spring quarter to develop new classroom exercises and assignments around Respect.

Students received a copy of Respect during their summer orientation and advising sessions and were asked to read it over the summer before the start of classes.

The Common Book is sponsored by Undergraduate Academic Affairs. Learn more online via the

Janice DeCosmo elected to executive board of national Council on Undergraduate Research

Janice DeCosmo, associate dean in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, was recently elected chair of the division of Undergraduate Research Program directors for the national organization Council on Undergraduate Research. Janice has served as a councilor of that division for several years; being elected chair of that division also includes being a member of the executive board for the Council on Undergraduate Research. It is a two-year term.

The Council on Undergraduate Research is a membership organization representing more than 900 colleges and universities, and is the professional organization for faculty and administrators who work on undergraduate research initiatives. The Council helps colleges and universities support faculty involvement in undergraduate research and draws attention to undergraduate research on a national level. They support an undergraduate research poster session on Capitol Hill and meetings with legislators, serve as an informed body to provide feedback and insight on National Science Foundation work involving undergraduate researchers. As a member of the executive board, Janice will be involved in policy, planning, decision-making, structuring the annual meeting, etc.

“The thing I find compelling about CUR is there are so many institutions that are members,” says Janice. “The meetings are full of rich ideas about implementation and big ideas about new directions. It’s a very open and collegial organization.”

Here’s CUR’s website: http://www.cur.org/

Honors Colloquium showcases student experiential learning experiences

At this year’s Honors Colloquium, presentations included students鈥� research, leadership, travel and service learning experiences. This new premise was designed to align with the alterations to the Honors curriculum, which incorporates each of these four elements (research, service, leadership and travel) into the new set of Honors requirements.

This I believe: Being open to connection

Katie McCorkell Photo
Katie McCorkell is an undergraduate Honors student majoring in psychology at the 91爆料. She received a Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship for her involvement with Active Minds, a student organization that works to change the conversation about mental health.

In my first moment of leadership, I wasn鈥檛 trying to be a leader. I didn鈥檛 know if anyone would really get what I was saying, but I said it anyway. 鈥淢y brother has paranoid schizophrenia.鈥� It was part of a poem I performed at a poetry slam in Seattle, a poem that upon finishing, left me in tears. That night I discovered that there was someone who needed to hear what I was saying. That someone was me.

This is the foundation of all leadership work I do. I believe that leadership is about opening yourself to connection, and if you鈥檝e been closed off for a while, you鈥檒l find the first person you need to connect with is yourself. When I stood up for my beliefs in front of other people, I was most amazed by the things I learned about myself. Previously I wanted to speak out about mental illness, but I had never seen anyone else do it before. Not at school, not at poetry events, not in church. I didn鈥檛 know the impact speaking out could have until I did it. When I spoke openly about my brother鈥檚 struggle with a mental illness, I figured out what his struggle meant to me. I admitted it was a part of me, even though I wanted to ignore it. When I really connected with the experience, and discovered the grief and pain and hope that I held, I gave others the courage to make their own connections.

Last fall I helped start a poetry community at the 91爆料. When we planned our first open-mic, we weren鈥檛 sure many people would come. I said, 鈥淓ven if it is just the five of us, I want to get together and share poems with you.鈥� I wanted to speak out and I needed to be heard. It turns out, so did a lot of other students. Our first open-mic was packed, and I was amazed at the number of people who gave poetry, applause, or simply their presence. Each open-mic, I learned a new name and encouraged a new poet to the stage. It was a joy to watch other people perform for the first time, because I got to see them discover the same thing I discovered: that other people find their stories important. I saw them hear themselves in a way that they never imagined possible.

Once I invited someone to go with me to the youth slam where I first got my start. I called her directly, and I said, 鈥淗ey, Want to go with me? Oh, and you鈥檙e eligible to compete. You should give it a try.鈥� She wasn鈥檛 sure. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e so good鈥ut what if I suck?鈥� 鈥淪o what,鈥� I said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going together, why not compete? Meet me at the bus stop at 6:15.鈥�

My friend won the slam that night, but I got the biggest prize of all. Bringing her to the slam was far different than simply performing myself. She had a new found confidence in the importance of her voice, and she got much more involved in the Seattle poetry scene. She is a leading officer in our club this year, committed to giving other people the same opportunity I gave her. Recently, she thanked me for taking her to the slam, 鈥淚 never would鈥檝e performed if you hadn鈥檛 told me to.鈥�

This goes to show that leadership can sustain and grow itself. It can be energizing, not exhausting. The first step is simply saying, 鈥淚 think you鈥檙e the right person for the job,鈥� and the next step is following through to communicate the job鈥檚 skills and responsibilities. When these steps grow from genuine connections, the process is smooth. That鈥檚 why I believe that leadership is about opening myself to connection. Because leaders stand up for their beliefs in a way that connects and good leaders inspire others to join them. Great leaders give others the tools to take their own stand.

This essay is part of an occasional series inspired by the 鈥淭his I Believe鈥� series on the Bob Edwards Show. For more information on it, visit聽.

This I believe: Being open to connection

Mary Gates Leadership Scholar Katie McCorkell wasn鈥檛 trying to become a leader when she started to read her poetry out loud. But by reading her work to others and helping establish a poetry group on campus, she gained personal insight that led to deeper connections with her peers and leadership opportunities. These experiences helped her form her ideas about what leadership means to her.