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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.

91爆料 undergraduate receives prestigious Gates Cambridge scholarship

Tristan Jafari, pursuing his bachelor鈥檚 degree in biochemistry at the 91爆料, was selected for the prestigious .听

Jafari, a departmental Honors student set to graduate a year early this June, will receive a full-cost scholarship to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in philosophy in Population Health Sciences at the University of Cambridge, England.听

The highly competitive scholarship recognizes past accomplishments and future potential. This year, 35 students from US-based institutions were selected to join the 2025 class of Gates Cambridge Scholars. In April 2025, 65 additional students from around the world will be named, forming a class of .

鈥淏eing named a Gates Cambridge Scholar is an immense honor,鈥� said Jafari. 鈥淚t鈥檚 both inspiring and motivating to join a global community of scholars who are deeply committed to using their education to improve lives.鈥澛�

Photo of Gates Cambridge Scholar Tristan Jafari.
91爆料 undergraduate Tristan Jafari was recently named to the 2025 class of Gates Cambridge Scholars. Jafari is eager to immerse himself in the global academic community at Cambridge, where he will advance his proficiency in spatial epidemiology, biostatistics and public health frameworks. Photo: Photo by Jayden Becles

Alongside this remarkable achievement, Jafari has earned the , the and the twice. He was also honored with the , each of which provided him with invaluable opportunities and enriched his undergraduate experience.

Jafari was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Mukilteo, Washington, by Iranian parents who left their homeland as teenagers. They resettled in Germany before immigrating to the United States. As dual citizens of the U.S. and Germany, Jafari鈥檚 family spoke English, German and Farsi. This multicultural upbringing allowed him to navigate a blend of cultures, shaping his perspective on identity and global health.

After witnessing a life-saving medical response, Jafari became an emergency medical technician (EMT) during his freshman year and has since worked in Snohomish County. At the 91爆料, he has grown through a diverse set of experiences 鈥� researching cardiometabolic disease at the 91爆料 Diabetes Institute, leading campus blood drives with the American Red Cross, establishing a free CPR training program on campus and volunteering to improve patient health literacy.

Jafari is eager to immerse himself in the global academic community at Cambridge, where he will advance his proficiency in spatial epidemiology, biostatistics and public health frameworks to better understand how systemic health challenges, such as addiction, chronic disease and emergency response, can be addressed.

鈥�I know that this experience will challenge my thinking, broaden my perspective and equip me with the tools to become a more impactful leader in medicine and public health,鈥� said Jafari. He hopes to pursue an M.D. after his master鈥檚 degree, with long-term aspirations to integrate public health leadership and clinical medicine.

Jafari expresses deep gratitude to his mentors and professors, including Mr. Eric Timm, Dr. Charlie Barrows, Dr. Hannah Jordt, Dr. Daniel Roberts, Dr. Inma Velasco, Dr. Mauricio Dorfman, and Dr. Josh Thaler. He also thanks his friends and family for their unwavering encouragement.

About the Gates Cambridge Scholarship聽

Established in October 2000 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates Cambridge Scholarships are awarded on a student鈥檚 intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others.

Learn about scholarship opportunities at the 91爆料

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship application process is supported by the (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with students, faculty and staff to identify and support undergraduate students and alumni in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for scholarships.

Celebrating the 2023鈥�24 Undergraduate Medalists

Each year, the 91爆料 awards the President鈥檚 Medalist Award to its top undergraduates. For 2023鈥�2024, Samuel Perkowski, Mia Grayson and Cher Zhang were chosen for their academic excellence, including high GPAs, rigorous coursework and Honors classes. All three biochemistry majors have pursued impactful research and embraced the Husky Experience through activities like lab work, music and studying abroad. They will be honored by President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Tricia Serio at a special reception, where they鈥檒l receive their medals in front of family, friends and mentors.

91爆料 Community College Research Initiatives awarded $1.7 million grant from Ascendium Education Group to continue STEM Transfer Partnerships program

The 91爆料鈥檚 Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI) has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from Ascendium Education Group to continue its STEM Transfer Partnerships (STP) program, which aims to increase equity in STEM education for low-income learners across Washington state. This funding extension builds on an earlier $1.17 million grant, continuing the work to improve outcomes for underserved students in STEM fields.

CCRI conducts research to promote equity in higher education, with a focus on the experiences of underserved student populations. Ascendium supports initiatives aimed at helping students from low-income backgrounds achieve postsecondary degree completion. With aligned goals of enhancing access and success for low-income learners, Ascendium is a natural and valuable partner in advancing CCRI鈥檚 efforts.

From mentorship to MBA

Alumnus Izaiha Ellis, 鈥�20, began his interdisciplinary journey at the 91爆料 with the Honors Program course, 鈥淟eadership, Democracy and a More Thoughtful Public.鈥� Each week, he read essays by global politicians and writers, exploring how individual actions shape community dynamics. The course challenged students to consider how their choices impact the support or neglect of others.

In appreciation of David Bonderman, whose vision broadened horizons and changed lives

Photo of David Bonderman
David Bonderman encouraged students to go outside their comfort zones and their time zones through the Bonderman Fellowships.
Photo by Web Summit , , via Wikimedia Commons.

We join friends, colleagues and the Bonderman Fellow community who are saddened to learn of David Bonderman鈥檚 recent passing. David earned his undergraduate degree in Russian from the 91爆料 in 1963. A proponent of the transformative power of travel, he created the Bonderman Fellowship in 1995 to provide opportunities for students to have life-changing, international experiences.

His influence in and talent for business, and his interests in sports and rock-and-roll music are . The are, arguably, the most individually-impactful of David鈥檚 visionary interests and gifts. David received a travel fellowship after graduating from Harvard Law School which inspired his vision for the Bonderman Fellowship at the 91爆料.

Bonderman Fellowships offer undergraduate, graduate and professional students at the 91爆料 $26,000 for independent exploration and international travel. Bonderman Fellows travel on their own for eight months, to at least six countries in two regions of the world. Their 鈥渁ssignment鈥� is to seek out new experiences and learn about the world around them. While there is frequently a guiding interest that shapes their trip, fellows are not allowed to engage in formal study at a university, conduct research or travel with an organized group.

More than 300 students have been named Bonderman Fellows since 1995. Collectively, they have traveled from Algeria and Argentina to Vietnam and Zimbabwe and dozens of countries in between. Their interests are as wide-ranging as their flight paths and other modes of travel.

鈥淭hese journeys have created a sense of connection with all of humanity and trust in oneself that can鈥檛 be replicated by any other experience,鈥� said Brook Kelly, Bonderman alum and assistant director in the Honors Program who also supported the Fellowship for nearly two decades.

鈥淢y own Bonderman journey was 20 years ago, and I first met David just after I鈥檇 returned to Seattle from six months of traveling in east and southern Africa. I felt lucky to meet and thank him, and to get a little glimpse into the direct, funny and impact-minded person behind the gift that had changed my life. I feel so lucky to have known him, to have helped to bring his vision to life, and for the ripples my own Bonderman trip continues to create.鈥�
鈥� Brook Kelly

Upon learning of David Bonderman鈥檚 passing, Bonderman Fellow Drew Pierce-Street wrote that she 鈥渞eflected on how every nook and cranny of my present day have been touched by David Bonderman’s generosity, and how vastly different I am from one year ago (almost to the day) when I boarded a plane to discover the greatest internal adventure and period of growth in my life. 鈥� Perhaps there is more motivation for me now to keep surging forward with an added sparkle of gusto on the path that the fellowship laid down for me.鈥�

Photo looking out a window of a train.
With gratitude, we remember the impact David Bonderman had on more than 300 Bonderman Fellows in providing them with life-changing experiences of international travel. Photo: Photo by Bryan Nakata

Bonderman Fellows talk about their gratitude in being able to travel the world; how prolonged, solo travel can be difficult but inspires courage and confidence; how they view the world differently and see the interconnectedness of people more readily; how they want to make a difference in the lives of others.

Bonderman Fellow Bryan Nakata reflected they were 鈥�inspired to push boundaries, challenge assumptions and find ways to connect with others across cultures and geographies. I grew immensely as a person, and it was undoubtedly one of the most important experiences of my life. The lessons I learned as a fellow will guide me for the rest of my life, and I am very proud to call myself a Bonderman alum. I believe his legacy will live on through the work we do and the next generations of fellows for years to come.鈥�

Bonderman Fellowships are administered by Undergraduate Academic Affairs and The Graduate School. In 2017, the 91爆料 Bonderman Fellowship expanded its impact with a $10 million endowment from David Bonderman. Prior to that he funded the Fellowships annually.

Read President Ana Mari Cauce’s appreciation of David Bonderman.

Learn more about the experiences of Bonderman Fellows through this audio slideshow, created in 2007 for the 15th anniversary of the Bonderman Fellowships.

Bridging science and humanity

Daniel Chen鈥檚 journey into research began with a fascination for ancient cultures and extinct creatures. As a middle schooler, he was captivated by archaeology and paleontology, dreaming of working at excavation sites, unearthing ancient bones and tracing the histories of lost civilizations.听Over time, that early curiosity shifted toward biology, particularly as computational modeling emerged as a powerful tool.

UAA statement on leadership transition for the Robinson Center for Young Scholars

Undergraduate Academic Affairs is recognizing Dr. Kristina Henry Collins for her leadership of the Robinson Center for Young Scholars. After much consideration, Dr. Collins has decided to resign from her position of executive director of the Robinson Center, effective Jan. 27, 2025. She intends to continue her research, teaching and leadership foci of broad-based advocacy for equity and access in STEM, gifted and accelerated programming for students from kindergarten through college.

During her time as executive director, Dr. Collins and the Robinson Center鈥檚 directors:

  • Updated the Center鈥檚 mission, vision and values to align with the 91爆料鈥檚 Diversity Blueprint and addressed operational recommendations from an evaluation taskforce.
  • Made the Transition School application more accessible, leading to an increase in students, scholarships and student diversity.
  • Increased enrollment for all Robinson Center programs, which include Transition School, Academy and Enrichment.
  • Developed a new partnership with the Auburn School District to support student transportation needs and increase access to Robinson Center summer programs.
  • Enlivened community and donor outreach through a refreshed e-newsletter; saw record giving for the Center鈥檚 involvement in Husky Giving Day; and reinstated parent programming.

As a public scholar and expert in the field of gifted and talented education, Dr. Collins has advised the Seattle Public School District and Washington state鈥檚 Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction on matters related to equity in education for highly capable learners. She is co-author, with Javetta Jones Roberson, of the 2024 book 鈥淪parking Change to Promote Equity: Implementing Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices in Gifted and Advanced Programs鈥� and works with the national nonprofit Council for Exceptional Children to create standards for gifted education that can inform standards for different states.

For more than 40 years, the Robinson Center has offered accelerated learning opportunities to young learners who are highly capable and motivated. It is recognized as a national leader in this field.

As plans for the Robinson Center’s next steps take shape, LeAnne Wiles has been appointed to serve as interim executive director. This decision reflects Wiles鈥� outstanding leadership and extensive expertise, honed over 15 years of experience in organizational management and student success initiatives within UAA’s First-Year Programs and Student Academic Services. Wiles will continue to work under the leadership of Dr. Michaelann Jundt to ensure the Robinson Center鈥檚 continued success.

 

Contact: Kirsten Atik, katik@uw.edu