News – Page 9 – Undergraduate Academic Affairs

The 91爆料 is a Fulbright top producer for the 2020-21 school year聽

The 91爆料 made the Chronicle of Higher Education鈥檚 list of the top Fulbright producing institutions. The 91爆料 has received this application eight out of the past ten years. Almost 600 U.S. higher-education institutions participate in the Fulbright program and the program鈥檚 participants work in more than 140 countries around the world.听

Twenty-four 91爆料 students received Fulbright awards for the academic year 2020-21. Of the recipients, 15 were undergraduates. Their awards cover graduate work, research and English teaching abroad. The Fulbright experience gives students the opportunity to live and work abroad, learning about their host country and developing a new community of colleagues and friends. These programs are designed to help participants gain greater understanding of others鈥� viewpoints and beliefs, ultimately promoting an atmosphere of openness and mutual understanding. Perspectives alumni will take with them as they pursue their future careers.听

For Fulbright alumna Tammy Tarhini,聽 the opportunity to teach English in Germany felt critical to her development as a future doctor. She explains: 鈥�In both schools, I鈥檓 the only teacher with an Arabic background, and something that has stuck with me is seeing how important it has been for my students to have a teacher they can identify with.鈥� Tarhini sees a direct connection to her future goal of becoming a physician focusing on under-served Arabic-speaking refugee and immigrant communities, sharing that it is important for patients to have healthcare providers they connect and identify with.听

Undergraduate Academic Affairs鈥� Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards supports undergraduate applicants through the application process. 鈥�The whole process of applying to programs like the Fulbright is exciting and courageous. The application requires applicants to articulate their goals.鈥� Explains Assistant Director Emily Smith. 鈥淎s students embark on their Fulbright grants, it鈥檚 a delight to see them turn their goals into lived experience. And, it鈥檚 inspiring to see them deepen their understanding of the work they care about and follow the evolution of their careers.鈥�

聽In addition to the undergraduate recipients, nine graduate students and three 91爆料 professors also received Fulbright awards. Read more about this distinction from 91爆料 News.听

About the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards聽

The Fulbright application process is supported by the (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards. The (and other scholarships supporting graduate studies around the world) will get started this spring for 2022-23 awards. Watch for updates about OMSFA鈥檚 .

About the Fulbright Program聽

The is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for United States students to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide. Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year. The 91爆料 is proud to have had Fulbright recipients as far back as 1949.

Celebrating the 2019鈥�20 President鈥檚 Medalists

From the thousands of undergraduate students at the 91爆料, three are selected each year for the prestigious President鈥檚 Medalist Award.

Sam Colgan, Natasha Lavides and Nuria Alina Chandra are the medalists for 2019鈥�20, selected by a committee for their high GPAs, rigor of classes and numbers of Honors courses. All three are students in the completing the Interdisciplinary Honors track.

Each medalist has carved a unique path at the 91爆料, but they鈥檙e united in their passion for their chosen areas of study 鈥� from psychology to computer science to economics and English. While the pandemic prevents us from holding the customary 91爆料 Undergraduate Medalists Reception, each recipient received their medal, along with a message from University President Ana Mari Cauce and a special celebratory gift, at their home. Read on for more about these exceptional students who embody the Husky Spirit.

Meet this year鈥檚 medalists:

Sam Colgan, junior medalist

Majors: English and economics
贬辞尘别迟辞飞苍:听Seattle, WA

Twelve years after Sam Colgan moved to Seattle, he began his first quarter at the 91爆料鈥� just a mile from his family鈥檚 first home in the Ravenna neighborhood. Coming full circle made Colgan think about how the city has changed over the last decade.

鈥淢uch of my time at the 91爆料 has involved critically reexamining the city by learning about early Seattle history,鈥� says Colgan, who was inspired to dive deeper into how redlining and gentrification have shaped the city鈥檚 race and class dynamics.

Driven to better understand Seattle history as well as the current housing crisis and rising cost of living, Colgan decided to study economics. Double-majoring in English as well, he鈥檚 learning how to explain those greater forces at work through his own story 鈥� and the stories of others.

鈥淚鈥檓 particularly interested in the causes and consequences of gentrification, globalization, homelessness and urban decay,鈥� says Colgan, an Interdisciplinary Honors student whose sights are set on graduate school for economics. 鈥淚 think I could be effective at representing the economic dynamics for a popular audience.鈥�

Colgan credits the 91爆料鈥檚 emphasis on interdisciplinary education for broadening his horizons and encouraging him to study subjects outside his majors, from epidemiology to artificial intelligence.

In his free time, Colgan writes short fiction and enjoys jotting down story ideas and developing character sketches. He has also interned on a political campaign and volunteered as a tutor for students who are first-generation Americans.

Natasha Lavides, sophomore medalist

惭补箩辞谤:听Psychology
Minor: Education, learning and society
贬辞尘别迟辞飞苍:听Kirkland, WA

Growing up on Seattle鈥檚 Eastside, Natasha Lavides fantasized about attending college in a different city or state. All that changed when she started applying to schools.

鈥淚 realized how much I appreciated where I grew up and how meaningful it was to stay close to home,鈥� says Lavides about why she chose the 91爆料. Beyond the proximity to family and friends 鈥� her support system 鈥� the University鈥檚 breadth of programs gave the psychology major the chance to discover her calling.

鈥淚 love working with people, and if there鈥檚 one thing I want to do for the rest of my life, it would be that,鈥� explains Lavides, who currently helps other students as a peer academic advisor and advising student associate.

For Lavides, finding a supportive community at the 91爆料 has been as meaningful as finding her major. In addition to advising students, she鈥檚 worked as a research lab assistant and interned with the Asian Student Commission, giving her the opportunity to interact with a wide cross-section of campus.

After graduation, she鈥檚 thinking about a gap year before pursuing a graduate degree in clinical psychology. Whatever her career path, she will likely be a mental-health advocate.

鈥淚 hope that I can combat the stigma surrounding mental illness in marginalized communities and work on removing barriers for these groups,鈥� Lavides says about her goals.

Nuria Alina Chandra, freshman medalist

Major: Biochemistry (current); computer science (intended)
Minor: Global health
贬辞尘别迟辞飞苍:听Olympia, WA

When a chemistry professor introduced Nuria Alina Chandra to the Python programming language, she was immediately hooked 鈥� and inspired to take more computer science courses.

Soon the biochemistry major, who had originally envisioned a career in medicine, realized that computer science better reflected her interests and strengths.

鈥淐omputer science combines my love of math and quantitative problem-solving in powerful ways that can reshape systems and improve people鈥檚 lives,鈥� says Chandra, who grew up in Olympia and is minoring in global health. Being around fellow students and professors who care about their chosen field helped Chandra feel supported in her decision to switch majors.

Outside the classroom, Chandra is sharpening her skills as both a researcher and a writer. At the Seattle Children鈥檚 Pediatric Pain and Sleep Innovations Lab, under the mentorship of 91爆料 Medicine anesthesiologist Jennifer Rabbitts and with the support of the Mary Gates Research Scholarship, she is investigating how acute pain becomes chronic pain. She also writes for The Daily and edits for Voyage 91爆料, a student-run travel magazine.

Although Chandra is still exploring possible career paths, she wants to combine her creativity and computational thinking to fix issues stemming from structural inequalities.

鈥淚鈥檓 still very interested in medicine and health-care inequality,鈥� says Chandra. 鈥淚 hope to have a career that allows me to use the methods that I love to help solve problems that I care about.鈥�

Note: All photos featured in this story were taken following appropriate safety protocols.

Husky Stories: Taking advantage of failure with Ryan Lowery

Each and every Husky goes through their own journey, undergoes their own unique experiences and, most importantly, has their very own story to share. Husky Stories is a mini-series in which Huskies share their successes, failures, experiences 鈥� their stories. There is no one way to be a Husky. Indeed, the culmination of individuals’ stories shape the picture of what it means to be a Husky.

Welcome to the very first episode of Husky Stories! Ryan Lowery is majoring in math and atmospheric sciences here at the 91爆料. Other than school, Ryan is also involved with the , a program within Undergraduate Academic Affairs. Here, he shares his stories of dealing with failure and resiliency. (Note: This interview took place prior to the coronavirus pandemic.)

The Resilience Lab is a campus partner in the Husky Health & Well-Being initiative. If you would like to talk with a counselor or simply learn more about the mental health resources available to students, visit the .

Video by Sovechea Sophanna.

New guidebook helps faculty and instructors support student well-being

This week, the 91爆料鈥檚 Resilience Lab released the , a new resource for instructors to aid them in designing learning environments that promote well-being. Combining research, best practices and personal testimony, the guidebook gives faculty and other instructors concrete ideas and direct input from the campus community around supporting the whole student and promoting resilience and compassion on campus.

Students鈥� well-being has been a growing concern for several years and has been exacerbated by 2020鈥檚 COVID-19 pandemic, economic fallout and the national reckoning over race and policing. A recent found that campus mental health was the top concern of university presidents.听

鈥淎s we prepare the next generation of citizens and servant leaders, future educators, researchers, entrepreneurs and more, it really is critical that we incorporate practices that support our students鈥� whole lives and lived experiences,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean on Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淎s a public research university, much of our work is focused on understanding the factors that contribute to resilient communities. This guidebook helps us with that work right here at our 91爆料 home, knowing that it expands beyond campus as we all interact with our broader community through research, service and teaching.鈥�

The guidebook鈥檚 Foundations for Advancing Student Well-Being are the framework for the guide and include the themes of teaching for equity and access, building resilience coping skills, nurturing connection and connecting to the environment. This framework promotes core skills and mindsets of social and emotional learning and draws on best practices modeled at other institutions. This resource was researched, developed, co-written and edited by the Resilience Lab team and more than 40 Well-Being for Life and Learning Fellows who are faculty members, instructors, staff and students across disciplines and from all three 91爆料 campuses. Their contributions give the guidebook a 91爆料-focused, holistic perspective on the impact of teaching the whole student. In that way, the guidebook is both a call to action and an invitation to the work of helping students develop the tools and habits for well-being so they are mentally and emotionally equipped to learn and thrive.听

鈥淎ll of us at the Resilience Lab are so honored to have worked on this guidebook with such a committed group of instructors, staff and students,鈥� says Resilience Lab Director Megan Kennedy. 鈥淲e know that advancing student well-being really takes all of us, so our goal was to create a tool for our campus colleagues to add to their pedagogical toolbox. We wanted to give instructors a foundation of both why this work matters and how they can incorporate it into their teaching no matter where they are in terms of personal and professional experience.鈥澛�

Support resilience, compassion and well-being

The Resilience Lab promotes well-being at the 91爆料 through education, research partnerships, and core programs and initiatives.

The Well-Being for Life and Learning guidebook sits at the prevention and promotion end of a mental health continuum of care within the 91爆料 and is aimed at preventing larger issues or crises by bolstering students鈥� resilience coping skills and helping them respond to stress and stay connected to others. It鈥檚 a part of the Resilience Lab鈥檚 Well-Being for Life and Learning initiative, one of the Lab鈥檚 efforts toward building and sustaining a culture of well-being at the 91爆料.

About the Resilience Lab

The Resilience Lab was founded in 2015 and is a program within Undergraduate Academic Affairs that promotes well-being at the 91爆料 through education, research partnerships and core programs and initiatives.

For more information about the Resilience Lab or its Well-Being for Life and Learning initiative and guidebook, contact Megan Kennedy at meganken@uw.edu.

Ryan Burt named director of Academic Support Programs

Congratulations to Ryan Burt, who was appointed the new director of Academic Support Programs in September, 2020.听

runs the Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment (CLUE) 鈥� a free, late night, peer-to-peer, drop-in tutoring program and academic support coaches, a peer-to-peer coaching program. Academic Support Programs sits within along with First Year Programs and Undergraduate Academic Affairs Advising. Burt explains that being situated here 鈥渃reates really powerful opportunities to collaborate with First Year Programs and UAA Advising. This is a great space for us to think creatively and collaboratively about supporting the transitional experiences of first-year and pre-major students, especially in this virtual world.鈥澛�

Photo of Ryan Burt — Ryan Burt, photographed at CLUE 鈥� a free, late night, peer-to-peer, drop-in tutoring program 鈥� in 2018. Academic Support Programs runs CLUE, along with the academic success coaching program.

Inclusiveness is central to Academic Support Programs鈥� work. When examining the effectiveness of their programs, Burt and team ask who is coming, and more importantly, who isn鈥檛 coming and why? Even before the pandemic hit, Burt and his team were planning to offer their services online to make it easier for students to access these resources. The University鈥檚 move to online learning in spring 2020 sped up the timeline for this change.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e working to make the online experience a rich one. Even though it鈥檚 a challenging year, there is still a lot of possibility of collaborating differently in the virtual setting.鈥� Burt explains 鈥淚 want students to know we care about each of them. We know that being a student at a large public university can be overwhelming, daunting. That鈥檚 where we come in: we鈥檙e their academic home away from home.鈥澛�

Associate Dean Michaelann Jundt shares, 鈥淚 am thrilled to have Ryan leading Academic Support Programs. His curiosity fuels his dedication to deep learning and informs his leadership. I am impressed by how well he handles unexpected change and the ways he has embraced collaborative projects. His commitment to students will continue to move us forward in supporting 91爆料 student success.鈥澛�

Academic Support Programs鈥� offerings rely on students teaching other students. The peer-to-peer model is impactful. Students learn from other Huskies who are going through similar experiences and challenges. It allows them to relate and to learn from someone who is balancing the demands of student life, just like they are. To that end, Academic Support Programs increased the number of student coaches they hired in spring 2020 to both provide jobs for students who may have otherwise lost them and to be able to better serve 91爆料 undergrads.听

To all faculty, staff and students thinking creatively about how to best support students, . Academic Support Programs is eager to connect, share ideas and work together.

Burt and team are eager to collaborate across campus. Because they work with both faculty and students, they have a unique vantage point to see both the faculty鈥檚 learning goals and how students are understanding the class material. They are available to meet with faculty and staff to share their observations and help support their classes.听

Burt鈥檚 involvement with Academic Support Programs began in 2013, when he was a program manager. His work included overseeing the CLUE writing center and teaching academic support classes for multilingual students. The majority of students Burt was working with were international students, so Burt co-founded the International Student Success Committee. The Committee鈥檚 work brought together colleagues serving international students together to focus on enriching the international student college experience.听

Burt continued to grow his career in Academic Support Services, serving as senior program manager, assistant director and most recently served as interim director. He continues to focus on how to best support the University鈥檚 diverse undergraduate student population.听

He is a triple Dawg, earning his Ph.D. in English literature. His graduate work focused on critical multiculturalism in literature. He also holds a B.A. in both the comparative history of ideas and literature, and an M.A. in literature. He led the Academic Support Programs course English 295: Imagination, Immigration and Identity in Post-Colonial Rome聽and spent two years as a visiting professor of English at the Universit茅 Ibn Zohr in Agadir, Morocco.

Beyond his work in Academic Support Programs, Burt has been involved in several committees including Undergraduate Academic Affairs鈥� general studies curriculum committee and the diversity and inclusion team. He co-chaired the Undergraduate Academic Affairs鈥� staff teaching committee with Carissa Mayer, which brought together staff from across campus to think critically about undergraduate education.听 He is also co-chairing the University鈥檚 Task Force on Writing, where he鈥檚 helping to reimagine the W (writing) requirement. Burt brings a unique perspective to this work, having been an undergrad and grad student at the 91爆料, in addition to having taught classes as both a grad student and now a staff member. This work seeks to broaden the writing requirement to include diverse fields and writing intensive, upper-level language classes.

Outside of work, Burt, his wife Jennifer and their son Lucien recently welcomed their newest family member, Zin茅dine. Burt is a musician and drummer for the band . In addition, he鈥檚 an avid coffee drinker. Pre-pandemic, he鈥檇 offer you a Chemex pour over when you visited his office. His current favorite coffee is , which translates to鈥渃offee, coffee, coffee鈥︹€� in several East African languages 鈥� perfect for a coffee enthusiast.

Dear Students: Voting is a habit that holds our democracy together

Voting is a habit that holds our democracy together.

The 91爆料 has one of the highest voter participation rates of any college or university in the nation. This legacy of civic participation 鈥� that #HuskiesVote 鈥� is something we can all be proud of. And it鈥檚 something we can continue.

If you are eligible to vote make sure that your voter registration status is up-to-date so you are ready to vote in the upcoming November 2020 election.

Important dates

October 26, 2020

Deadline for online voter registration in Washington state.

NOTE: Deadlines and processes vary from state to state, so it is wise to register as soon as you can. Check the for deadlines in other states.

November 3, 2020

Election Day

In Washington state, your ballot must be in a ballot box before 8 p.m. on November 3 or postmarked on or before November 3.

This November, you have the chance to vote for the president, governor and local officials as well as ballot initiatives 鈥� all of which are important decisions that impact your life. Voting is a way you can use your civic voice; we encourage you to use it. But first: You need to register.

As the largest and most diverse generation alive right now, young people have a chance to make a real impact in our country 鈥� if every eligible voter participates in elections. In order to make sure that you can vote in the upcoming local, state and federal elections, you need to be registered to vote at your current address.

Please take five minutes and聽.听

Let鈥檚 exercise some civic muscle and vote.听#HuskiesVote

Additional resources

:聽Check your voter registration status and find out more about upcoming elections, including how to vote safely by mail. If you are residing in another state, this website has information about voting in each state.

Huskies Vote:聽Get step-by-step guidance on how to vote and how you can help others vote.

Do you need in-person assistance or did you miss the registration deadline?

Come to the Vote Center at the聽. It will be open Saturday, October 31, 10 a.m.鈥�4 p.m.; Monday, November 2, 8:30 a.m.鈥�6:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, November 3, 8:30 a.m.鈥�8:00 p.m. You鈥檒l be able to register for the first time or update your registration, get a replacement ballot if you need one, or use an accessible voting unit if you have a disability and would prefer an audio ballot, touchscreen or other adaptive equipment. Public health precautions will be in place and wearing a face covering will be required.

This post is an edited compilation of a couple messages sent to students at 91爆料鈥檚 Seattle campus to encourage them to register to vote and vote because civic engagement is an important component to a 91爆料 education.

Studying in progress signs now available

Download and print a copy so everyone around you knows when you are busy with classes, studying and meetings.

Download a PDF of the do not disturb signs:

Class in progress signs

Click on an image for the full size version.

Studying in progress signs

Click on an image for the full size version.

Meeting in progress signs

Click on an image for the full size version.

Welcome to the 2020-21 academic year

Our inter-connected and inter-dependent community is filled with people聽who care, and I want to remind everyone to find moments of joy and gratitude in each day.

Remembering Bill Gates, Sr.

UAA’s Vice Provost and Dean Ed Taylor reflects on the larger meaning of his first meeting with Bill Gates, Sr. in this remembrance and appreciation.

Megan Kennedy named director of 91爆料 Resilience Lab

Megan Kennedy, director of the 91爆料 Resilience Lab

Undergraduate Academic Affairs is happy to share that Megan Kennedy was named director of the 91爆料鈥檚 Resilience Lab in May. Kennedy has been connected to the Resilience Lab through multiple roles on campus that have all focused on student well-being. Since August, 2019, she served as interim director of the Resilience Lab, a unit within Undergraduate Academic Affairs that promotes mental health and well-being at the 91爆料 through education, research partnerships and a range of programs and initiatives.

Kennedy brings more than 20 years of experience to the role, ranging from a deep, clinical understanding of the importance of mental health to influencing organizational structures and systems so they better support individuals. Creating more concrete connections between the Resilience Lab and other campus partners whose work intersects with resilience and compassion is one of the ways Kennedy is infusing the Resilience Lab鈥檚 work more deeply into current structures.

Kennedy says she thinks about the Lab 鈥渁s existing along a continuum of care at the 91爆料, working collaboratively and intentionally with colleagues on campus, whose work is complementary. This work is also deeply aligned with my values of community well-being and kindness. It鈥檚 one of the ways the Lab is reflective of who I am.鈥�

The Resilience Lab situates itself on the prevention side of that continuum, promoting resilience coping skills and mindsets across campus, including collaborating with faculty and programs to support integrating resilience practices into classroom settings and existing structures.

鈥淭he work of compassion for self and others is guided by important research and is much needed now,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淯ltimately, Megan鈥檚 work on well-being, mental health and her alliance building aims to foster compassionate communities. I am glad Megan is leading this work here.鈥�

As director, Kennedy will primarily focus the Lab鈥檚 work on:

Supporting faculty to promote well-being within their classrooms by modeling and teaching social and emotional skills and mindsets
Providing seed grants to support resilience- and compassion-building initiatives that foster connection and community
Offering the 6-week long Be REAL program (Resilient Attitudes and Living) to 91爆料 students, staff and instructors
Revitalizing a vulnerability collective, a student-led initiative that encourages compassion and fosters resiliency through storytelling
Deepening and developing research partnerships with faculty, other 91爆料 divisions and initiatives that research themes of resilience and well-being
Launching the Well-Being for Life and Learning guidebook, a tool to equip faculty and instructors with foundational research about the importance of integrating well-being practices into their pedagogy as well as practical, how-to tactics.

鈥淭his work is designed to deepen the resilience and coping layers of the University so students can see and experience staff and instructors modeling the change,鈥� explains Kennedy. 鈥淪taff and faculty play a key role in inspiring a culture of well-being at the 91爆料鈥� starting with ourselves is part of that work.鈥�

Prior to her work with the Resilience Lab in UAA, Kennedy served in the division of Student Life as the manager of strategic initiatives for student wellness and the suicide intervention coordinator. Before coming to the 91爆料, Kennedy was clinical director and interim outreach director at Youth Eastside Services, where she counseled youth and families, was a leader in the organization鈥檚 diversity efforts, and brought the clinic鈥檚 work into school district and community-based organizations. She is the co-founder and gender and sexual diversity consultant and trainer for Revelry Media and Methods, a consulting company that addresses social isolation, violence and mental health disparities faced by LGBTQ youth. Through this work and her work as an independent counselor and consultant, Kennedy鈥檚 career has focused on issues of well-being and equity, empowering individuals to build their resilience and well-being, and engage in the long-term work of creating more equitable systems.