Viewpoint - Spring 2014

Page 1

Telling the Story of Diversity at the University of Washington / Spring 2014

A C C ES S Opening Doors to Higher Education


The drumbeat of success Ross Braine, ’09, Apsaalooké Nation and UW Tribal Liaison, performs “Victory Song” with the group Southern Plains at the Oct. 25 groundbreaking ceremony for the Intellectual House on the UW Seattle campus. Tribal leaders, students, alumni and UW administrators attended the ceremony. Forty years in the making, the longhouse will provide Native American students and the community a place to come together in a supportive environment. Photo by Karen Orders

2

V I E W P O I N T : : U Wa l u m . c o m / v i e w p o i n t


viewpoint

:: Telling the Story of Diversity at the University of Washington

P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E U W A LU M N I A S S O C I A T I O N I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H T H E U W O F F I C E O F M I N O R I T Y A F FA I R S & D I V E R S I T Y

SPRING 2014

In This Issue Gordon Hirabayashi 5 Access: Cover stories 6 Sandra Madrid

[ The Viewpoint Interview ]

13

MAP Scholarship Recipients 14 2014 Odegaard Award 16

the story of diversity at the UW

3


URING HIS ANNUAL address to the University community in October, President Michael K. Young spoke about the four foundations, or columns, upon which the UW should stand. The first was access and affordability. This is a significant driving force behind the work that we do in the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D). We continue to collaborate with units across campus, as well as several community-based organizations, to create college pathways for students from all backgrounds and make higher education affordable. UW students and alumni also play key roles in this work by participating in OMA&D’s

W

HEN THE MULTIcultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) was founded in 1995, one of its primary missions was to promote access to the University of Washington for students of racial minority groups and of a group called, at that time, “disadvantaged Caucasian.” Members of the MAP Board invited me to join them around 2005. In MAP, I remembered the Educational Opportunity Program, where I taught from 1974 to 1976 as a graduate student in the UW English department. At that time, the students in EOP

4

V I E W P O I N T : : U Wa l u m . c o m / v i e w p o i n t

Ambassador Program and Husky Alumni Recruitment Team, respectively. They work at conferences and admissions fairs, making personal connections with prospective students of color and showing them that higher education is possible. Our campus- and communitywide efforts continue to pay dividends. More than 40 percent of this year’s UW Seattle freshman class is comprised of students of color, an all-time high. In February, the UW was named one of 19 universities from across the country—out of 1,700—that met the bar for access, affordability and student success set by the Center on Higher Education Reform. The strides we are making

are exciting. But we know there is still a lot more work to be done. Securing more funding for student scholarships is vital to increasing access. Many of our best and brightest students are choosing to attend other colleges and universities—oftentimes out-of-state— where more financial aid is available to them. With the support of alumni and community members, I believe we can do a better job of promoting access to all Washington residents and meet the demands of a global economy. Educating a diverse student population is vital to strengthening the state’s economic position and enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

were categorized as “Black,” “Chicano,” “Native American,” “Asian American,” and “Poor White.” Programs such as EOP and, later, MAP, that aimed to grow access and retention of students until graduation—with both diversity and inclusiveness in mind—have been around for a while and are still active at the UW. MAP has developed its annual Bridging the Gap Scholarship Fundraising Breakfast as its main method for maintaining attention to access and retention. This breakfast raises funds for five or six scholarships that

are awarded annually on the basis of inclusiveness—not by SAT scores or grade-point averages, but by considering how an applicant is a “student in good standing,” a holistic lens the MAP Scholarship Committee applies to each applicant. I write this brief history and commentary to invite, welcome, and urge you to attend the 20th anniversary Bridging the Gap Breakfast on Oct. 25 to support access and retention of a truly diverse community of students at UW.

Sheila Edwards Lange Ph.D., ’00, ’06 / Vice President for Minority Affairs Vice Provost for Diversity

ANIL KAPaHI

D

MA RY LEVIN

points of view

Stephen H. Sumida Ph.D., ’82 / MAP President, 2011-14


Hirabayashi Medal of Freedom donated to UW

A

symbol of Gordon Hirabayashi’s courage came home to the UW in February. Hirabayashi’s widow, Susan Carnahan, presented his Presidential Medal of Freedom to Provost Ana Mari Cauce during a public symposium and celebration of the man and his work. Hirabayashi died in 2012. On May 16, 1942, five months after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the last bus taking Japanese-Americans from Seattle to internment camps was about to leave, the result of an executive order by President Franklin Roosevelt. Hirabayashi, ’46, ’49, ’52, was in his senior year at UW. He refused to get on the bus and then turned himself in to the FBI. He was one of three Japanese-Americans who defied the government order. Hirabayashi took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court and lost. He was sent to prison twice and it took more than 40 years for the courts to vindicate him and overturn the convictions. In 2012, President Barack Obama presented the medal to Hirabayashi posthumously, saying, “It takes a crisis to tell us that unless citizens are willing to stand up for the (Constitution), it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.” UW Libraries’ Pacific Northwest Collection is adding Hirabayashi’s personal effects to the archive. Included are handwritten letters penned while he was in the King County Jail, photographs, Auburn

High School yearbooks and legal papers. The Medal of Freedom will be placed on permanent display in the HUB. The UW Press published A Principled Stand: The Story of Hirabayashi v. United States in April 2013. The book was written by Gordon Hirabayashi, with his brother James Hirabayashi and his nephew, Lane Hirabayashi. “I wasn’t a rebel looking for a cause,” Hirabayashi said in an interview in 2000. “In fact, I was preparing to go. But in the days before I was supposed to leave, I realized that I couldn’t do it.” Months earlier, Hirabayashi would have been bowled over to think he would be in such a position. He recognized that his parents and other Japanese immigrants might have a problem, “but the second generation, my generation, were U.S. citizens. We had Constitutional rights. I didn’t think anything could happen to us. We had a rude awakening,” he said. Perhaps President Obama summed up Hirabayashi’s story best: “This country is better off because of citizens like him who are willing to stand up.”

STORIES OF HARDSHIP AND HUMANITY In her new book Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp, former Seattle Times photojournalist Teresa Tamura reveals touching stories of hardship and humanity from the internment camp that held 7,000 JapaneseAmericans from the Pacific Northwest during World War II. Tamura, ’96, “chose black and white photographs and personal essays because I thought they were the best means to tell a story that people in the JapaneseAmerican community didn’t acknowledge, much less talk about, for a long time. Silence is a coping mechanism for many people who have experienced trauma.” Her book is dedicated “in honor of the Issei (first generation) and Nisei (born in the U.S.) who showed us ‘shiren,’ Japanese for trial, test, challenge, hardship—the school of adversity. By enduring, one becomes stronger, better.” S ELF PORT RA IT BY T ERES A TA MU RA

Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp is available at nine University Book Store locations and at ubookstore.com. UW Alumni Association members receive a 10 percent discount.

the story of diversity at the UW

5


Taking down the hurdles Programs to help students of color continue to make a difference BY JULIE GARNER

6

V I E W P O I N T : : U Wa l u m . c o m / v i e w p o i n t

|

PHOTOS BY ANIL KAPAHI


E

lise Groves, ’13, earned her degree last December in Human Centered Design in the College of Engineering. Groves, who is African-American, always knew she wanted to go to college, but she encountered hurdles even before she got to the UW. Groves was the only black person in the International Baccalaureate program at Foss High School in Tacoma. “I stood out as different; it was a struggle,” she says. “The stereotype of black people is that we aren’t very smart. But these barriers were surmountable for me.” While Groves had ambition to succeed, she also took advantage of a few of the many UW programs and services offered through the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. The Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program provided enriching opportunities in middle school. MESA engineers from the UW went to Foss so students could learn about opportunities in engineering. There were college fairs where Groves learned about the UW application process and financial aid. Once she was accepted at the UW, she attended the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Bridge program before the start of her freshman year to help make the transition to college. Groves found support at the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) on campus and got help in math from the UW Instructional Center. When coursework became overwhelming, she sought out pre-engineering adviser Cathryne Jordan, director of the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program. “She introduced me to other people who had graduated so I could see the light at the end of the tunnel,” says Groves. In June, she will begin working at Boeing. Things were quite different for Verlaine Keith-Miller, ’74, ’80. When Keith-Miller—an administrative law judge with the Board of Industry Appeals Court—entered the UW in the early 1970s, the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center and the Educational Opportunity Program had only recently opened their doors. There was no MESA, no STEM Bridge program; the UW’s diversity efforts were so new that they had not yet developed the comprehensive programs and services that they offer today. Keith-Miller, who went on to graduate from UW School of Law, said that racism in the ’70s and ’80s was usually subtle rather than overt. “It was kind of like you had to prove yourself and there was the implication that you had taken a white person’s place,” she says. She remembers a biology professor telling her class, “You are the young white hope of the future.” I said, “‘Excuse me?’ and he realized what he had said.” Keith-Miller says white privilege is a concept many white people don’t comprehend. “They don’t understand the benefits that come with being the majority,” she adds. Clearly, things have changed for the better and the UW will continue its quest to provide access and affordability for all.

A new culture By taking advantage of the programs offered by the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, Elise Groves (left) earned her degree last year in engineering and will be working at Boeing. By contrast, Verlaine KeithMiller (above) was a student in the ’70s, when the UW didn’t have the range of programs to help students from underrepresented minority backgrounds.

the story of diversity at the UW

7


Leaders focus on access, affordability BY JULIE LAUDERBAUGH

W

hen Constance Rice, ’70, ’74, was applying to the UW’s Graduate School of Public Affairs (now known as the Evans School), she experienced what she calls the “warm spot” at the University. She was one of the first African-American women to apply and the Graduate School staff worked swiftly to introduce her to the campus community and all of its resources. “There were several individuals who took great pains to provide me access to financial support, psychological support and academic challenges,” says Rice. “To me, that’s what access is all about—providing hospitality at the UW.” Now, as a UW regent, Rice wants every student to experience that level of hospitality, and so do the UW’s other leaders. In the fall, President Michael K. Young presented his vision for the UW’s future in his annual address and access was at the top of his priority list. Of chief concern is affordability—many students who qualify to enter the UW simply can’t afford the cost of tuition. In response, President Young is highlighting the availability of financial resources, emphasizing the Husky Promise program, scholarships and grants that are available to all students who qualify. The affordability problem is a pressing one for the middle class as well as underrepresented minority students. The UW Board of Regents has renewed energy on the issue thanks to the 2013 appointment of Regent Rice, as well as fellow newcomer Rogelio Riojas, ’73, ’75, whose appointments mark the first time three regents of color have served on the board simultaneously. “Whether you’re a regent, an alumnus, or someone who participated in higher education, equal opportunity goes across socioeconomic lines,” says UW Regent Joanne Harrell, ’76, ’79. “And we don’t want to lose students within our state because they can’t afford the UW.”

8

V I E W P O I N T : : U Wa l u m . c o m / v i e w p o i n t

In February, the UW was one of only 19 universities—out of 1,700 nationwide—to be recognized for access, affordability and student success by the Center on Higher Education Reform. For its part, the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) has been making inroads in the effort to recruit and retain underrepresented students around the state. The office awards more than $150,000 in scholarships to undergraduates each year, and the percentage of students of color enrolled at the UW has increased from 4 percent in 1968 to 40 percent in 2013. “I know that OMA&D has been doing a great job, but I think department chairs or academic deans should also take on that role of recruitment,” says Rice. “That’s something that we still need to work on at the UW, to create that warm spot for everybody.” GO-MAP—the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program—provides approximately $600,000 each year in recruitment funding to about 25 departments to help them attract and retain the most promising minority students from around the country. GO-MAP also hosts Prospective Student Days, which welcome more than 200 admitted students to campus with the goal of connecting them to UW resources and recruiting them to the University.

New unit focuses on Husky Experience

The commitment by UW leaders to enhance access and affordability is evidenced by the formation of the new Academic and Student Affairs unit. The Graduate School, OMA&D, the Division of Student Life and Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA) were brought together to work collaboratively on these areas at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The group is led by Senior Vice Provost Jerry Baldasty, ’72, ’78, and the respective department heads: Graduate School Dean Dave Eaton; Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06; Vice President for Student Life Denzil Suite; and UAA Dean and Vice Provost Ed Taylor, ’93. Their purpose is to focus on the “Husky Experience” by making sure the UW stays affordable and that all students have access to all experiences. A new policy advisory group within the UW Office of Enrollment Management has been formed and is also working on access and affordability.


Joanne Harrell

Constance Rice MA RY LEV IN

A New Time For the first time in UW history, three members of the Board of Regents are people of color: Rogelio Riojas, ’73, ’75; Joanne Harrell, ’76, ’79; and Constance Rice, ’70, ’74. They, along with other senior leaders, are dedicated to enhancing access and an affordable college education at the UW.

Rogelio Riojas A NI L K A PA H I (2 )

the story of diversity at the UW

9


B REA N N A J ON ES

Reaching out

Recruiting the Best

A NIL KA PA H I

The UW depends on alumni volunteers to help recruit students from underrepresented minority backgrounds to come here for undergraduate studies and graduate school. UW students in OMA&D’s Ambassador Program (above) also deliver outreach services that encourage middle- and high-school students to pursue higher education. Kayla Huddleston (right) works with the Husky Alumni Recruitment Team, encouraging minority high-school students to consider the UW.

By Kelly Huffman

W

hen it came time for Keon Vereen, now a Ph.D. student in the UW’s William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, to investigate doctoral programs, he set out from his native Orlando to visit top-tier schools, including the UW, Caltech and the University of Michigan. What ultimately set the UW apart? The Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP), which connected him to other students of color through its Prospective Student Days. There was nothing like GO-MAP at the other schools, remembers Keon: “It created the perfect storm for me to make the jump.” Together, GO-MAP and the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) have fashioned a safe and welcoming community for minority students on campus. Both offices grew out of student-led efforts in 1968, and are among the first of their kind in the country. UW students and alumni remain crucial to both programs, serving as peer recruiters and confidence boosters for other underrepresented students. “Prospective students cannot only identify visually with the alumni, but also with shared experiences. That’s just powerful,” says Merissa D. Tatum, assistant director of recruitment & outreach for OMA&D.

10

V I E W P O I N T : : U Wa l u m . c o m / v i e w p o i n t

Vereen, who is a first-generation college grad, now serves as a graduate diversity ambassador, fielding questions about everything from Seattle’s rainy climate to its social scene. On the undergraduate side, Kayla Huddleston, ’12, and Ashley Russell, ’08, volunteer with the Husky Alumni Recruitment Team (HART), encouraging minority students to consider the UW. UW undergraduates in the OMA&D Recruitment & Outreach Ambassador Program make personal connections with prospective students and their families at campus visits and conferences. Similar to HART volunteers, they too serve as role models. “A lot of times, students from marginalized and oppressed backgrounds don’t actualize their potential because they don’t see representatives of themselves doing these things,” says Huddleston. She, Russell and their fellow HART volunteers are out to change that. They’re moderating panels, helping at admissions fairs and speaking about their experiences. The most rewarding part of volunteering with HART? Running into UW students who were in high school when they first met. “You’re going to be successful, you’re going to make it,” Russell tells them. In the GO-MAP office, Director Cynthia Morales echoes those sentiments: “I always tell students how amazing they are now, but I can’t wait to see how much more amazing they’re going to be in 10 years.”


EM ILE PITR E

Students in the College Assistance Migrant Program (above) are persisting in their academic goals and achieving the milestones leading to a college degree from the UW. The solidarity of the group and support from the program is a winning combination.

Cultivating Successful Outcomes By Julie Garner WHEN IT COMES TO NURTURING UNDERREPRESENTED minority students when they arrive on campus, the UW does stellar work. One example is the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), which supports young people from seasonal and farmworking families with tutoring, mentoring, career development and financial aid services. This year the U.S. Department of Education ranked the UW program No. 1 in the nation. In 2011-12, all 61 CAMP students successfully completed their first year of college and went on to their sophomore year. CAMP is just one of the ways the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) fosters successful student outcomes. OMA&D houses an array of programs that offer academic support services, research and leadership opportunities as well as graduate school preparation. Other programs provide critical services so underrepresented minority students can plan for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). For instance, the Chemistry Scholars program, started in 2012, helps underrepresented minority students gain the foundational skills necessary to pursue STEM academics. Even before classes start in the fall, Chemistry Scholars participate in a three- or four-week seminar to review concepts and hone study skills. The program also creates a community among students using Web

support and Facebook groups. For any student involved in OMA&D programs, one of the keys to success is a personal relationship, according to Kristian Wiles, director of OMA&D TRiO Student Support Services. “When students first come to the UW and are affiliated with OMA&D programs, we make sure there is a personal connection with our staff members. The goal of the relationship is for the student to feel supported,” he says. Gabriel Gallardo, OMA&D associate vice president for Student Services and Academic Support Programs, says that getting a sense of the students’ interests helps staff tailor services to individual needs. “In addition, having a relationship with someone allows the campus to feel smaller,” he says. Students are invited to attend a welcome and orientation before the freshman academic year. Involvement in mentor programs may allow them to benefit from peer experiences, while participation in workshops and seminars may broaden their exposure to pathways supported at UW. The idea is to provide these opportunities early so the student can envision a career or academic path after receiving an undergraduate degree. These are just a few of the ways OMA&D nurtures undergraduates and contributes to a positive outcome.

the story of diversity at the UW

11


in the news Patricia Moy has been named associate vice provost for academic and student affairs. She is professor of communication and adjunct professor of political science. Akira Takeda, ’85, was honored by the City of Seattle for his 39 years as senior aide for information and cultural affairs at the Seattle office of the ConsulateGeneral of Japan. Luis Fraga, director of the UW Diversity Research Institute and Russell F. Stark University Professor of Political Science, was named to the City of Seattle’s Immigrant Voting Rights Taskforce.

Three UW community members were honored at the Top Contributors to the Asian Community banquet in December: Reynaldo O. Pascua, ’78, president of the Filipino-American Community of Yakima Valley; Bjong “Wolf” Yeigh, chancellor of UW Bothell; and Dr. Jae Hoon Kim, affiliate professor on the faculty of the UW Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and Executive/Senior Technical Fellow at Boeing. A $30,000 donation from Los Angeles public relations official Kim L. Hunter, ’82, to the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity created the Kim L. Hunter

Internship Support Fund. It will support underrepresented students who major in business with an emphasis in marketing, advertising or communications. UW Bothell created the position of director of diversity and campus engagement. Wayne Au, associate professor in the UW Bothell education program, is heading the search committee. Sophath Chou, ’00, was honored at the Woman Leaders in New Ventures banquet in Seattle. She is owner of Chou Law Office, P.S., which has offices in Bellevue, Pasco and Long Beach, Calif. Rusdi Kirana, CEO of Lion Air, the largest private air carrier in Indonesia, has been appointed

to the advisory board for the UW Bothell School of Business. Norm Rice, ’72, ’74, announced that he will retire as president and CEO of The Seattle Foundation in June. Among those honored at the Women of Color Empowered Women Leaders in Health Care banquet in February were nurse Kennie Amaefule, ’87, ’02; neurosurgeon Jayashree Srinivasan, ’92, ’05; Karlotta Rosebaugh, director of UW Health Sciences Center Minority Students Program; clinical pharmacist Katie Lai, ’93, ’13; neurologist Lily Jung Henson, ’90; colon and rectal surgeon Mitra Ehsan, ’92, ’96; and pediatrician Shaquita L. Bell, ’10.

Nancy Noriko Kuwada, a UW graduate who worked at Lockheed and Boeing, died Nov. 24. She was an active member of the Japanese Presbyterian Church in Seattle, and sang in the church choir. She was sent to a Japanese internment camp during World War II. She was 81. Fawzi Wadi Khoury, the first head of the Near East Section of UW Libraries, died Nov. 3. He was 75. Steven Paul Nakanishi, ’73, ’77, who served in the Peace Corps in Tonga after graduating from the UW School of Medicine, died Nov. 1. He practiced family medicine at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California for 34 years. He was 62. Roy Pleasant, ’71, former recruitment coordinator for the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, died Nov. 2. After earning his degree in history from the UW, he worked with underrepresented, low-income and first-generation students in OMA&D from 1972 to 1974. He was 65. Vicki Lea Maria Sandoval, a former UW student who worked with organizations to improve the welfare of Native-American

and Chicana/Chicano communities, died recently. Tama Tokuda, ’42, ’08, mother of the late Kip Tokuda, ’69, died Aug. 31. She was in her last year as a UW student when World War II broke out and she was sent to the Minidoka Internment Camp in Idaho. Before she was stricken with Alzheimer’s, she was active in International District community events, and served as a docent at the Wing Luke Asian Museum and as an usher at the Northwest AsianAmerican Theatre. She was among more than 450 JapaneseAmerican students awarded honorary degrees by the UW in 2008. She was 93. Ted T. Yamamura, ’71, ’72, who spent his career in aerospace, including 33 years at Boeing, where he was regional director of global Asian markets, died Aug. 18. He headed several organizations including the Boeing Asian-American Professional Association, the Asian Management Business Association and the Japanese-American Chamber of Commerce. He was 64.

in memory executive board member for the UW MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement) Program, died Aug. 9. He also spent more than 14 years as an academic coordinator in the UW Athletic Department. He was 53. WILLIAM L. BAKER

William L. Baker, ’60, ’73, who as an administrator in the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D), was a champion for economically disadvantaged, underrepresented minority and low-income students, died Sept. 28. He served as assistant vice president, associate vice president and interim vice president of OMA&D. He was 79. Frederic A. Cordova, former director of public information at the UW, died Dec. 21. He co-founded the Filipino Youth Activities of Seattle and created the award-winning FYA Drill Team. He also was the founding president of the Filipino-American National Historical Society and taught Filipino-American history at the UW. He was 82. Bruce Hilliard, ’85, ’02, who spent more than 20 years as an

12

V I E W P O I N T : : U Wa l u m . c o m / v i e w p o i n t

VERA FAYE ING

Vera Faye Ing, ’74, a longtime community leader who played a huge role in many Seattle-area institutions, died Jan. 18. Recipient of a MAP Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011 with her husband Joey, she was an urban planner for more than 20 years with the City of Seattle. She also served on the boards of the University of Washington Women’s Center, Seattle International District Rotary, Mount Baker Community Club and the Bumbershoot Festival Advisory Committee. She was 73.


THE VIEWPOINT INTERVIEW:

Sandra Madrid

LIFE AS A MENTOR B Y J U L I E GA R NE R

R

oy Diaz, ’02, a successful patent attorney in Seattle, describes Sandra Madrid, ’80, ’82, ’85, as “a treasured friend and mentor.” He also refers to her in a way that anyone who knows her will immediately recognize: “Dr. Madrid is a force of nature.” Madrid, who received the City of Seattle’s 2013 Latino Heritage Award, has dedicated her life to mentoring students, championing diversity and serving the community. She retired last year as senior adviser to the dean of the UW School of Law after serving as assistant dean for students and community outreach at the law school for almost 20 years. Jon Bridge, ’72, ’76, got to know Madrid when he served as the UW School of Law alumni chair. “She was the glue that established the mentor program at the law school. Initially it was meant as a way for attorneys to assist minority members of the first-year class through their school experience. She quickly realized that it was of such benefit to the students that she expanded it to encompass all incoming law students.” She helped create the Washington State Hispanic Bar Association (now known as the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington). She has received many awards, including the President’s Award of the Latina/o Bar Association. Madrid’s journey began in Pueblo, Colo., where she was born. Her father toiled as a steelworker for 35 years and her mother ran their household. When she received her doctorate, her parents came to watch her graduate. “My dad had never been on a plane before but he came to see me,” she says. “He stood there with his cane and I knew he was proud of me.” Her mother, now 96, still lives in Pueblo. Madrid stays in touch with many of the students she mentored over the years. Says Diaz: “She continues to champion change in the community that reflects the rich and diverse tapestry that forms the fabric of America.”

PHOTO BY ANIL KAPAHI the story of diversity at the UW

13


2013 MAP SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS A primary goal of the annual Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) Breakfast is to raise money for student scholarships. At the 19th annual MAP Breakfast on Oct. 26, six students from underrepresented minority communities received MAP scholarships.

➺ Svetlana Belikova

➺ Kamaria Carnes

Communications and Political Science, 2014

Psychology, 2014

Born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, and raised in a single-parent household, Svetlana moved to the U.S. with her family at the age of 6. She attended Clark College during high school and obtained her first job, a work-study position in the Information & Security Department, while volunteering with her church and the American Cancer Society. After she graduates, Svetlana wants to serve in the Peace Corps.

OWEN G. LEE SCHOLARSHIP

➺ Brady Kent Earth and Space Science, 2014

➺ Ivan Cuevas

A father of two, Brady (Yakama, Athabascan) was raised on his grandfather’s cattle ranch on the Yakama Indian Reservation. Today, he is involved in such clubs and organizations as First Nations, Young Democrats and Associated Students of UW.

Master of Social Work, 2014

➺ Tania Santiago Sociology and Education, 2014 Tania Santiago is a senior at the UW, double majoring in sociology and education. She is working as a paralegal in the Bellevue law firm of Karol Brown, which specializes in immigration law. She is a co-founder of the Washington State Dream Act Coalition and an ambassador for the Latino/a Educational Achievement Project. In the summer of 2013, Tania earned the title of Miss Hispanic Seafair. She is the first undocumented student to receive the title.

MAP Scholarship recipients (left to right) Brady Kent, Tania Santiago, Svetlana Belikova, Kamaria Carnes, Ivan Cuevas and Scott Fung. Photo by Anil Kapahi.

14

Kamaria is a psychology major and diversity minor. After graduation, she plans to participate in Teach for America, then attend graduate school. Kamaria defied the odds of entering the UW as she comes from a community with few resources for preparing students for college. On campus, she is an OMA&D student ambassador, a mentor for the OMA&D summer transition program, and a leader for first-year programs’ Dawg Daze.

V I E W P O I N T : : U Wa l u m . c o m / v i e w p o i n t

ALFREDO ARREGUIN SCHOLARSHIP Ivan describes himself as a working-class Chicano with formerly undocumented parents. He has a commitment to social justice and a career goal of working for economic justice. His college activism began in MEChA, a Chicana/Chicano student organization, and he was gradually drawn into the labor movement, coming to believe that if Latinos stand together as workers in solidarity with others, they can enact change.

➺ Scott Fung, ’97 Master of Public Health, 2014 D R . LO I S P R I C E S P R AT L E N S C H O L A R S H I P Scott is a student in the Master of Public Health program in Health Services. In addition to pursuing his graduate degree full time, he is in his 15th year of service to diverse students as a chemistry instructor at the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity Instructional Center. He embarked upon a mission trip to Honduras in 2008 with UW Global Medical Brigades. After that experience, he established a student organization, Vietnam Health Clinic, in 2009.


from the president

4333 Brooklyn Avenue N.E. Box 359508 Seattle, WA 98195-9508 Phone: 206-543-0540 Fax: 206-685-0611 Email: Viewpoint@ uw.edu Viewpoint on the Web UWalum.com/viewpoint

FOUNDED 2004 Published by the UW Alumni Association in partnership with the UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity

viewpoint STA F F

Since its inception more than 150 years ago, the UW has worked to provide qualified applicants access to a topnotch college education. The programs developed by the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and The Graduate School have opened—and continue to open—doors to students from underrepresented backgrounds. State funding limits the number of student slots available, and when combined with increased admission applications, the issue of access has become more sensitive and challenging. But the University’s commitment to educating a diverse, well-rounded student body has never been stronger. President Michael K. Young lists access as the first of his four cornerstones of the University. With the help of our passionate, dedicated alumni, we at the UW Alumni Association will continue to do everything we can to make sure our voice is heard in Olympia. We must strive to make higher education available to all who want it.

Paul Rucker P U B LIS HE R

Jon Marmor ED ITOR

Paul Fontana A SS O CIATE E D ITOR W EB E D ITOR

Julie Garner S TA FF WR ITE R

Ken Shafer A R T D IR E CTOR D ES IGNE R

Greg Lewis

Latinos and Native Americans are two of the most underrepresented populations in higher education, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields. The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) aims to alleviate this disparity. With more than 70 chapters nationwide, SACNAS’ effectiveness depends largely on the strength of its local campus chapters—chapters like the UW’s, which was recognized as the “Distinguished Chapter of the Year” for 2013. Remarkably, this makes the fifth year in a row that the UW

chapter has earned top honors. Chapter President Erica Sanchez (Ph.D. student, molecular and cellular biology) explains: “What makes and keeps our chapter strong is that we are able to balance the focus of our group on professional and academic development as well as community building.” Vice President Keon Vereen (Ph.D. student, aeronautics and astronautics) notes that the chapter is committed to building student leaders. “Leadership is not just the officers, it’s represented throughout the entire chapter,” he says. “I believe our membership is the main reason [the UW chapter is so strong].”

ELIZA BET H LOWRY

L IA IS O N TO OFFICE OF M IN O RITY A FFA IR S & D IVE RS ITY

Another SACNAS Award!

viewpoint ADVISORY COMMITTEE Paul Rucker, ’95, ’02 Associate Vice President Alumni and Constituent Relations, Chair

QUITE A COLLECTION

M I K E E G A N , ’9 0 U W A A P R E S I D E N T, 2 0 1 3 – 2 0 1 4

Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06

Erica Sanchez, Natalie Garcia and Keon Vereen (left to right) show the awards the UW’s SACNAS chapter has received in the past five years for being the best in the nation.

Vice President for Minority Affairs Vice Provost for Diversity

Tamara Leonard Associate Director Center for Global Studies Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies

Greg Lewis, ’94 Senior Director for Advancement Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity

Carmela Lim, ’05 Board Member Multicultural Alumni Partnership

Erin Rowley Director for Communications Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity

Kathleen Farrell Director for Advancement UW Graduate School

Eleanor J. Lee, ’00, ’05 Communications Specialist UW Graduate School

ANI L KAPAHI (2 )

Stephen H. Sumida, ’82 Professor, American Ethnic Studies President, Multicultural Alumni Partnership

GO-MAP’s Grad-Undergrad Diversity Mixer

Students of color considering where to attend graduate school turned out for the Feb. 5 GradUndergrad Diversity Mixer put on by the Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program and the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. The event gave undergraduate students the chance to learn about graduate school directly from current graduate students, and featured small group discussions, information sessions and a dinner reception.

the story of diversity at the UW

15


Telling the Story of Diversity at the University of Washington

2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974

Rogelio Riojas Gertrude Peoples Assunta Ng Nelson Del Rio W. Ron Allen 1968 Black Student Union Alan T. Sugiyama Charles Mitchell Mike McGavick Jeff and Susan Brotman Herman McKinney Constance L. Proctor Ernest Dunston Vivian Lee Albert Black Bill Hillard Andy Reynolds Hubert G. Locke Ron Moore Bernie Whitebear Ron Sims Sandra Madrid Ken Jacobson Herman D. Lujan J. Ray Bowen Frank Byrdwell Andrew V. Smith Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney Norm Rice Nancy Weber William Irmscher Mark Cooper Millie Russell Minoru Masuda Toby Burton Vivian Kelly Sam and Joyce Kelly Leonie Piternick Larry Gossett Dalwyn Knight

ANI L KAPAHI

CHARLES E. ODEGAARD AWARD RECIPIENTS

Hurtado to receive Charles Odegaard Award By Erin Rowley

4333 Brooklyn Avenue N.E. Box 359508 Seattle, WA 98195–9508

The award will be presented at the 44th annual EOP Celebration, Fête and Honors, hosted by the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) and the Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) on Thursday, May 22. “Denny’s passion, dedication and pioneering efforts have left a legacy that has transformed education, not only for Native American students, but for every student in the state,” says Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06, UW vice president for minority affairs and vice provost for diversity. “We celebrate his groundbreaking work in the K-12 educational system and honor him for his outstanding leadership.” Hurtado retired from OSPI in 2013 after a 12-year tenure. In this role, he worked with 29 tribes and led the creation of groundbreaking curriculum geared toward elementary, middle- and high-school educators. The curriculum, “Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State,” was developed in response to House Bill 1495, which was passed in 2005 by the Legislature to better educate administrators about tribal history in Washington. Hurtado’s contributions also extend to the UW. As a member of the Intellectual House Advisory Committee, he is helping lead an effort to build a longhouse on the UW campus that will support Native American student success. In addition, Hurtado is a host and facilitator for the UW’s annual Tribal Leadership Summit; immediate past president and current member of the UW Native American Advisory Board; and adviser for the UW College of Education. —Erin Rowley is director for communications in the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity.

DENNY HURTADO , former chair of the Skokomish Tribe and re-

tired director of Indian Education for the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), is the 2014 recipient of the University of Washington Charles E. Odegaard Award. Established in 1973, the Odegaard Award honors individuals whose leadership in the community exemplifies the former UW president’s work on behalf of diversity. It is the only University- and community-selected award, and is regarded as the highest achievement in diversity at the UW.

44th Annual EOP Celebration, Fête and Honors DATE:

May 22, 2014 Husky Union Building Ballroom, UW Seattle campus TIME: 5 p.m. Reception, 6 p.m. Dinner, 6:30 p.m. Program PRICE: $125 CONTACT: Roxanne Christian / 206-221-0680 / rchristi@uw.edu WEBSITE: www.omadevents.uw.edu/celebration WHERE:


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.