Viewpoints - Spring 2009

The face of diversity at the University of Washington

SPECIAL ISSUE

40 to WatcH Honoring 40 emerging leaders who are making a difference

SPRING 2009

DEPARTMENTS 4 Points of View 12 The 360 View 14 Spotlight: The Martinez Foundation 15 A View from the UWAA 15 Calendar 16 39th Annual FEOP Celebration

W. Ron Allen, ‘83, will receive the Charles Odegaard Award at the May 13 Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity and Friends of EOP Celebration 2009

40 to watch In conjunction with the University of Washington’s celebration of 40 years of diversity, Viewpoints is recognizing 40 emerging leaders from underrepresented communities, all under 40 years of age.

Above: Cordell Carter, James U-Sin Sun and Jennifer Self in the Smith Room at Suzzallo Library. Photo by Karen Orders ON THE COVER: (Top line, from left) Miguel Bocanegra, Lael R. Echo-Hawk, Tiffany Dufu, (bottom line, from left) Annie Young-Scrivner, Justin Saint Clair and Tania Barron are a few of the alumni who are being honored as emerging alumni leaders.

viewpoints

Correction: Due to an editing error, a story that appeared in the Fall 2008 issue of Viewpoints said Mariners translator Ken Barron was born in Japan. While Barron lived in Japan for several years, he actually was born in Seattle. Viewpoints regrets the error.

THE FACE OF DIVERSITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. FOUNDED 2004

snapshot

1415 N.E. 45th Street, Seattle, WA 98105 Phone: 206-543-0540 Fax: 206-685-0611 E-mail: vwpoints@u.washington.edu

VIEWPOINTS ON THE WEB: UWalum.com/viewpoints

VIEWPOINTS STAFF Publisher Chuck Blumenfeld, ’66, ’69 Associate Publisher Sue Brockmann, ‘72 Editor Jon Marmor, ’94 Graphic Designer Michele Locatelli Editorial Intern Alexandra Kim Liaison to Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Stephanie Y. Miller Staff Writers Courtney Acitelli, ’08; Derek Belt, ’04; Ina Zajac Photography Mary Levin, Karen Orders

VIEWPOINTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Paul Rucker, ’95, ’02 Director of Alumni Relations, UWAA, Chair Jerry Baldasty, ’72, ’78 Vice Provost and Dean, The Graduate School Sue Brockmann, ’72 Director of Marketing, Communications and Revenue Development, UWAA Malik Davis, ’94 Associate Director of Constituent Relations, UWAA Colleen Fukui-Sketchley, ’94 Vice President, UWAA Diversity Affairs Specialist, Nordstrom Roger L. Grant Board Member, Multicultural Alumni Partnership Juan C. Guerra Associate Dean, The Graduate School Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06 Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity Tamara Leonard Associate Director, Center for Global Studies, Jackson School of International Studies

Shrine of Remembrance

Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Borough President’s Office

This September 11 marks the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Staten Island September 11 Memorial, which was created by Masayuki Sono, ’96, and Lapshan Fong, ’96, ’98. Sono designed the memorial, and Fong was responsible for the fabrication. Located adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, the memorial, entitled “Postcards,” features two 40- “ I chose the symbol foot-high wing-like sculptures with granite plaques bearing the names of of the postcard the 267 Staten Island residents who died in the attack on the World Trade because we all Center. “I chose the symbol of the postcard because we all write to people write to people we remember and miss,” Sono says. Set on the axis that frames the view toward the World Trade Center site, “the memorial seeks to restore the tie we remember and between the community and its loss. At the same time, it symbolizes hope miss.” for the future and the spirit of freedom.”

Stephanie Y. Miller Assistant Vice President, Community and Public Relations, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Rick Osterhout, ’76, ’78 UWAA President Lois Price Spratlen, ’76 UW Ombudsman Emeritus and Ombudsman Emeritus for Sexual Harassment; Board Member, Multicultural Alumni Partnership George Zeno Executive Director, Student Life Advancement

viewpoints

A

s president of the Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP), it is a pleasure and special honor to recognize the outstanding young leaders who are featured in this issue of Viewpoints. Their accomplishments reflect distinction in their chosen fields as well as a strong commitment to give back to the communities in which they live and work. On behalf of MAP, I congratulate each and every one of them.

We are fortunate We are fortunate in MAP to have a in MAP to have a preponderance of youth preponderance of youth in leadership roles along in leadership roles along with our wide-ranging with our wide-ranging cultural diversity. As a retired professor in cultural diversity marketing, I am the one exception to youth among MAP officers. They bring to MAP an impressive commitment to its mission of promoting diversity, scholarship support for students of color, and recognition of individuals who make outstanding contributions of inclusion and service to the University and the diverse communities that it serves.

A

s we wind down our commemoration of 40 years of diversity at the University of Washington, we thought: how better to wrap up the celebration than to recognize 40 emerging alumni leaders in their respective communities.

After reviewing the nominations, finalists were selected based upon their use of Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA&D) services and/or programs, their level of civic engagement as a UW student, the depth and breadth of their experiences since graduation, and their commitment to diversity.

The alumni honored used such OMA&D services as the Instructional and Ethnic Cultural Center, Educational Opportunity Program Advising, Educational Identification Program and McNair Programs, Health Sciences Center for Minority Student Programs and others. In many cases, the alumni stated that had it not been for these services, they might not be the leaders they are.

points

MAP is very well served by its youthful leaders, including Vice President Nadine Chan, ’01, ’07; Treasurer Butch de Castro, an assistant professor in the UW School of Nursing; Secretary Chris Diangco, ’08, who became a board member in 2007; and our Immediate Past-President, Justin Simmons, ’93, who has been a MAP board member since 2001.

Communication and an informal tone are important to this generation of leaders. While they are respectful of the past, they make their own decisions and have found ways to use technology for social change. They are engaged locally, nationally and internationally in issues of importance to this country and our collective future.

of view

Along with the rest of the MAP board and our valuable group of advisers, MAP’s young leaders help us work to build strong bridges of diversity that extend throughout and beyond the University.

Thaddeus H. Spratlen, Ph.D. MAP President, 2008–10

viewpoints

We at OMA&D are proud of our role in identifying talented students, nurturing their aspirations and providing them with the education needed to take on the mantle of leadership.

Although we feature only 40, we know there are many more emerging leaders out there. Let us know who comes to mind when you think of someone. We want to honor and engage all of our alumni in mentoring the next generation of leaders.

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

In conjunction with the University of Washington’s celebration of 40 years of diversity, Viewpoints is recognizing 40 emerging leaders from diverse communities, all under 40 years of age.

4O Cordell Carter

Cordell Carter, James U-Sin Sun, Jennifer Self

By Julie Garner Photos by Karen Orders

The alumni honored here are just a sampling of the many

students from underrepresented communities who have made

To Watch

their mark on the world after graduating from the UW. These 40 were selected because they participated in or benefited from services offered by the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity while they were UW students. Many of them were active in leadership roles on campus and in their communities while they were students.

A committee headed by Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06, the UW Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity, selected the 40 you see recognized in this issue of Viewpoints.

viewpoints

James H. Curtis

Sarica Parton Felix Luna

Lael R. Echo-Hawk

Wauca Luna

Anita Abrego, ’94 The first in her family to go to college, she left the Lummi Reservation to study aeronautical/astronautical engineering at the UW. Today, she is an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California.

Elva Arredondo, ’95 A graduate faculty member in public health at San Diego State University, her research focuses on health disparities involving cancer-prevention behaviors in Spanishspeaking communities.

Tania Barron, ’99 Funding from a Fulbright Fellowship helped her to lead a pilot program to reduce pesticide exposure in Ecuador. Now with Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Resources Management, she advises Fortune 100 companies how to operate sustainable and healthy businesses.

Georgette Bhathena, ’00 As community relations officer for Citibank, she helps the nation’s largest bank give back

viewpoints

Paulette Jordan

to communities it serves in San Francisco, Washington and Oregon. Under her leadership, Citibank works closely with the UW’s Business and Economic Development Center.

Miguel Bocanegra, ’01, ’04 This former president of the UW Latino Law Student Association now practices immigration law with MacDonald Hoague & Bayless, a firm in Seattle’s south end.

Cordell Carter, ’98 An attorney and public policy expert, he participates in the Broad Residency in Urban Education, working to build public and private partnerships in education as special assistant to the chief financial officer of Seattle Public Schools.

James H. Curtis, ’01, ’05 He worked his way from hospital orderly to community college student to Gates Millennium Scholar to UW Law School. Today he is a prosecuting attorney for the City of Tacoma.

Derek Liddell Annie Young-Scrivner

Elva Arredondo

Justin Saint Clair

Chanda Oatis

Angela King

Lorne William Murray

Tiffany Dufu, ’96, ’99 A former writing tutor at the Instructional Center, she is now director of development and administration for The White House Project, a nonprofit organization that inspires and trains women to run for political office.

She served as a fundraiser for Seattle Girls School and Simmons College in Boston.

Lael R. Echo-Hawk, ’99 A member of both the Washington State and Tulalip Tribes Bar associations and the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, she represents the Tulalips in both tribal and federal court.

She is also president of the Northwest Indian Bar Association.

Maryjane Fielding, ’00 A former Black Student Union vice president, she is now the marketing and public relations manager for Pacific Medical Centers, one of the Puget Sound area’s most diverse health-care providers.

students to the UW’s engineering major, started his career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Today, he is vice president of operations for Intelligentz Corp., a Texas company providing cutting-edge technology solutions for business.

The first in her family to attend college, Anita Abrego today is an aerospace engineer at NASA.

Alexes Harris, ’97 A UW assistant professor of sociology, her research focuses on race and ethnicity, social stratification, the juvenile and criminal justice systems, juvenile delinquency and qualitative research methods.

Gerardo Flores, ’99 This mechanical engineer, who helped recruit Latino viewpoints

Derek Takai Alexes Harris

Miguel Bocanegra

David Lara

{

James H. Curtis went from hospital orderly to community college student to studying law at the UW to serving as prosecuting attorney for the City of Tacoma.

}

David C. Herrera, ’93 A former businessman for Intel Corp., he now prosecutes cases of child abuse and neglect for the State’s Attorney Office in Cook County, Ill. He formerly was president of the National Hispanic Prosecutors Association.

Alberto Isiordia, ’04, and Dalia Chavez Isiordia, ’04 Alberto works to ensure that migrant seasonal farmworkers receive equitable services at Washington State’s Worksource employment offices while Dalia travels internationally to work with Boeing’s composite suppliers.

Paulette Jordan, ’03 Not yet 30 years old, she has held leadership roles with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and is its current director of tribal enrollment. She also helped organized the Idaho Young Democrats and was a representative at the National Young Democrats convention.

Seila Kheang, ’02 A software engineer for Lockheed Martin’s facility in Mountain View, Calif., this diehard Husky

viewpoints

Tiffany Dufu

Gina Clemente Willink

fan also plays a big role in the local Khmer community.

Angela King, ’95 A reporter and backup anchor for Seattle TV station KCPQ’s (Channel 13) “Fox News This Morning,” this California native and accomplished musician still finds time to volunteer for the UW’s diversity and EOP scholarship programs.

David Lara, ’03 As a federal budget liaison and associate director for federal policy for the Washington Office of the Governor for the state of New York, he monitors the fiscal impact of federal legislative and regulatory changes on New York state’s $120.6 billion budget.

Derek Liddell, ’95 A former participant in the UW’s Minority Science and Engineering Program, he is now a senior development lead at Microsoft, where he heads an eight-member team.

Mariana Choi Loya, ’02 An officer of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers while on campus, this beauty

Tyrone Porter

Anita Abrego Maryjane Fielding

Phil Rigdon

Seila Kheang

queen of Chinese and Spanish ancestry was the only engineering major to participate in the 1998 Miss America pageant.

She works for Medtronics and is currently a doctoral candidate in material science engineering at UC San Diego.

Felix Luna, ’94, ’97 Recognized as the 2005 Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year by the King County Bar Association, he practices for Peterson, Young, Putra, handling personal injury cases, civil rights litigation and business disputes.

Wauca Luna, ’95, ’99 He and his brother Felix come from a family of 10 siblings raised by a single mother. Reared on Beacon Hill, he’s now a physician at Valley Medical Center, practicing family and sports medicine.

Lorne William Murray, ’99 Affectionately dubbed “Dr. Hollywood” by his friends, this Harvard Medical School graduate came from a single-parent household in Bremerton and is now a cardiology fellow at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Chanda Oatis, ’98 An assistant principal at Denny Middle School in Seattle, she leads a behavior modification re-entry program for students who have been suspended or expelled.

Sarica Parton, ’01 Most recently a vice president with Washington Mutual, this former Black Student Union member negotiated license, purchase and service contracts. She was also commissioned by the Red Cross as a Gulf Coast disaster volunteer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Dustin Shindo

Tyrone Porter, ’03 At the UW, he organized students against I-200 and was heavily involved with the Minority Think Tank. Today, he is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Boston University, working to improve ultrasound contrast agents so diagnostic tests for cardiovascular disease and cancer are more accurate.

Phil Rigdon, ’96 As deputy director of the Yakama Nation’s Department of Natural Resources, he works to meet the challenge of maintaining traditional cultural values and practicing environmental stewardship of the Nation’s forestland.

Justin Saint Clair, ’02 An application developer for Microsoft’s Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partner Group, he also is vice president of outreach and community affairs for the group Blacks at Microsoft, which runs the Minority Student Day for the software giant.

Jennifer Self, ’05 A licensed counselor with an M.S.W. degree, she directs the viewpoints

Andrea Valdez

Tania Barron

Alberto Isiordia Dalia Chavez Isiordia

Mariana Choi Loya

UW’s Q Center, which provides resources about sexuality, gender identity and identity development for the University’s queer student population.

Fawn Sharp, ’95 Now president of the Quinault Indian Nation, she has served as a managing attorney and lead counsel for the Nation as well as an administrative law judge for Washington state. She is also a founding member of the National Intertribal Tax Alliance.

Dustin Shindo, ’99 He went on to found and serve as chairman, president and CEO of Hoku Scientific, a Hilo, Hawaiibased domestic fuel-cell company devoted to sustainable clean energy. Hoku now has business partnerships with the likes of Sanyo, Nissan and the U.S. Navy.

As a UW student, Derek Takai mentored and tutored other EOP students and became a role model for students who aspired to become dentists.

James U-Sin Sun, ’99 A born entrepeneuer, he’s dabbled in stocks and made millions, founded the start-up Zoodango. com, and was a contestant on the TV show “The Apprentice,” where he made 10 viewpoints

it as a finalist before being fired by Donald Trump.

Derek Takai, ’98, ’02 This Honolulu dentist benefited from many tutoring services he received as a UW student. A dentist who mentored him also played a big role in his success, and it was a lesson he took to heart; while he was a UW student, he mentored and tutored other EOP students and became a role model for students who aspired to become dentists.

Oanh Hoang Truong, ’92, ’96 She made an amazing journey from her native Vietnam to Seattle after the fall of Saigon in 1975 to medical school at the UW. Today she serves the Silverdale community as a family practice physician.

Andrea Valdez, ’04 As a UW student, she was a member of Unidas Seremos and MEChA and helped recruit underrepresented minority students in Washington.

Today, she is a charge nurse on the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center. She plans to return to the UW to complete a master’s degree in nursing.

Conan Aishon Viernes, ’01 A UW President’s Medalist and winner of an American Physical Society scholarship, this Wapato native became an electrical engineer and went on to work in NASA’s

Georgette Bhathena

Fawn Sharp

David C. Herrera

Elese Adele Washines

Gerardo Flores

Conan Aishon Viernes

Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Today, he is an educator for the Yakima GEAR UP program.

Elese Adele Washines, ’05 A member of the UW’s first cohort of Costco Diversity Scholars, she was a Mary Gates Scholar and co-chairperson of First Nations while at the UW. She earned degrees in mathematics and American Indian Studies and has gone on to teach high school in her native Yakima Valley.

Gina Clemente Willink, ’97 A regular participant in the College of Engineering’s MESA (Minority Science and Engineering) program, she received an EOP Recogni-

tion Award while a UW student. Today, as a mechanical engineer for NASA, she has worked on the redesign of the space shuttle after the Challenger disaster.

Oanh Hoang Truong

Annie Young-Scrivner, ’91 She climbed the ladder of success to become one of the highest-ranking women in all of Pepsi. Her new role is chief marketing officer and vice president of sales for Quaker Foods and Snacks of Pepsi Corp. Greater China. She helped incorporate the UW into Pepsi’s exclusive and highly competitive minority internship program, giving private sessions to EOP students.

The 40 To Watch selection committee: Chair, Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06, Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity; Courtney Acitelli, ’08, Assistant Director, Alumni and Student Programs, UW Alumni Association; Sue Brockmann, ’72, Director of Marketing, Communications and Revenue Development, UWAA; Colleen Fukui-Sketchley, ’94, Vice President, UWAA Board of Trustees; Board Member, Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program; Corporate Diversity Affairs Specialist, Nordstrom; Kyle Funakoshi, Associate Director, Alumni and Student Programs, UWAA; Stephanie R. Gardner, ’01, ’06, Assistant Director of Community and Public Relations, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity; Bruce Hilliard, Academic Coordinator, Intercollegiate Athletics; David Iyall, Assistant Vice President for Advancement, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity; Greg Lewis, ’94, Director for Advancement, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity; Sandra Madrid, ’80, ’82, ’85, Assistant Dean for Students and Community Development, UW School of Law; Diane Martin, ’83, ’94, Associate Director, UW Career Center; Stephanie Miller, Assistant Vice President, Community and Public Relations, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity; Emile Pitre, ’69, Associate Vice President for Assessment, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity; Paul Rucker, ’95, ’02, Director of Alumni Relations and Programs, UWAA; Michael Verchot, Director, Business and Economic Development Center, Foster School of Business.

viewpoints 11

360° View: DIVERSITY FROM EVERY ANGLE Milestones

People in the News

Leon Preston, ’73, a part-time lecturer in the School of Social Work, was one of 29 tae kwon do referees at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He has practiced tae kwon do for more than 35 years.

Clarita Lefthand Begay, a UW doctoral student, has been honored with the Bullitt Environmental Prize, which includes a $100,000 award. The award is given to an outstanding Pacific Northwest graduate student who has prevailed in spite of a disadvantaged background. Begay, who is fluent in Navajo and is a member of the Navajo Nation, studies within the UW’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the School of Public Health.

The UW’s AccessComputing program received $2 million in continued funding from the National Science Foundation. This funding will be used to expand efforts to increase the participation of people with disabilities in computing fields nationwide.

The Intel Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant to GOMAP and John Drew, director of computing and information resources for The Graduate School, to enhance the National Name Exchange—a consortium of 53 doctorategranting institutions designed to increase the number of qualified minority students accepted into graduate school.

Jeff Skiba, a former UW student, set the world record in men’s high jump (6-10 ¾) and won a gold medal in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.

Timo Donahue, ’96, a Honolulu police officer and former UW baseball star, managed a Hawaiian team to the Little League World Series championship in August.

The Museum of Flight in Seattle plans to create a memorial honoring astronaut Michael P. Anderson, ’81, (below), who died in the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. The museum is also creating the Michael Anderson Memorial Aerospace Scholarship for Children of Color.

Sharon Maeda, ‘68, (right) has been hired as special projects director with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 21, which has more than 30,000 members. A former teacher, she helped launch the Youth Media Institute, an after-school and summer program for low-income youth in White Center and southwest Seattle.

Anna Maria de la Fuente, a UW doctoral student who was director of Seattle’s K-12 program MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement), was appointed director of Seattle Public Schools’ Math Program.

Hyeok Kim, ’96, executive director of Inter*Im Community Development Association, was honored at the Top Contributors to the Asian Community dinner in December. The University of Washington and the UW Nikkei Alumni Association were among the groups honored for putting on the 2008 event honoring Japanese American UW students who were forced into internment camps during World War II. Mia Williams, ’01, was appointed interim principal at Seattle’s Aki Kurose Middle School.

Williams was named Distinguished Assistant Principal of the Year in 2002-03, having served as assistant principal at Salmon Bay and Denny Middle Schools.

“...As you look back at your life, there are just a million different things that have happened, just in the right way, to allow you to make your dreams come true.” excerpts from NASA’s official pre-flight interview for STS-107

12 viewpoints

Diaz honored for youth outreach efforts

Seattle Police Officer Adrian Diaz, ‘06, has been honored with the City of Seattle’s 2008 Latino Heritage Award in recognition of his community service. Since joining the police department in 1997, Diaz has been a role model for local children.

Diaz, who holds a master’s degree in public administration from the UW’s Evans School of Public Affairs, is known as a champion for at-risk children and teens. He is involved in numerous community-based efforts including youth sports leagues, internship opportunities, gang-prevention programs and the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative.

He also is the education chair of the King County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the police department’s community liaison for its Latino Advisory Council.

Whether working with kids vulnerable to gang violence, promoting change through committee work or encouraging students as a wrestling coach, Diaz says he loves what he does.

“It is so important to be engaged in our communities,” Diaz says. “And we must believe something good is going to happen every day.” – Ina Zajac

UW Tacoma Cheryl Crazy Bull, president of NW Indian College and chair of the board of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, was the keynote speaker at UW Tacoma’s first conference on higher education and Native peoples in October. The symposium offered campus tours for students, teachers and families from nearby tribes, including the tribal communities of the Chehalis, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Puyallup, Suquamish, Port Gamble, S’Kallam and Squaxin Island.

UW Bothell UWB students August Promiss Aguirre and Vicky Herrera have been named recipients of this year’s UWB Costco Diversity Scholar Awards. Each winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship annually, with a total value of $40,000 over four years.

Terry Heldreth, ‘08, a member of the UW Bothell Alumni Council, traveled to India in November on a mission to serve with a group of medical professionals from the Pacific Northwest.

President Reagan signing The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 in an official ceremony with Cherry Kinoshita in attendance. Photo courtesy of Densho and the Kinshita Family Collection

Cherry Kinoshita, ’84, who fought for Japanese Americans who were uprooted and relocated to internment camps during World War II, died July 29. Her efforts led to a formal apology from the U.S. government. As a result, she received the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2004. She was 84.

In Memory Hirum G. Akita, ‘58, who was forced to leave his studies at the UW in 1942 for a Japanese internment camp, died Sept. 29. He worked for The Boeing Company and Prudential Insurance, and returned to the UW in 1958 to earn a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate. He was 90.

Tara Dee (Stiverson) Blair, ‘79, ‘82, an Inupiaq Eskimo lawyer known for her efforts to advance civil rights and economic security for Native Americans, died Oct. 6. She served as a policy analyst with the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs.

She was 54.

Lloyd C. Elam, ‘57, the first AfricanAmerican graduate of the UW School of Medicine, died Oct. 4. The Arkansas native earned his undergraduate degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago and came to the UW for medical school, graduating in 1957.

He later joined Meharry Medical College, a historically black medical school, and became the college’s

president in 1968. Elam served on the board of directors of the National Medical Association and the Black Psychiatrists of America. He was 79.

Junkoh Harui, ’55, (below) who with his wife, Christina, opened the first florist shop on Bainbridge Island in 1958, died Oct. 19. He was 75.

He restored the beloved Bainbridge Gardens and expanded the family nursery business after returning to Bainbridge after World War II. His family was forced to leave the island during the war.

Vi Hilbert, an Upper Skagit Tribe elder who taught a Salish language class at the UW and founded the Lushootseed Research Center in Seattle, died Dec. 19. She spent most of her life researching, documenting and translating the words and culture of Lushootseed. Hilbert was named a Washington State Living Treasure in 1989 and received an honorary doctorate from the UW. She was 90.

“ Cultivate the individual spirit and you cultivate new activities, new avenues of pursuit not only in life but in business.

I think it’s important to cultivate the individual spirit.”

Joseph H. Kosai, who served on the UW Tacoma Advisory Committee, died Nov. 4. The Tacoma native and his family were sent to a Japanese internment camp during World War II. He later returned to Tacoma and attended the UW before serving in the U.S. Army. He taught high school and spent 23 years as a counselor and administrator at Tacoma Community College. He served on the UW Tacoma Advisory Committee and was honored by the emperor of Japan with the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold Rays and Rosette from the government of Japan. He was 74.

Rosie Santizo, a former UW student and ex-ballgirl for the Mariners, died Sept. 3 in an auto accident in Amman, Jordan. In addition to serving as a Mariners ballgirl, she tutored Spanish-speaking major-league baseball players in English. She was 29.

Junkoh Harui

viewpoints 13

GRADUATE education SPOTLIGHT: Martinez Foundation working to support teachers of color Suzzallo Library’s Smith Reading Room is full of nervous chatter as a group of UW graduate teaching students meet two special guests. As introductions are made, it is impossible to tell who is most excited.

Top photo: Edgar Martinez (center, seated) and his wife, Holli, (behind him) talk with graduate students from the UW College of Education.

Bottom photo: Edgar and Holli Martinez created The Martinez Foundation to address racial inequities in education.

By Ina zajac Photos by Karen Orders

14 viewpoints

The students of color are meeting Edgar Martinez, the former Seattle Mariners star, and his wife Holli, ’08. For the Martinezes, it’s an opportunity to hear what these future classroom role models have to say about representing and inspiring students of color.

Last year, the couple, long known for their philanthropic work, founded The Martinez Foundation. Its mission: to strengthen communities by providing educational opportunities to people of color. Its main focus is the Master in Teaching Scholarship program, which provides annual scholarships and support services for graduate students of color working toward a Master’s in Teaching degree from the UW, Washington State University or Seattle University.

“We have thought about this for so long,” Holli tells the graduate students gathered around her in the Smith Reading Room. “We, and those who helped us craft our program, just felt it was the right thing to do. And meeting you face to face is so exciting because we can now see the impact.”

After students finish the program, they agree to begin their careers teaching in underserved communities where they can be supportive role models for young students of color.

UW graduate student Sara Gutierrez tells the group seated around her why she feels instilling confidence in students is so important. ”Students will need emotional strength and knowledge in order to work through academic challenges and frustrations,” she explains. “Most importantly, they need to see that I really care about them.”

The idea of launching a foundation came a few years ago when Holli and Edgar each became UW students. Holli earned a bachelor’s of arts degree in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (magna cum laude) at UW Bothell. Edgar completed a nine-month business program at the Seattle campus. In the process, they became aware of the racial inequities that still exist in education today—and they decided to do something to address it.

“The fact is that a child’s address and socioeconomic status often dictate their educational experience—and ultimately the direction of their lives,” Holli says. “This is unacceptable to us.”

The Martinez Foundation is also providing annual undergraduate scholarships for Latino students attending the UW and WSU. For more information about The Martinez Foundation, go to www.themartinezfoundation.org.

Ina Zajac is a Viewpoints staff writer

“ Students will need emotional strength and knowledge... most importantly, they need to see that I really care about them” Sara gutierrez, UW grad student

or years, diversity was largely defined by ethnicity and race. But this is certainly not the case in the wonderfully diverse world in which we all live.

Viewpoints, in its nearly five years of existence, has covered diversity in the broadest possible definition. And the UW Alumni Association leadership is working with the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity here on campus to expand both the University’s and the alumni association’s diversity efforts. Our goal is to be relevant and of service to our many constituencies.

The UWAA Board of Trustees’ Diversity Committee is under the capable leadership of our Vice President, Colleen FukuiSketchley, ’94. As corporate diversity affairs specialist for Nordstrom and a board member for the Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program, she is perfectly situated to guide the alumni association’s efforts as we work with the UW to connect and serve more alumni from underrepresented groups.

The alumni association has also made tremendous strides to broaden our working relationships at all three campuses to reach out to alumni and friends of the University. Our efforts in diversity are dedicated and sincere as together we build a stronger alumni community.

Viewpoints, the University’s signature diversity publication, will continue to tell the stories of diversity from all corners of the University. In this issue, we are making a special effort to reach out to a community that hasn’t received its due—younger alumni. Our efforts to tell the impactful stories of our “40 under 40”, will, I’m certain, be of interest and continue to make you proud of our University!

Rick Osterhout, ‘76, ‘78 UWAA President, 2008-09

Viewpoints’ new size saves paper, money In accordance with the Univeristy of Washington’s environmental stewardship program, Viewpoints is now being printed in a smaller format.

The new format shaves nearly 2 ½ inches off per page, resulting in savings of several thousand dollars per issue—a critical fact in this economic downturn.

In addition, by using less paper and ink, the new format is also more environmentally friendly since there will be less waste and less to recycle.

April 2, 2009 UW World Series – Grupo Corpo Brazilian group incorporates moves from African, Portuguese, modern, ballet, ballroom, and martial arts.

8 p.m., Meany Hall $20 for students; $39 for subscribers, $42 for the general public Contact: ticket@u.washington.edu or 206-543-4880

April 10-12, 2009 38th Annual First Nations at UW Spring Powwow Bank of America Arena, Hec Edmundson Pavilion Contact: 206-685-4147 or fnuw@u.washington.edu

April 16, 2009 UW Bothell Master of Arts in Cultural Studies Information Session 6:30-7:30 p.m., UW Bothell, UW1 103 For more information, visit: http://www.uwb.edu/IAS/macs/ Contact: 425-352-5427

April 23, 2009 The Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture

calendar

F

a view from the UWaa president

Speaker: Ratnesh Nagla, professor of social work known for his Intergroup Dialogue model Reception 5-6 p.m., Lecture 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Henry Art Gallery Auditorium, Free Contact: http://depts.washington.edu/omad/samKelly.shtml

May 13, 2009 OMA&D and Friends of EOP Celebration 2009

Come join the 39th annual Celebration presented by the OMAD and FEOP. 5:30-8:30 p.m., HUB Ballroom Tickets: $85 Contact: Stephanie Gardner at cpromad@u.washington.edu or 206-685-3422 http://depts.washington.edu/omad/celebration.shtml

May 16, 2009 Ethnomusicology Student Concert Students play works on piano from around the world.

7:30 p.m., Brechemin Auditorium, School of Music Tickets: $5 at the door; Contact: 206-685-8384

Grupo Corpo

viewpoints 15

1415 N.E. 45th street, Seattle, WA 98105

feop celebration W. Ron Allen to be honored

W. Ron Allen, ’83, longtime chairman and executive director of the Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe, will receive the Charles E. Odegaard Award at the 2009 FEOP Celebration on May 13 in the HUB Ballroom.

The event will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The public is invited. Go to http://depts.washington.edu/omad/celebration.shtml for information on the event.

The Odegaard Award honors a member of the University community whose leadership sustains the former UW president’s work on behalf of diversity at the UW and the citizens of the state. It is the only University- and community-selected award and is regarded as the highest achievement in diversity at the UW. For years, Allen has worked diligently to foster the relationships between the University and the region’s tribes. He is an active member of the Tribal Leadership Summit Host Committee and is co-chair of the House of Knowledge Planning and Advisory Committee. The UW House of Knowledge, a longhouse-style building, is planned for the UW campus as a gathering place for the University community’s Native American students.

Known nationally for his work in tribal sovereignty, treaty rights and government relations, Allen actively participates in the planning of the annual UW Tribal Summit, at which the region’s tribes meet with UW officials to create beneficial and substantive partnerships between the region’s tribes and the University.

Allen joins a long list of civic leadOMA&D and Friends of EOP ers who have received the prestigious Celebration 2009 Odegaard Award. Other winners May 13, 2009 include former Seattle Mayor Norm HUB Ballroom Rice, ’72, ’74, State Rep. Phyllis Guitier5:30 p.m. Reception rez-Kenny, ’79, King County Executive 6:30 p.m. Dinner & Program Ron Sims and Costco Wholesale Chairman Jeff Brotman, ’62, ’65.

Presented by the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity and the Friends of the Educational Opportunity program and, Celebration 2009 will honor UW students and bring together community activists and pioneers for diversity.

Tickets: $85 Contact: Stephanie Gardner at 206-685-3422 or stephgar@u.washington.edu http://depts.washington.edu/ omad/celebration.shtml