University of Washington Honors Program

Lunch & Learn with Michelle Koutnik
2026-05-04 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Mary Gates Hall, Suite 211Free and open to the UW community – please register here
In conversation with UW Honors Program Assistant Director, Brook Kelly, Professor Michelle Koutnik will draw from nearly 20 years of experience teaching and researching on the Greenland Ice Sheet and the Arctic to address the need for an integrated understanding of historical and contemporary contexts of environmental, socioeconomic, cultural, and political changes in the Arctic region.
Such an approach is critical in the current moment when recurring threats by the US to take over Greenland have significantly damaged the alliance and trust the US has historically had with Greenland, Denmark, and through NATO, while also creating day-to-day fear and uncertainty for Greenlanders. If making these threats is not in the interest of Americans, and acting upon them would be very damaging, what can we do in this current moment?
The Arctic is a critical region for national and international security, and circumpolar forums for dialogue and shared decision making already exist. Scientific research is strongly collaborative across nations. How can we advocate for centering cooperation and respect when addressing challenges and assessing opportunities in the Arctic?
Dr. Koutnik looks forward to discussing these vital questions with Brook, Honors students, and others who attend and join the conversation.

Spring CELEbration 2026
2026-05-06 16:30 - 19:30
Spring CELEbration is a forum for UW students to showcase their community-engaged work, leadership, and activism. We are so excited to celebrate all the accomplishments of our students and community partners. Friends, family, community partners, mentors, faculty, UW community members, and anyone interested are invited to attend! More information here.
WHERE: UW Seattle Campus, HUB Ballroom
WHEN: Wednesday May 6, 4:30-7:30pm
RSVP here: https://uw.givepulse.com/event/841236-Spring-CELEbration-2026

Neal Dempsey Visit
2026-05-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Mary Gates Hall 211
Join us for entrepreneur Neal Dempsey’s annual visit to UW Honors!

Neal Dempsey is a seasoned Silicon Valley venture capitalist and Triple Husky. He’s made a huge impact on UW Athletics, The Henry, the Honors Program, Foster School of Business, and our whole campus.
Neal is a regular speaker, author, and sometimes lecturer at the University of Washington. For the past 28 years, the Dempsey Startup Competition has provided a real-world experience for student entrepreneurs to promote their ideas and engage with the entrepreneurial community around new venture creation. Neal’s love of mentoring also led him to establish the Neal’s Running Start program, which brings entrepreneurs from around the world to Silicon Valley for an intensive mentorship program with Neal and his colleagues.

Neal is a longtime supporter of UW Honors, and he loves meeting with Interdisciplinary and Departmental Honors students from all majors to encourage you to embrace two values he thinks are important for success, no matter your professional goals or career path: being unafraid to take risks and welcoming failure as an opportunity for growth.
Space is limited! Click Here to RSVP for this engaging conversation.

Honors Movie Night
2026-05-26 17:00 - 19:00
Join us for our first ever Honors Movie Night!
Hosted by the Honors front desk student staff, we’re excited to have you join us at Movie Night. Enjoy snacks, pizza, and a fun movie voted on by you. We encourage you to bring homework, blankets, or anything else you would like to enjoy the movie with!
Vote on the movie and help us order enough pizza by filling out the RSVP form!
📅Date: Tuesday, May 26th, 2026
🕔Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍Location: Honors Suite (MGH 211)

Honors Graduation Ceremony
2026-06-11 17:30 - 19:30 | Kane Hall 130, 4069 Spokane Ln NE, Seattle, Washington, 98105, United States
We’re excited to congratulate our vibrant community of scholars and celebrate together with invited friends and family!
