Honors Grad Profiles

Proudest Moment: Starting UW Mutual Aid to support BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, undocumented, and/or first-generation UW students with Students of Color for Public Health. As of June 2021, the community build around our mutual aid program has raised over 60k for over 125 students!

mndamele@gmail.com

Hello, my name is Makayla, and I am graduating with my B.A. in Public Health-Global Health with a minor in Human Rights. I have lived in Washington my whole life but am proud to be the daughter of my mom who is from Chamula, Mexico and my dad who is from Balai, Ghana.

During my time at UW, I have had the honor of being both and intern and fellow with ROOTS Young Adult Shelter where I created educational trainings for volunteers on root causes of homelessness, anti-oppression, food safety, conflict response, and best practices and policies at ROOTS. This experience was supported by the CELE center where I have been able to grow a community. I have also been able to serve on the School of Public Health Dean’s Advisory Council for Students where my UW community only grew. My coursework has been such an incredible opportunity to work with others, reflect on my positionality, and advocate for others with intersectional, anti-racist, and abolitionist praxis. I created a virtual board game simulating how structural barriers, identities, and policy all interact and affect access to healthcare and wellbeing as one of my ad-hoc projects which I am hoping to continue developing alongside my partner. Community has been at the center of all my work and will be what drives all my work to come. I plan to pursue an MPH in the near future after I gain more experience working directly with my communities.

Proudest Moment: This past winter I had the opportunity of organizing Introduce a Girl to Renewable Energy as the Outreach Director of Women in Chemical Engineering. 193 girls showed up for an afternoon of hands-on instructional demos provided by UW STEM organizations

Thesis: Establishing a Method for the Quantification of Poly-ethylene Glycol Surface Density

evanepst@gmail.com

Hi! My name is Evan and I use he/him pronouns.

I moved to Seattle from Boston to attend UW. It's true what they say... west coast, best coast. Since moving here, I've discovered a love of the outdoors: hiking, camping and skiing on REAL mountains. I made some amazing friends, both in and out of Honors. But maybe most importantly, I found a direction.

I committed to Chemical Engineering in Sophomore year without any idea about what Chemical Engineering was. As researcher in the Nance Lab, a ChemE lab which engineers nanoparticles for use in the brain, I discovered a passion for applying my education and abilities to challenges facing pharmaceutical research. I took this new passion and interned for Just Biotherapeutics, working to overcome the limitations viscosity imposes on protein-based therapeutics. I hope to continue this work for years to come.

Proudest Moment: I was very honored to be offered the opportunity to pursue Departmental Honors and use the knowledge I had gained as an undergraduate research assistant toward an independent project!

Thesis: Molecularly Imprinted Chitosan Beads for Selective Removal of Perfluoroalkane Sulfonic Acids (PFSAs) in Water

vphanjones@gmail.com

Pursuing a degree at UW, I knew that I could make a difference in the way people interact with the environment through engineering. I'm very grateful for my time in the Aquatic Innovations in Materials Science (AIMS) Lab, where I was able to narrow the scope of my education and learn about current topics in water treatment. After graduation, I am looking forward to a career in sustainability for the betterment of people and the environment!

Proudest Moment: The summers I have spent in the field, living and working as an archaeological researcher in Oregon!

Thesis: “Through a Screen”: The Photogrammetry and Digital Curation of Belongings from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde”

sophimuro@gmail.com

Hi! My name is Sophie and I am a recent graduate of the Anthropology Department Honors Program! I am passionate about decolonizing museum collections and archaeological methods in order to create accessible resources for extant community members. In Fall 2020, I will begin a graduate degree in Museum Studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., with the long-term goal of working in collections management and curation. My time as an honors student has allowed me to travel, research, and build lasting connections with professors and community members!

Proudest Moment: I've had so much fun and have learned so much in my research of ravens in Yellowstone National Park. Getting involved with research was one of my goals going into college, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity I've had to be involved in the whole process, from data collection, to analysis, and finally the presentation of results.

Thesis: Using Fine-Scale Movement Data to Analyze Common Raven (Corvus corax) Roost Sites Across Time and Space in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Hello! My name is Georgia and I have spent the last four years immersed in the world of wildlife ecology. I never could have imagined all the opportunities that have come my way during my time at the UW. From studying abroad in Costa Rica, to leading students on field trips as a TA, to spending a week in Yellowstone National Park conducting research on ravens, it has been the most delightful adventure. Along the way I've learned to closely observe and identify nature in my surroundings and have gained a strong interest in ornithology, a field of science I now hope to pursue. With the support of my environmental peers and passionate professors (especially my mentor Dr. John Marzluff) I've gained the skills necessary to begin a career in wildlife science. I'm so excited to put my knowledge to use as a wildlife field technician and plan to eventually attend graduate school to further my skills as a wildlife biologist.

Proudest Moment: Being selected as a Husky 100 has been one of my proudest moments at UW.

ChiaraRDesantis@gmail.com

The University of Washington’s welcoming and open nature propelled me to embrace all parts of myself, especially my multiracial identity and hair loss disease, Alopecia Areata. Throughout my four years, I learned that there is power in looking different and want to use my platform to pay it forward. I chose to pursue a degree in Public Health-Global Health so I can use my own experiences within the healthcare system to bridge inequities and make it more inclusive and accessible for all.

Proudest Moment: One of the proudest moments for me at UW were those time when my teams won several very competitive business case competitions.

Thesis: ASC-606 Readiness and SAB 74 Disclosure Quality

kellylc31@icloud.com

I am an international student from China. I have had a challenging but wonderful 4-year experience here at UW Foster School of Business.

Foster has helped shape and define who I want to be in the future, and will continue to remind me of who I used to be, what I learned from my past and how I can take the lessons learned with me going forward.

As I am graduating, I am on the way to start my career at Deloitte Consulting NYC office. I hope Huskies can keep connected no matter where we go. Go purple, be gold!

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment has been establishing the UW Eye Club; an organization that promotes vision care awareness and related philanthropic opportunities.

Thesis: The evolution of French in a province surrounded by English

My Website radnick9@gmail.com

I have always had an interest for the complexities of the human. My passion has guided me towards a career in healthcare. In particular, i’ve found the technical aspects of surgery to be most appealing. After conducting research for over three years, i’ve come to appreciate the finer details of biology and how fascinating the life sciences can be. I was honored to be chosen twice as a Mary Gates scholar for my research. Sharing my research with others at the Undergraduate Research Symposium has been quite a memorable experience for me, where I’ve been able to converse with individuals and observe their diverse research interests. It was quite an inspiring event where I learned about the amazing work being done at the UW. Moreover, completing a dual-degree has given me the privilege to learn about two completely different studies, while still integrating them into my daily life. I’ve found that French gets me to think about every other educational aspect that Physiology cannot cover solely by itself. Whether it may be the practicality of learning the language itself, global and cultural history, or even philosophy and literature, I’ve felt like French has been a significant contributor in providing me a well-round education. I am eager to begin the next stage of my educational journey. Currently, I am completing my remote EMT training with the intent of joining my local county’s emergency services department and their search and rescue crew. Through this, I am hoping to gain useful life experience before I attend medical school.

Proudest Moment: Getting accepted into the Honors Program and having my thesis approved.

Thesis: Upon the Pyre - The Fiery Funerary Practices of Vientiane, Laos

teshal@uw.edu

I am the mother of a UW graduate and a no-eyed cat, a nurturer of plant life, and an enthusiastic cook. As a late bloomer in the world of education, previous episodes of my existence included working at Pike Place Market, cooking in New Orleans, and as a professional hairstylist in Seattle. The anthropology honors program was an incredibly fulfilling experience for me as it allowed me the independence and freedom to focus my research on an area of personal interest. I am passionate about human rights, politics, history, culture, and all of these as they are concentrated in Southeast Asia. I am grateful for the education that I have received from the University of Washington which will equip me to work in fields related to these passions and I am very excited to continue in the Master's program here and to see what lies beyond.

Proudest Moment: When I truly begun perceiving opportunities with excitement and eagerness as opposed to a sense of burdensome

Thesis: IoT in Space Exploration: Integrating the Customer Journey Value Chain

shoaib.nahas@gmail.com

I'm honored to have accelerated my undergraduate education to 3 years while pursuing both Marketing and Information Systems. I cherished my education by consistently engaging in academic and community projects in Seattle. Now, I'm thrilled to continue learning and developing as I embark into management consulting at ZS Associates.

Proudest Moment: Becoming a member of Phi Beta Kappa as a junior.

Thesis: Differential Development of Myelin in the Zebra Finch Song System Corresponds to Faster Song Tempo

One of my most significant experiences has been undergraduate research in Dr. David Perkel’s lab studying the neural mechanisms of learning, memory, and vocalization that allow singing in songbirds like zebra finches. I discovered how much I enjoy the challenges of research and understanding how research can translate into clinical medicine and patient care.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my coursework to earn degrees in Neurobiology and Psychology. I love studying everything and anything about the nervous system, from molecular mechanisms to anatomy, from neuropharmacology to the neural basis of human behavior.

During my Husky years, I discovered my passion for helping others. I now know that I want to help people improve their health and I plan to attend medical school. I am very grateful for love and support from my family, friends, and mentors. I am also proud to earn Departmental Honors in Neurobiology and be a part of the UW Honors Family.

Proudest Moment: Finally finishing my thesis and winning the Lev Award

Thesis: How the Rise of Local Identity Eroded Pan-Chinese Nationalism in Taiwan and Hong Kong

As a Taiwanese American, the nuances of Taiwan's complicated relationship with China has always fascinated me and is also a catalyst for my interest in political science and international relations. Throughout my undergraduate career, I was involved with various on-campus organizations that focused on important international issues. Most notably, I served as President for the Model United Nations club at UW. Through my role, I attended and staffed various international and local conferences where I was able to gain a better understanding of and appreciation for the dynamics of the international community.

This fall, I will be attending UW Law School as a Gregoire Fellow. This unique opportunity will offer me the chance to receive mentorship from former governor Christine Gregiore and to intern at a variety of local law firms, government agencies, and corporations. As a future law student, I hope to study international business law and continue to learn about Asian law and government.

Proudest Moment: Thus, after completing bachelor's degree at this amazing UW, I hope to pursue my dream of becoming medical doctor and the medical anthropologist and hope to serve as the stepping stone towards inclusive community-building with cultural humility here and in Myanmar.

Thesis: apartheid, the State of Exception, and Rohingya Women in Myanmar (Burma): An Auto-Ethnographic Intervention

trinity.ttmo@gmail.com

Hi there! My name is Thu Thu and I am originally from Myanmar (Burma). Studying at the UW has been a great privilege for me as I have got to meet so many passionate and amazing people who have now become my family. From cliff diving and dipping my feet in taro farms during the study abroad trip in Hawaii to excavating the role of my own in the society fueled by apartheid and health disparities, the UW has given me so many opportunities to challenge myself beyond my own fear and the limits! What's more, through writing poetry, auto-ethnography, and storytelling, I have become more mindful and aware of the racial disparities and injustice around us.

Proudest Moment: Getting the Foster Undergraduate Scholarship

raewang98@gmail.com

I'm thankful that the honors program has challenged me to research more in my interested academic areas. For my two ad hoc projects, I completed a research paper discussing America-China Trade War and one regarding "Clustering Performance Comparison Between Expectation Maximization Algorithm and K-means Using Spotify Data". Cheers to all the hard work and happy graduation to all the class of 2020 huskies!

Proudest Moment: Completing my 9 month long capstone project and finding an amazing team of support throughout my journey at UW.

Thesis: Utilizing Technology for Interpretive Materials in Urban Parks (Friends of Discovery Park)

pakgina96@yahoo.com

I'm entirely grateful for my experience at the University of Washington. I have learned so much about how to think critically and work with different groups of people on a variety of projects, while also balancing work and a social life. I'm so passionate about the environment, sustainability and building community! I cannot wait to use these skills I have gained through my undergraduate experience to make an impact on the world, no matter how small or large!

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW has yet to come, but will certainly be when I submit this Honors thesis in June!

Thesis: Bolstering “less-than-ideal lovers”: an analysis of the treatment of heroes in modern Jane Austen film adaptations

My Website webb.arad9@gmail.com

Throughout my time at UW, I changed my major about 17,000 times, slipped in Red Square three times, and took more than one Zoom class in my pj's in a closet in order to get a bit of quiet. With all of that said, I had an absolutely, mind-blowingly amazing time. I have met life-changing people, settled on a degree that I absolutely love (go, book nerds!), and have had countless experiences that have made me a better thinker and a kinder person. I am so lucky and ever-so-thankful to have attended this university and to have been a part of English honors. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me along the way.

I look forward to a hopeful career in editing following my graduation because, after four years of reading a bunch of words, apparently I just haven't had enough.

Proudest Moment: Seeing the public release of the Washington Legislative Explorer, a database project that was the culmination of more than a year of hard (and often arduous) work.

Thesis: Judicial Prescience: How Judges Incorporate Expectations in Grants for Certiorari

My Website

When I got to UW, I was going to be attending my third college; after receiving an A.S. from North Idaho College and transferring from the University of Oklahoma, my curiosity always got the better of me and I could never settle on a field. Nonetheless, I was determined and the faculty, resources, and opportunities at UW allowed me to grow into my passion. Over the last three years, I was able to complete a research fellowship, the political science honors program, write two independent research papers, and produce a web database to help citizens educate themselves on the activities of the Washington state legislature. Even more fulfilling are the bonds to friends, faculty, and a community of scholars.

I am taking my next step in the fall as I start a Ph.D. in Politics at Princeton, where I was honored with a Centennial Fellowship. To my friends, family, professors, and all those who supported me -- thank you and Go Dawgs!

Proudest Moment: Co-author an academic paper that will publish soon.

chengz96@uw.edu

Glad that I spent the most memorable four years as a husky. I was lucky to get involved in multiple life-changing research projects, preparing myself for the coming Ph.D. studies. The experience, and the connections with faculties and friends are the treasures for the rest of my life, and I believe everybody feels this way.

Congratulations to all the graduates!
Go Dawgs! Go Huskies!

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment was receiving a study abroad scholarship to study in Canada through the Killam Fellowships Program.

My two passions in life are earth sciences and performing arts. I am so glad that I was able to pursue both at the University of Washington, majoring in Earth and Space Sciences with departmental honors and minoring in Dance. Throughout my years in college, I have received three scholarships, studied abroad for four months in London, Ontario, CA, and became involved in two research projects with the Earth and Space Sciences and Atmospheric department. I am proud to be graduating with departmental honors and cum laude.

Proudest Moment: I had the opportunity to be a TA for Accounting 215, the introductory financial accounting course. As a TA I was able to inspire interest, and hype up the fundamentals of accounting to students, while also mentoring students beyond the classroom to chase their goals at UW and in life!

Thesis: How Macroeconomic Events Shape Venture Capitalist's Investments

Hi, my name is Madisen Mead and I graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and Finance. I am passionate about international business and world travel, and have studied abroad in Barcelona and Ireland, and completed the Foster Certificate of International Studies in Business (CISB) program and minored in Spanish.
My research in to the impact of world events on venture capitalist's investments, further inspired my interest in the growing Seattle startup and venture capital space!
I am excited to start at Deloitte in their audit practice in the Fall, and am a huge husky football and basketball fan- go dawgs!

Proudest Moment: The proudest moment is being awarded the Mary Gates Scholarship for my research conducted at UW.

Thesis: A Biodegradable, Multifunctional Hydrogel as a Vascular Graft Sealant

My professional interests are studying physiology and biochemistry and trying to engineer low cost, reasonable, and effective solutions to problems that arise in the human body such that they can be treated successfully. This passion will hopefully lead me towards a career in medicine where I hope to contribute towards revolutionizing the way medicine is practiced. Participating in a translational research project for 3 years has sparked my interest in the field of research and how it is related to medicine. During my spare time I am interested in playing and watching basketball, cooking, and exercising.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment was getting the opportunity to attend UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy as a Law Fellow through the Public Policy and International Affairs Program

Thesis: School To Prison Pipeline

imanm1998@gmail.com

I am a first-generation college student and the daughter to Ethiopian immigrants. My passion for choosing this path of education is to one day shape Public Policy around issues of bias in our criminal justice system, more specifically in their use of punishment. I am passionate about working to dismantle mass incarceration because of how it is disproportionately affecting Black people and all people of color. My honor’s thesis gave me a deeper understanding of the School-to-Prison pipeline and has allowed me to determine how I want to create in the world after my time at the University of Washington. I plan on pursuing a Master’s in public policy with a focus on criminal justice and education to create systemic change and equity to these issues.

Proudest Moment: Majoring in English

Phi Beta Kappa, English departmental Honors, OWRC tutor, Engl 281 TA,

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW is completing my senior thesis after two years of research.

Thesis: Novel Biosensor Design for Small-molecule Drugs and Neuropeptides

I am from Vietnam. I am thrilled to be graduating in BS Biochemistry this June. At UW, I have spent my time in Dr. Liangcai Gu's lab in Biochemistry department studying biosensors. I had a strong passion for pharmacy since I was young. In my free time, I love traveling, cooking, and reading history books. After graduation, I will be staying at UW to pursue my PharmD program.

Proudest Moment: I am proud of the growth I have seen in my person over these past years.

Thesis: Investigating the Properties and Mechanism of Action of Potential Novel Analgesic AS1

Lais is an avid scholar with an interest in neuroscience, biology, nutrition, and more. During her time at the University of Washington, she worked in the de la Iglesia lab on a project on the NaV1.1 channel in Dravet Syndrome, for which she won the Mary Gates Research Scholarship in winter of 2019. She then was a Pain Research Scholar in 2019 and moved to the Dhaka lab. She wrote her Neuroscience Departmental Honors Thesis on her work in the Dhaka lab on the impact of a potential novel analgesic AS1 on aversion in zebrafish.
Outside of school, Lais spends time volunteering through COPE and at ROOTS Young Adult shelter. She also enjoys biking, drawing, and reading.

Proudest Moment: Getting invited to join Foster's Honors Program

My entire life I traveled the world with my circus family, and only in the last five years have I settled down. In this time, I have managed to participate in the Running Start program, thereby saving two years worth of time and tuition, and complete Foster's Honor's Program! Although prioritizing my studies has been well worth it, I think I'm ready to return to my roots and rejoin the artistic community. Except now I have the ability to both be on stage as well as run the business.

Proudest Moment: Holding a baby octopus caught in a bottom trawl during a research cruise on the RV Rachel Carson!

Thesis: The Effects of Increased Salinity on the Behavior and Survival of Juvenile Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister): Implications for the Control of Burrowing Shrimp in Willapa Bay, Washington

As a SAFS major, you might guess I love just about anything that has to do with water or the things that live in in, and you would be correct! Some of my favorite activities include swimming, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, paddle boarding, fishing, hiking, and spending time outdoors with my family and friends. In my free time, I also love to read, ride horses, dance, hang out with my pets, cook, and bake.

I worked throughout my time at UW at the Burke Museum Fish Collection, Biology Department Field Trip Program, and the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team. With these organizations I was able to gain valuable experience and connections, and still managed to maintain a high GPA and consistently receive awards and recognition from my School and College.

I am also a first generation college student, and as the first in my family to graduate from a University, I am especially proud to say that I was able to fully fund my higher education with the help of contributions from generous scholarship donors. I am so thankful to all those who have supported me on my pursuit for education, and will forever treasure my UW family and memories!

Proudest Moment: Conducting research on a topic I was so passionate about!

Thesis: Photovoice: Illuminating the Impacts of Inclusive Education Services in United States Public Schools

My Website daniellebenedict7@gmail.com

Dani is graduating from the University of Washington with honors and a BA in Social Welfare. Throughout her journey through the School of Social Work Honors Program, she has used the opportunity to critically reflect on the current state of inclusion and special education services in our public schools using a Community-Based Participatory Approach to allow students with disabilities to advocate and be the primary voices for special education reform. While at UW Dani has filled the roles of Vice President for the Mortar Board Tolo Chapter National College Honor Society, Community Service Co-Chair for the Organization of Student Social Workers, acted as a First-Year Interest Group (FIG) Leader, Dawg Daze Leader, and former UW Dream Project mentor and High School Lead. In her future Dani will be continuing her academic career by pursuing a Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Children, Youth, and Families. In her future Dani looks forward to supporting people with disabilities in attaining inclusion through meaningful employment in the community and having equitable access to education.

Proudest Moment: Making a difference for low resource setting health care while studying abroad in Nepal!

I am a bioengineer fascinated with the brain and pursuing science that can help people suffering from neurological conditions. I will be attending the University of Pennsylvania next year as a doctoral candidate for a PhD in bioengineering, and I can't wait to continue being interested in science, trail running, and learning new things in a new city across the country!

Proudest Moment: For as long as my passion for pediatrics has existed, I had an extraordinarily ironic fear of working with premature infants. My senior capstone clinical at the UWMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has allowed me to overcome my fear in providing care for the smallest humans and become a confident caregiver to children of all ages and sizes.

Thesis: The Doorway Cafe: Addressing Youth Homelessness with a Cafe Model

As my undergraduate career comes to a close, I reflect on all that I have accomplished in the last five years at UW and all the personal and societal values that hold more closely as a direct result of my public health and nursing education. I believe that my two deepest personal values, family and good health, are consistent with the values of most people. My future career as a pediatric nurse and practitioner not only upholds these two values, but gives me the unparalleled fulfillment of helping youth to live healthy lives so they too can become the nurses, doctors, engineers, teachers, and philanthropists of the coming generation.

Proudest Moment: Reflecting on how far I have come as a dancer, artist, and educator, I am most proud of the blend artistic and academic work that I have been able to accomplish while at UW. From choreography to performances, research projects and community building, I am leaving UW with a mosaic of fulfilling experiences.

Thesis: Dance in Color Guard Educational Programs

sellman.megan@gmail.com

Megan began dancing at her local dance studio, alongside various color guard programs, most notably the Blue Devils Drum Corps. During her time at the university, she has served as the president of the Dance Student Association, worked as the Assistant for the Chamber Dance Company, and has completed honors research connecting dance, education, and color guard. She is looking forward to continuing a career in dance after graduation, and is thankful for the generosity, creativity, and community in the Department of Dance.

Proudest Moment: Being accepted to the two major programs.

I explored cold atom experiments and photonics in labs at UW, and I will start my graduate study this year. I hope that I can become a good experimentalist.

Proudest Moment: Organizing and teaching a six week intensive lab internship program for four local underprivileged high school students!

Thesis: How Does the Cell Polarity Protein Crumbs Regulate Tube Formation in Drosophila Melanogaster Egg Chambers?

sydneybowker@comcast.net

Hey, I'm Syd and I'm graduating with a BS in Biochemistry with departmental honors! I worked as a researcher in Genome Science's Berg Lab for all four years of college. I'm hoping to pursue a career in clinical research coordination after graduation. During my time at UW I made a some great friends and learned a lot about myself and my interests. I am proud to be a first generation student, and glad to be graduating in Seattle, the city I grew up in.
With huge thanks to my family and friends who have supported me throughout my life, and especially over the last four years.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW was finishing my 30-minute documentary that shared the voices and stories of the indigenous people on the Olympic Coast.

Thesis: Ocean Acidification and Native Tribes: Sharing Stories from the Olympic Coast

Throughout my time at UW, I've had so many great experiences. As a two-year member of the SURE-EH (Student Undergraduate Research Experience in Environmental Health) program, I have completed two year-long independent research projects under the guidance of my faculty mentor Dr. Tania Busch Isaksen. Last year, my project focused on improving food waste sorting and recycling at Kirkland Middle School in Washington. During this project, I had the opportunity to first design my own methodology to conduct a waste audit at the school and then was able to instruct and work alongside students to help complete the audit. After analyzing the data with the specific goal of identifying barriers to proper food waste disposal, I created a poster to be displayed in the school’s hallway and collaborated with the school's Green Team to guide future targeted recycling improvement efforts. Continuing with the topic of food waste but at a larger scale, my project with SURE-EH this year involved improving the food waste management system of local food trucks. The City of Bellevue, a community with a robust food truck culture, was looking to revise its current food truck permitting process and was interested in incorporating a sustainable waste management component. In collaboration with two graduate students, I performed a policy analysis to identify the best practices of successful existing sustainable food truck operations around the country. From there, my team and I created qualitative interview questions and surveys and conducted interviews with key stakeholders in Bellevue such as food truck operators, waste management contractors, food donation organizations, and customers. My findings from this research will then be used to inform key recommendations to the City of Bellevue in launching their new sustainable food truck permitting program. Outside of SURE-EH, I also performed research as part of my senior capstone project. I interned with Washington Sea Grant on a project that involved partnering with indigenous coastal communities to examine how ocean acidification is affecting key marine resources as well as overall tribal well-being on the Olympic Coast of Washington. Within the project, my primary role involved conducting and recording in-person interviews with key partners involved in the project such as scientists, oceanographers and tribal leaders which I then edited into a short documentary highlighting the voice of native tribes and the effect these climate-related ocean changes have on their well-being. From there, I then conducted my own research on the vulnerabilities of Olympic Coast’s native peoples to ocean acidification from a food security, economic, and cultural perspective. Besides research, I'm is also currently working with King County DNRP Solid Waste Division as a Recycling and Environmental Services intern. For the past year, I have collaborated and assisted on a multitude of different projects ranging from the Green Schools program, transfer station recycling, the Threadcycle campaign, and many more. In this position, I have completed tasks such as updating public webpages with climate change information, designing infographics and displays to be distributed to schools, analyzing landfill waste tonnage data for potential recycling opportunities, and produced a video demonstrating ways to reduce food waste. Lastly, I've been a member and officer with UW's LUX Film Production club for the past three years. With this club, I've had the fun experience of working with other student filmmakers to write, create, and edit short films each quarter. As one of the club's many screenwriters, I'm so grateful to have had the chance to write dozens of screenplays and improve my writing ability. UW and the range of experiences it has to offer has allowed me to explore my interests and have worthwhile experiences that have lead me to be both prepared and excited for my journey after graduation.

Proudest Moment: Working on problem sets with my friends are both the proudest and most rewarding moments that I've had at UW. Solving some 446 problems with Luke are definitely the most memorable of the bunch.

Thesis: Verifying Strong Eventual Consistency in δ-CRDTs

My Website ttaylorr@cs.washington.edu

I am graduating with a BS in Computer Science with Departmental Honors from the Paul G. Allen School for Computer Science, and a minor in Mathematics. My thesis is about verifying that δ-CRDTs achieve Strong Eventual Consistency. After graduation, I am continuing to work at GitHub full-time.

Proudest Moment: My senior year I scored 13 points at the PAC-12 meet and helped our team place 3rd, our highest ever team finish!

Thesis: Testing for Evidence of High Altitude Adaptations among Endurance Athletes

Hello! My name is Katie and I am a graduating senior in HEB and MAGH. You can find my outside running, hiking, or camping when I am not working on my honors thesis! I am a member of the UW track and field team and a 13 time All-American. I was born and raised in Colorado and you can find me back in the mountains once I graduate this June!

Proudest Moment: I helped to establish the new Law, Societies, and Justice Student Advisory Council in order to further student goals and promote antiracist policies and practices in the department. Through this experience, I not only had the opportunity to do meaningful work and give back to my academic community, but also got to work with my super awesome fellow council members!

kelseybkinoshita@gmail.com

Hello my name is Kelsey! I just graduated with a BA in both Philosophy and Law, Societies, and Justice. I'm interested in the intersections between law and philosophy, especially pertaining to ethics and justice at both a national and international level.

Proudest Moment: Finishing the Russian language series

Thesis: Information Operations in Action: Russian Trolls and Black Lives Matter on Twitter

Coming from Texas, I had no idea what to expect from both UW and Seattle, but after four years I have found my academic passions and a great community! I learned Russian, studied abroad in Moldova and Greenland, and discovered my passion for both cybersecurity and climate change. Developing and writing my honors thesis on disinformation was perhaps one of the most intellectually challenging things I did during my time at UW, but it is something I'm incredibly proud of completing. During my time at UW, I researched for the UNFPA and Microsoft, worked as a writing tutor at the POL S/JSIS/LSJ writing center, and served as a mentor to international students. Even though studying at UW was often challenging, I am sad to be leaving the campus and incredibly glad I chose to make Seattle my home.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moments have been in performing with the Husky Marching Band! The collective pride and energy after finishing a half time show is unreal and I will miss it.

amctapps@hotmail.com

My goal is to become a licensed School Psychologist after grad school. My interests include Scandinavian area studies, marching band, and gardening.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest memories at UW was being able to present my research at the 2021 Undergraduate Research Symposium with my family and friends in the audience.

Thesis: Exploring Cultural Competencies within Ethnically-Defined Alcoholics Anonymous Groups

These four years at UW have been such an amazing experience! I have had the pleasure of taking amazing classes within both Sociology and Communication where I've met likeminded students and supportive professors. This past year, I had the privilege of being a part of the Sociology Honors Program. Working on my independent research has been so fulfilling and I am so grateful to my advisors, cohort, friends, and family for encouraging me every step of the way! I am proud to end my time at UW with the ability to present my research that I have worked so incredibly hard on. Beyond academics, for the past four years, I have been a team member on UW's premier Bollywood dance team, UW Kahaani. My senior year, I had the opportunity to be one of the captains for Kahaani and build on my leadership and choreography skills. I cannot thank my team enough for being some of the best people I have ever met and I owe some of my best memories at UW to them! I am so thankful for the people that I've met during my time at UW and will truly miss them all!

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest memories is working with high school students on college admission through the Pipeline Project.

I recently graduated from the University of Washington magna cum laude with a degree in English. I'm currently pursuing a Masters in Teaching at the UW with a Secondary English Language Arts Endorsement, and I hope to become a high school English teacher in the Seattle area.

Thesis: Understanding Geographies of Fear and Safety in Urban Transit Space

adriennehub@gmail.com

My parents met when my mom was a TA for a class my dad took during his undergrad; attending UW has always been my goal and dream. I feel immensely proud to be a third generation UW graduate. The last two years here have been challenging, transformative, and more meaningful than I know how to articulate right now. After receiving my associate degree through Running Start at Bellevue College, I immersed myself within the Geography department at UW and found my place within academia. Geography is a field wide enough to encompass all my interests; cartography, emotional geographies, public transportation, urbanism, feminist and gender studies. I love collecting maps and riding trains and talking to people about the emotions they experience in the cities they love. I am forever grateful to the UW geography community for teaching me how to experience and think critically about place and belonging. Being a part of the Geography department honors program allowed me to write the thesis I have felt compelled to write, a project that emerged from my own lived experience. I don't know exactly where I'm going next; maybe urban planning, or teaching social studies to high school kids, or working for a non-profit. Grad school is on the horizon, somewhere and at some point in time. I'll spend this summer riding trains across the country and catching up on all the reading I have been meaning to do, and then I'll find a place where I can help create some tangible change in this world (or at least in this city). I'm about to turn twenty years old and I know that my most important accomplishments are yet to come.

Proudest Moment: Being inducted to the Husky 100

Thesis: Deep Learning Applied to Unreliable Contact Prediction in De Novo Protein Models

My Website

I'm a new Ph.D. student at the joint Carnegie Mellon -- University of Pittsburgh Computational Biology program. My primary research interests are improving out-of-the-box deep learning methods for computational biology and biological simulation. I aim to improve therapeutics development and bioinformatics availability in low resource settings.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at the University of Washington was creating an ethnographic scrapbook about Japan’s health outcomes, complete with interviews of my family and friends.

megan.r333@gmail.com

Hi! My name is Megan and I am majoring in Public Health-Global Health and minoring in Education, Learning, and Society. My interests lie in promoting inclusive and accessible spaces and advocating for equity among people of all races and genders. I have worked at the Fred Hutch COVID Clinical Research Center during the coronavirus pandemic. I enjoy using my public health background to connect with people from diverse backgrounds while being a part of new and exciting research. Thank you to all my professors, friends, and family for supporting me through my honors experience!

Proudest Moment: Getting accepted in the Columbus School of Law with a full scholarship

Thesis: Dysfunction: A Terminal Family Illness

I hail from Virginia and have lived there my entire life. However, for college I knew that I wanted to get off of the East Coast. After visiting UW, I fell in love with it and was determined to attend, and now I find myself about to graduate with a degree from an incredible university. The UW has been great to me. I have found the facility and people on campus incredible. Originally a chemistry major, a mishap in Calc 124 lead me to rethink my decision. I took a single english class the spring of my freshman year. It was American Lit 250 with John Griffith, and from there I was hooked! I changed majors and became an English major. I instantly fell in love with the program and the department. The professors were incredible! At UW, I have had plenty of Professors I did not like. But in the English department, I loved all of my professors! They are all great! And my fellow students were also great! Very friendly and intelligent. I decided in the spring of 2018 to apply to the English Honors Program and I am so glad I did because my experience in the program has been great! It takes the best parts of the English program and makes them even better! Overall, I am incredibly happy that I became an English Major and that I took the honors track.

Proudest Moment: Complete my Honors!

Thesis: The Effect of Bilingualism on Episodic Memory

mengfeiliu9514@gmail.com

I am an international student from China, I have always been interested in Psychology and all different kinds of psychological research. Completing the Honors program is a big accomplishment in my college career and I do not regret doing it at all. I have learned so much through the process. High recommend doing Honors if you want to have a small sense of what graduate school is like.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments is the time I spent abroad where I really grew as an individual during a challenging time.

Thesis: “I get out and start walking”: Refusal of the Asian American Family Unit by Exploring Debt, Migrancy, and Queer Reproduction in Ling Ma’s Severance

Originally from Boulder, Colorado, I've lived in 5 different cities during my college experience. Movement has characterized my understanding of the world and meeting new people and learning new things is something I always seek in my life.

I'm graduating with a BBA with a Marketing concentration and a BA in English: Language and Literature. The English Honors program was one of my favorite endeavors in college because I truly loved getting to know my cohort and learning in a supportive environment. I also learned how much I enjoy learning about critical theory and conducting research and I look forward to applying to graduate programs to continue my research on racial capitalism, Marxist feminist studies, and Asian American literature!

At UW, I worked at doughnuts and coffee shops, literary agencies and publishers, and focused on mentorship with my RSOs. I have fond memories of speaking with professors after class outside Suzzallo, reading in the quad during Spring Quarter, and hosting brunches with my roommates. It's been an incredible 4 years!

Proudest Moment: I have always dreamed of going to veterinary school, and I knew that with enough hard work I’d make it there. What I did not yet know was the amazing community of people I would surround myself with in my time at UW who helped me reach my goals and celebrated my success by my side.

The opportunities I’ve been given as a UW student have shaped me into the person I am today, and continue to push me forward toward achieving my goals. Through my sorority, I have discovered my strengths as a leader and the power of teamwork. Through the UW Pre-Vet Society, I built connections that helped me gain first vet assistant job, guided me through the vet school application process, and brought me new friends. Academically, several professors on this campus pushed my thinking and challenged me in ways I didn’t expect, and I am better for it. I am fortunate enough to have received several scholarships that made it possible for me to attend UW while saving for veterinary school which I’ll be starting this fall.

Proudest Moment: Got accepted into a PhD program.

Thesis: Risk Factors for Hospital Readmission in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Using Survival Analysis Methods

tq21@uw.edu

I grew up in Suzhou, China. I’m broadly interested in the statistical methodology used in Epidemiology and Causal Inference. My undergraduate honors thesis focuses on applying survival analysis methods to identify risk factors for hospital readmission of type 2 diabetes patients. I love animals, especially dogs and seals. I also enjoy watching classical concerts.

Proudest Moment: Completing my thesis and graduating with honors

Thesis: An Evaluation of an Automatically Generated Grammar of Ik

I am most interested in studying computational linguistics and historical linguistics. I found linguistics accidentally when I decided to take an intro course as an elective in my freshman year. I realized I liked it so much that I switched majors the next quarter. I am also interested in history, astronomy, evolution and computer science. I got to study abroad in Rome this past year and it was one of my favorite experiences at UW. After graduation, I am looking forward to returning to UW for a master's program in computational linguistics.

Proudest Moment: My honors thesis on #MeToo, my EDUC 401 program, where I mentored three individuals for three separate quarters, and winning second place at the Deloitte Case Competition for consulting.

Thesis: #MeToo: To what extent does hashtag activism around #MeToo spur cultural and institutional changes?

My Website pdoowa@uw.edu

I was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand and I moved to Seattle for my undergraduate studies at the University of Washington. I am graduating with a Journalism degree with minors in Nutritional Sciences and Writing. During my time at the UW, I have received two scholarships, the Max & Monica Journalism Scholarship and the Marjorie Kaczor Alhadeff Endowed Scholarship for Journalism. I am interested in pursuing a career in consulting and marketing post-graduation but I have a passion for travelling so I'll be doing that during the summer!

Proudest Moment: Finding my best friends at Rainy Dawg, completing my thesis, and graduating Magna Cum Laude!

Thesis: "We Gon' See the Future First": Subjection, Melancholy, and Queer Utopian Aesthetics in Frank Ocean's Blonde

My Website samwooley@comcast.net

Originally from Edmonds, Washington, I transferred to the UW my sophomore year after a short stint at Occidental College in Los Angeles. I quickly declared my English major after taking Jessica Burstein's captivating course on Modern and Postmodern Literature, where I fell in love with Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf. In my senior year, I completed the English Honors program, which allowed me to more closely explore my interest in popular media and its relation to temporality and identity. Specifically, I explored Frank Ocean's recent album Blonde and the future-oriented queer utopian aesthetic I understood it to be articulating. Outside of school, I have been involved with Rainy Dawg Radio since my first quarter on campus. That Fall, I applied to be a volunteer DJ at the student-run radio station. I ended up DJing there for two years, and this most recent year, I was able to serve as the station's Music Director. Rainy Dawg was a wonderful experience for me, allowing me to ground myself in a community within this massive campus. My future plans are currently undecided: in the next year, I hope to travel, write, and keep making rent, and in the long-term future I aim to pursue a career in either academia, high school education, literary publishing, or public radio, or perhaps some combination of these.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest memories at UW was having the opportunity to share my passion for bioengineering with other students through my position as a TA!

Thesis: Regulating chimeric γc cytokine receptor expression through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted integration

Hi, I'm Piper! It has been an amazing four years at UW, and I'm so grateful for the many amazing experiences I've had here. It was a pleasure learning alongside so many brilliant students and having the chance to explore my passions through classes, volunteering, and research. I am excited to spend the next couple years working before heading to grad school or medical school! Thank you to my professors, friends, and family for their never-ending support and encouragement in the pursuit of my dreams.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment is when I got into the Foster School of Business with one single try! I know there are so many talented people out there so it felt even more special knowing how strong my competitors are. I really appreciate the opportunity which introduced me to the Foster community and taught me so much throughout the years =)

Thesis: "How Does the COVID-19 Affect the Market of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)?" / "Emergence of Self-Indexing in the ETF Market"

I am so incredibly humbled and honored to be graduating as an honor student in the finance major. Throughout my years at the UW, I am so grateful to work with so many amazing researchers, scholars, professors and collegues. Being alongside so many insanely talented people has really taught me to never stop challenging yourself while to always remain humble because there's simply so much to learn from everyone out there.

Academically and career-wise, I mainly focus my studies around financial asset management and pricings. I did two of my research topics alongside two proficient professors and experienced researches surrounding topics on the Exchange-Traded-Funds markets. My passion in finance is to utilize the knowledge as an efficient tool to help companies make more well-rounded decisions and help consumers make wiser choices. I aim to always analyze problems in a multi-faceted fashion therefore I look forward to working with so many different people with different perspectives after graduation.

I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate everyone who has been in my life so far. Special thanks to Professor Zeng and Professor Song for aiding and guiding me through my research. Thank you to my great parents who supported me and gave me the uttermost understanding throughout my four years in college.

Proudest Moment: The Rainy Dawg studio is the most magical place on campus bar none. I spent many hours there on my show, planning operations of the station, and bonding with my staff and DJ corps.

Thesis: Right-to-Work Legislation and its Effects on Employment, Wages, Disability, and Healthcare Coverage: An Investigation Using Panel Survey Data

maxbryla@gmail.com

I was the General Manger of Rainy Dawg Radio for 2 years. I was the host of the Hot Sauce Time Machine, my weekly radio show. I love ambient, shoegaze, and punk music, among many genres. I'm also interested in data and economics, and hope to use skills I've gained to advance social equality and improve material conditions for the global and national poor.

Proudest Moment: Organizing the statistics directed reading program

Thesis: Identification and Estimation of Direct Causal Effects

Hi I'm Emily and I love statistics! During my time at UW, I have worked as a tutor in the statistics study center, advocated for women in STEM, and was chosen as one of the Husky 100. My experiences in WAMM, as a research fellow at NOAA, and more inspired me to co-found the statistics directed reading program with the aim of getting students from all backgrounds involved in statistics. I am excited and grateful to begin the next chapter in my story as I pursue a PhD in Statistics at UC Berkeley.

Proudest Moment: being in Jumpstart program!

Thesis: Roles of Gender and Parental Involvement on Southeast Asian Adolescent Mental Health

Hello! My name is Lena and I love listening to kids and youth tell their stories, speak their truths and humble me to the ground. I am grateful for the BASW Cohort of 2021 for their support throughout my time at UW and for our small departmental group for keeping each one of us going through the hardships of it all. Big shout out to Jane Lee for guiding me through this mini project.

Proudest Moment: Presenting my research at the 2020 Undergraduate Research Symposium

Thesis: The Role of Food in the Hellenistic and Roman Colonization of Ancient Trans-Jordan

lorraine.abagatnan@gmail.com

I am a graduating senior from the Classics department. I focus on Classical art and archaeology. My research interests include food and commensality studies, archaeological theory, and ancient expansion (i.e. colonialism). I have studied abroad in Jordan to work on a Near Eastern archaeological project. I am currently assisting with the Issei at Barneston Archaeological Project. Outside of archaeology, I am especially interested in Sappho and Greek lyric poetry, Greek and Roman epics, and Roman love poetry. I am proud to have completed my undergraduate education at the University of Washington! Special thanks to my two departments for taking good care of me.

My identity as a Filipina-American is very important to me. Despite having lived in the PNW for most of my life, I still consider myself a Southern-California girl through and through. That means a fond love of the ocean, swimming, playing hide and seek in citrus gardens, and other fun things.

My favorite hobbies are things I can do in my living room: reading, writing, playing music, and being with my friends and family. I love the outdoors, so hiking, camping, and general exploration is a must-have in my life! I also practice (and love) judo.

Proudest Moment: Cutting the ribbon on a project that our studio designed and built for Nathan Hale High School!

Thesis: No building is an island: the role of design in sustainability, stewardship, and culture

My Website

When I was accepted to UW, I wasn't sure which direction I was going to go - I decided to give architecture a shot as a compromise between science, art, research and action. Four years later, I have found a passion for built environments and their role in a rapidly-changing world. UW has given me the opportunity to hone an interest into a career path, while staying true to my values - balancing technical as well as theoretical aspects of scholarship and practice. I use the skills the Department of Architecture has given me every day, as I continue to negotiate between research and industry for sustainable future cities.

It takes a village - polishing my passion for architecture would not have been possible without my mentors and colleagues, who challenged me to think farther, broader, and deeper in every studio. I am extremely grateful to Kate SImonen, Gundula Proksch, Rob Peña, Jen Dee and Kristian Næsby for their guidance, patience and optimism - and to my classmates and friends for always lending their ears, advice, kindness and various drafting/modeling supplies that I forgot to bring.

Proudest Moment: Seeing my friends with whom I transferred from community college graduate from the UW and continue to carve out their own path.

steiner.gen@gmail.com

Born in Boston, grew up in Austria, fell in love with music early on and eventually took an interest in chemical engineering. I enjoy long-distance running, lining up for archery sessions, hanging out for some Dungeons & Dragons, and am almost always down to learn a new skill. My time here at the UW, with its resources and research environment, allowed me to pursue many of these interests, and provided an education that I know has already had a lasting effect on my trajectory forward.

Proudest Moment: Working together with 4 fellow Chemical Engineering undergraduates and 1 MBA student to win the Social Impact Prize at the 2019 Dempsey Startup Competition

My experience as a Husky is defined by so much more than just working through challenging engineering problems. It was a time where I really got to explore my true passion, potential and purpose.

In my time here, I have been fortunate to have my family, mentors and friends support me in all of my personal and academic endeavors. For all that I have been able to achieve during my time here, I owe it all to them.

Proudest Moment: Going to Russia for a conference on arctic relations.

Thesis: The Development of an Assay for the Large-Scale Measurement of the Gaseous Biomarker Hydrogen Sulfide in Blood

ddrruss@uw.edu

Hello, I started college in 2013 here at the University of Washington. I will graduate with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Medical Anthropology. Departmental Honors was a good choice, it kept me on top of my grades and it made me feel like my research was noteworthy. I am glad that I attended a school with so many research opportunities and such a multitude of classes to choose from; I was able to take everything from a class on CAD design to 2.5 years of Russian language. The research opportunities at this university were the big pull for me to attend and they did not disappoint. Conducting undergraduate research was such a good experience for me, that I realized research is what I wanted to do full time. I developed a passion for analytical chemistry and I am now coming back to UW this fall to begin a PhD program in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. I am quite excited for what the future will bring.

Proudest Moment: I helped to found and direct an organization at UW called Capillaries: The Journal of Narrative Medicine. Capillaries is a quarterly journal, intended for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff from all departments in the humanities and sciences to explore the commonalities we share as humans and to understand how both objective facts and subjective feelings intertwine in healthcare. Since February 2018, we have worked to provide a safe space for community members to discuss and share their most vulnerable and often silenced experiences through writing and art. Recently, we published our Spring 2020 journal, featuring 60 works of narrative prose, poetry, and artwork, created by students and healthcare workers about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.capillariesjournal.com/

Thesis: The Role of STING in Latent and Lytic KSHV Infection of Primary Endothelial Cells

Hi, I’m Alice! Looking back on the past four years at UW, perhaps the word that best captures this experience is “homeostasis” –the process by which a living entity maintains a steady internal system while adjusting to changes in its external environment. Although the term is often used in a biological context, it has resonated with me on a more philosophical, human level: My UW experience has involved constant interrogation and assessment of my own internal values and aspirations in response to the university environment. Upon starting college, I was interested in understanding both the biological and psychosocial facets of human health and thus immersed myself in classes ranging from medical bacteriology to medical anthropology. I was also drawn, however, to my classes in the English Department. The process of writing and sharing my own poetry was empowering, and studying literature ranging from Victorian novels to modern short stories from Ghana provided the most powerful examination of what it means to be human –from how we navigate moments of love and loss to how we make sense of our positionality in our community and the broader world.

I am humbled to have also had the opportunity to conduct and publish research through UW’s Microbiology Department, to found and lead a literary journal (“Capillaries”) dedicated to empowering students to share their stories on health and healing, and lastly, to give back to my community through volunteering/social justice work. These experiences have shaped my desire to pursue medicine in the future and to continue finding balance between various goals –conducting research, honoring the stories of the community through the arts, and helping others to navigate the most vulnerable moments of their life and attain their own sense of personal homeostasis.

To my mentors and professors who instilled in me a love for learning, to my labmates, project collaborators, and friends for their warmth, laughter, and support, and to the programs and organizations that provided me with research funding and grants for launching and sustaining Capillaries: Thank you for taking a chance on me these past four years. I am indebted to you all~

Proudest Moment: Being able to pull my grades and requirements together in 2 years to graduate with UW honors

I started my college education in Oregon where I first discovered traditional philosophy and political philosophy-- immediately falling in love. As I progressed in my studies, I felt unfulfilled, as philosophy often makes one feel. So I packed up my life and left to study in the heart of it all; Rome. While learning amongst some of the oldest structures of "modern" government, I was also able to travel around Europe visiting historical landmarks such as the Acropolis, Sachsenhausen, and the Sagrada Família. I visited 7 countries and saw everything Italy had to offer from the Northern mountains to the bright blue coast, and the rolling hills of Tuscany. Here, I decided I needed to be at a university that had like-minded people willing to seriously question the condition of the world my generation is inheriting. I found these people in my philosophy classes at the University of Washington. Being able to be surrounded by an environment where being a "nerd" is the status quo, I felt I didn't have to hide how much I cared about my studies anymore. Thus, over my short two years here I have been challenged and grown so much. After Trump was elected, I started an internship at Senator Patty Murray's office through UW which taught me the value of individual citizen's voices, local government, and grassroots organizations. In my academics at UW, I have learned so much from my peers and my professors as well as from myself. UW truly has fostered the academic environment I needed in my undergraduate career in order to introspectively reflect on how I want to be as a person.

Proudest Moment: Working as a House Manager at Meany Center for the Performing Arts

Thesis: Film, Medicine, & Moscow: Translations of Maxim Osipov's "Little Lord Fauntleroy" & "Fantasy"

levi.j.sy@gmail.com

My time at UW has certainly been one of unexpected, yet completely fulfilling, events. Coming to UW four long years ago, I knew that I wanted to get a degree in the physical sciences, likely in chemistry or biochemistry. While that did come to pass, it was one of the few parts of my education that followed my initial plans. Little did I know then that I would begin studying the Russian language, study abroad in St. Petersburg for a summer, and pursue an additional degree from the Department of Slavic Languages & Literature, much less write a translation thesis, translating two contemporary short stories from Russian into English. Despite the unforeseen nature of all of this, I wouldn't change it for the world.
Beyond classes, I enjoyed playing the French horn in various bands and orchestras on campus, as well as working at Meany Center for the Performing Arts as an usher and now a house manager. Looking forward, I hope to take a year or two off of school and then pursue a higher degree, likely in international relations or political science. Thank you to all of my friends, colleagues, and professors for your support!

Proudest Moment: Acknowledging the Original Stewards of the Land when presenting my thesis at the Research Symposium

Thesis: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Environmental Engagement

alishia.orloff@yale.edu

Alishia Orloff is an undergraduate researcher currently in her last year obtaining a B.S. in Environmental Science and Resource Management. She has a strong interest in terrestrial and riparian ecology. Conducting ecological research across the nation, she has developed a greater appreciation for Traditional Ecological Knowledges as a lens for developing holistic land management. Alishia aspires to share her experience in holistic scientific methodology and ultimately challenge dominant narratives of western ways of knowing. Aside from her ambitions in her field, she also takes great efforts to engage communities on sustainability through education in the Pipeline Project, restoration in the Society of Ecological Restoration, and food sovereignty at the UW farm. Alishia enjoys playing piano and flute in local ensembles and symphonies as much as she does freelancing and busking. Over her years at University, she has picked up interest in Ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, lifting, yoga, and oil painting. Continuing her endeavors, she will continue to question frameworks and push boundaries at Yale University for graduate school.

Proudest Moment: On top of winning "Best Poster Presentation" at the Program on the Environment Spring 2019 Capstone Symposium for her internship project, the trail recommendations she produced from a nine week long camera trap study were accepted and included in the Conservation Plan of her organization, Bainbridge Island Land Trust. This showed that Ariana's work and studies were meaningful and impactful for positive environmental change!

Thesis: Barking Up the Wrong Trail: How Trail Users and their Dogs Impact Wildlife

arianamwinkler@gmail.com

Ariana Winkler is graduating with degrees in Environmental Science and Resource Management (BS, Honors) and Environmental Studies (BA, Honors) with minors in Quantitative Science and Restoration Ecology. With an interdisciplinary approach to academia, her interests include environmental justice, wildlife, camera traps, statistics and modeling, restoration ecology and climate change mitigation. She appreciates the use of statistics and environmental knowledge to solve socio-ecological problems. Over the four years at UW, she has gained experience in camera trapping, analytical science, ecological field research and the interdisciplinary studies of the environment.
Being out in nature is one of Ariana's favorite features of her studies. Her most treasured memories include fieldwork classes like the Friday Harbor Laboratory Marine Biology Quarter, ESRM 459 Wildlife Conservation in the Northwest, ESRM 304 Environmental Resource Assessment in Pack Forest, the entire Restoration Ecology Capstone series and a Costa Rica study abroad course, where she hiked up to three times a day. In partnership with Osa Conservation in Costa Rica, Ariana modeled occupancy for ocelots on the Osa Peninsula, integrating her passions for wildlife and statistics.
With two degrees, she participated in two amazing capstones. As part of a team of six students, Ariana planned and implemented the restoration of a degraded forest ecosystem located in North Rose Hill Woodlands Park. In her other capstone, she interned with Bainbridge Island Land Trust to design and deploy a nine week long camera trap study, producing over six thousand photos. She used this camera trap data to create ecologically sound trail recommendations based on wildlife and human disturbance.
In addition to her studies, Ariana worked part-time throughout college, using her analytical and scientific skills as a lab technician at a private environmental laboratory. Applying her interest of environmental justice and climate change mitigation, she was a Regional Organizer for the Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network and was heavily involved in DivestUW.
Ariana hopes to apply her skills in wildlife, land management and statistics to a job in the environmental sector. Nonetheless, Ariana knows learning never stops. After gaining some experience and getting a break from academia, she will look into pursuing a Master's degree in quantitative wildlife ecology.

Proudest Moment: Working at the Daily and meeting a bunch of great people there!

Thesis: Race, Class, and Light Rail Transit: Examining High-Income Demographic Change In after Light Rail Transit in Seattle

My Website

I came to the UW interested in working as a journalist, with research as the last thing on my mind. But, through my time at UW, I gained a passion for demographic research through the support of my peers and mentors in the department of sociology. This year, I have been working on my honors thesis which has been one of the greatest learning experiences so far. I was fortunate to be paired with an excellent faculty advisor and to have many other informal mentors help along the way. I was fortunate enough to win the Mary Gates Research Scholarship for my thesis and be invited to present my work at the American Sociological Association.

This summer, I will continue my research in the social sciences as a pre-doctoral fellow at The Johns Hopkins University Department of Sociology.

Proudest Moment: Actually graduating

Thesis: Engaging transfer voices An analysis of communication and information exchange between transfer students and university program

davigator@comcast.net

David is a transfer student from Seattle Central Community College. He was a reading tutor for the Washington Reading Corps at Solid Ground and a Middle School English Teaching Instructor in Foshan, China before enrolling at UW in January 2014. At UW, he was involved with various activities including as a Resident Adviser, Husky Leadership Initiative peer advisor, Unite UW facilitator, Dream Project mentor, First-Year Programs transfer ambassador, Office of Minorities and Diversity Student Advisory Board member, and a research fellow for the Center of Communication, Difference, and Equity (CCDE). This summer, he will be participating in a Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) National Undergraduate Fellowship Program internship at the University of Missouri, before becoming Unite UW Early Fall Start Program Leader. He hopes to continue advocating and supporting students who transfer and identity as underrepresented as he eventually pursues a Ph.D. in education.

Proudest Moment: I am a first generation college student.

My Website nikoul@uw.edu

Hello! I am Nikou. I study in physics and mathematics at UW. On campus, I was a student worker at HFS, a research assistant in the physics department and I-LABS, a math tutor, and an undergraduate research leader. The experience together has shaped my perspectives and goals. I am grateful for my undergraduate journey at UW and I will be pursuing a PhD in medical physics in the fall.

Proudest Moment: When my first studio project was selected for student archive for the departmental cite.

Thesis: Building with Bamboo: An exploration of joinery between traditional and contemporary method.

shresthamartin@yahoo.com

Architecture has a power to change the world. In a way, architects are like a magician, who can make fantasy into reality. With the modern approach, our world is getting rather boring with predictable designs and box architecture everywhere. So, as an architect my interests are to make interesting architecture that deviates from the normal ones and the one that enhances human experience, which also aids for the better and sustainable future.

Proudest Moment: Speaking to students in Dr. Jessica Beyer's Cybersecurity class about my summer research experiences at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It was a great opportunity to encourage social science students to get involved with technology research!

Thesis: Solving the Cyber Cooperation Conundrum: Lessons from Land, Sea, and War

My Website eleanormount1@gmail.com

I'm passionate about using technology to improve institutional inefficiencies and making complicated subjects simple. I've applied my interests and skills in a number of settings, including my Honors thesis with the Department of Political Science, a National Laboratory in a cybersecurity internship program, and most recently, my new job at a Healthcare tech company!

Proudest Moment: Volunteering as a lead at UW Nurse Camp and seeing my campers/future nurses graduate!

Thesis: Improving Pediatric Asthma Shared Management: Development of the Symptom Monitoring and Response Module for the Child Asthma Management Program (CHAMP)

tkolstad@uw.edu

I have a previous degree in biology from the University of Washington and worked as a research scientist at Seattle Children's for four years. I came back to school to pursue nursing because my experiences at Seattle Children's showed me that what is really important to me in healthcare are relationships with people, and no one has more intimate relationships with patients than nurses. In whatever work I am doing, my purpose is always to help children lead the healthiest, most fulfilling lives possible.

Proudest Moment: Completeing undergraduate research and presenting my capstone at the research syposium.

Thesis: Black Bear Occupancy Modeling in Washington State

When I'm not studying, I make time to read and run everyday. I race trail and ultramarathons competitively and make sure I always find time to prioritize my passions outside of school.

Proudest Moment: Finally learning and accepting to look past my GPA and focusing on the knowledge and relationships I built during my time at UW.

Thesis: Translingual Acceptance in English Composition: Emphasizing Meaning-Making for Students in Code-Meshing Curricula

As a former Running Start student, now graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in English two years early, I am beyond thankful for the numerous opportunities UW has given me in reaching my personal goals. My academic achievements and enrollment in the English Honors program have allowed me to challenge myself in new ways, revealing a form of perseverance within myself to maintain success through more strenuous academics. This has guided me further in wanting to become a secondary teacher in the near future, and the excitement I feel for educating students in the subject of English once I complete my Master's in Teaching! I hope to obtain my final degree by the end of the 2022-23 school year.

Proudest Moment: Becoming a Battelle Scholar through Washington State Opportunity Scholarship

Thesis: Preventing Guidewire Loss During Venous Catheterization

Becky is working with Renda Palo and anesthesiologists Dr. Amber Franz and Dr. Bukola Ojo of Seattle Children’s Hospital to optimize central venous catheterization through UW Engineering Innovation in Health. Outside of school, Becky matches people in mentorship pairings as BMES Crosslink chair, and she spends most of her free time dancing. She fell in love with dance at the age of 4 when she took her first ballet class and throughout her childhood she was classically trained in ballet while also practicing modern, jazz, and lyrical dance. After a few years away from dance, she reentered the scene by learning salsa and bachata as she began school at the University of Washington. She was a member of the UW salsa club and assisted Professor Juliet McMains teaching salsa levels 1 and 2. After graduation, she will spend the summer working at Glossier in the Seattle Pop-up, teaching salsa and bachata dance, as well as learning how to dance zouk. In the fall, she will begin her role as a Consulting Analyst at Accenture.

Proudest Moment: In my last quarter at UW, even with the fear of public speaking, I managed to present at the Annual ISCRM Symposium and at the 24th UW Undergraduate Research Symposium as a Mary Gates Scholar. I am proud that I overcame my fear and became more confident in making presentations.

Thesis: Combating COVID-19 with An Innovative Therapeutic

lingkz@uw.edu

When I was on the PKX=>SEA flight 4 years ago, I was destined for the day I head towards the East Coast to continue my goal of being an entrepreneurial scientist. Now that I'm sitting on the plane flying from SEA => BOS, the reality is striking me quickly.
A mixture of science, business, and a two-year research experience at UW nurtured my path. People I've met in the past 3 years at UW truly influenced me to be boundless. I have become wiser and more motivated to push the frontier of combining science with business to promote forefront science to the general public. To my peers: I can’t wait to see what we will build for this world in the next 20 years!
I want to thank my parents for their unreserved support that allowed me to study abroad. I am also beyond grateful to have some close friends who were always there for my ups and downs in my college life. Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank myself for making it through all the obstacles and becoming stronger and stronger every time.

Proudest Moment: I felt proud when I first saw my paintings hung on the walls of the Jacob Lawrence Gallery

Thesis: Moments of Joy

My Website alissa.mjb@gmail.com

Bio
Alissa was born and raised in the forest of Monroe WA, and now resides in Seattle WA. She was homeschooled which gave her much time to explore her interests in the arts through dancing, drawing and music. The joy, movement, and colors of nature all show themselves in her art practice. She attended Bellevue college then took an eight-year hiatus to work and travel. Throughout her life she has traveled to eight different countries which have caused her to grow in empathy towards others and gather inspiration that have thus informed her work.
She then attended the University of Washington and concentrated in painting and Drawing. Because of her wide range of interests, she calls herself an interdisciplinary artist with a current emphasis on oil painting, music production/performance, and mixed-media digital art. Her interest lies in depicting the moments of joy and hope found in the simple, overlooked moments, often utilizing the human figure and portraits in the work.

Artist Statement
The word Honesty has been a theme in the artwork that has been produced during my time at the University of Washington. In my current paintings I strive to embody and highlight the glimmers of hope found during these long months of covid lockdown. It is an intimate view of moments of calm and joy and the dark and often soul-crushing loneliness that accompanies that. The ultimate hope in my work is that it would be an encouragement to the viewer by reminding them that they are not alone in their experiences, and to inspire the viewer to have hope. I accomplish this through not only the subject but also through depictions of color, movement and brushstrokes that harken to freedom.
Soon I hope to experiment with different mediums such as pen and ink, gauche and watercolor. I also plan to dive deeper into the world of art and movement via 2D digital and analog animation and find ways to incorporate that with my other passion of music composition and video production.

Proudest Moment: I completed my economics honors thesis.

Thesis: The Impacts of Universal Health Insurance on Educational Attainment: Evidence from the Seguro Popular Program in Mexico

My Website shhsu@cs.washington.edu

Please visit my website for more details about me.

Proudest Moment: I became president of LUX: Film Production Club here on campus right before COVID, so although it was an unexpected year to lead the organization, I'm proud of our community and the adaptations we've made during this difficult year.

My Website

Hi, I'm Rachel! I graduated with a degree in Sociology and two minors in Informatics and Music. I'm interested in technology's impact on society, and wrote my honors thesis about the body positivity movement on social media. I'm also a freelance video editor and will be attending USC for a Master's degree in Journalism next year.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW was being elected Chapter President of my sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi. I believe the person I am now, bold, confident, outspoken, was always somewhere inside of me. But becoming the AOII Chapter President gave me the opportunity to see it for myself and show everyone else the person I was always capable of being.

Thesis: The Continued Importance of American Prison Literature: A Brief Exploration of Writings from Incarcerated Black Men

The past four years have been characterized by growth and personal development. I struggled to adjust my freshman year, and was forced to reflect on where I wanted to be three years later: pursuing my dream of becoming a lawyer. Since that moment, I have put every ounce of myself into setting these dreams in motion. During my time at the University of Washington, I have interned with Chelan-Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services, Washington State Employment Security Department, Washington Pro Bono Council, PNW Anti-Defamation League, served as the Student Support Committee Chairman for the UW College of Education, volunteered with Family Law CASA of King County, been a member of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, and served as the Chapter President of Alpha Omicron Pi.

I am so proud of everything I have accomplished in the last four years, and am excited for the next chapter of my life. This fall I will be attending the University of Oregon School of Law to pursue a J.D. with specializations in family law and child advocacy!

Proudest Moment: Kicking off my last year as a dawg by running the Seattle Marathon!

Thesis: Stress activates the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system in the prefrontal cortex to disrupt cognition

sannecasello@gmail.com

I'm so grateful to have immersed myself in my two passions, neuroscience and art history, during my time at the University of Washington. Studying abroad in Florence summer quarter of my freshman year ignited my love for art history and inspired me to pursue a minor. The opportunity to take these classes bestowed a breadth of knowledge I wouldn't have otherwise obtained and have been some of the most enlightening classes I've taken at the UW - many thanks to the lovely professors of the Art History department!

In academic contrast, the opportunity to be a member of the Chavkin Lab the past four years has shaped my undergraduate experience. Neuroscience has always been one of my passions, but my positive experience in the Chavkin Lab has solidified my desire to pursue Neuroscience as a career. The ability to develop as a neuroscience researcher, influenced by such positive mentors, is why I was able to accept a position at the National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C. to participate in research on psychiatric disease before applying to graduate school.

Ultimately, I'm beyond thankful for the friendships I've fostered during undergrad. From the neuroganglia to 4727, I can't imagine undergrad without you. Thanks for the mems University of Washington & go dawgs!!!

Proudest Moment: Presenting research at the 21st UW Undergraduate Symposium with my lab partner, Hannah.

I entered the University of Washington knowing that I wanted to study Philosophy. At the time, I was unsure of how I could use Philosophy to impact the world beyond academia, but I was driven by my curiosity to study it nonetheless. I wanted to understand the world and to me, studying Philosophy was the best way to do this. Through my classes, I was able to engage in discussions concerning identity, quality of life, and what it means to be an epistemic agent in the world. I was given the opportunity to connect these discussions outside the college classroom by working with the Philosophy for Children Center, which focuses on empowering k-12 students through providing them the space to explore their own ideas. By working with k-12 students, I found that the students were asking the same questions, trying to understand the world similarly as me. I also found that many students were unable to fully engage with these questions because of overarching issues. Being a first-generation student myself, I understood the difficulties of focusing on school when other issues are prevalent. It made me passionate to learn about and address these issues through classes and research. I began dedicating myself to learning about ways to address inequities in education, focusing primarily on accessibility issues. As I leave UW, I hope to continue to learn and implement ways to make education accessible to all because a good education leads to more opportunities to live the life one wants, which in many cases increases the quality.

Proudest Moment: I had my very first job, and got my first paycheck ever.

Thesis: Examine the effects of Covid-19 on Crime Incidents in U.S. Cities

Hi, my name is Gloria. I feel over the moon to graduate this summer with a departmental honor. It has been a wonderful four years, although we were hit by an unprecedented pandemic, here we are celebrating the graduation of Class 2021! Out of classroom, I love music and you can probably catch me with earphones on most of the time. I also enjoy traveling, wondering around the city with a few friends and families, there is nothing more healing than that.

Proudest Moment: Being a part of Husky 100 for 2019

I am very stoked to be graduating from UW PoE! I majored in environmental studies and am very interested in public policy, history and political science. I started out farming at the UW and ended interning with King County and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. I have loved my time at UW and cannot wait to enter this hectic world and participate in making it better.

Proudest Moment: I am proud that I used my time at UW to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis in Venezuela through my artwork, and had the freedom to explore a wide range of mediums finding ways to improve and innovate my work and its powerful message.

I started my path in the Arts in my country of origin, Venezuela, and I could not be more excited to finish my degree in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts at UW. Although Venezuela is no longer my home it is still my main source of inspiration. I am looking forward to use the skills I learned during my time at UW to keep creating meaningful art outside of the classroom.

Proudest Moment: Submitting my Research Presentation to the Undergraduate Research Symposium

Thesis: The Effectiveness of Veterans Treatment Court: A Participant Perspective

I’m a runner who is passionate about social work, therapy and treatment targeted toward trauma, substance use, and mental illness. I transferred from Bellevue College in 2019, and will be continuing into the Master in Social Work program following graduation.

Proudest Moment: I participated in the UW Research Symposium, and shared great ideas and novel insights there.

Thesis: Bilingual Code-Switching and Semantic Ambiguity Resolution

The capacity and uniqueness of the human brain have always been the field that intrigues me. Four years in UW I've developed great interest and passion in human executive function, especially language and other cognitive processing. I've brought my passion in psycholinguistics into my language learning, and done research in combining cognitive psychology with human linguistic behavior. After graduation I'll continue to pursue my research interests.

Proudest Moment: Organizing outreach visits to high schools to teach bioengineering to schools with diverse populations that have traditionally been underrepresented in the field of bioengineering.

Thesis: Classification of Alzheimer's Disease Patients using Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based Network Connectivity Analysis

hkredden3@gmail.com

Hello! My name is Hyae Won (Hannah) Redden and I am a senior graduating from the Department of Bioengineering and the Department of Biochemistry. I was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to the U.S. when I was three years old, growing up first in Little Rock, Arkansas and later University Place, Washington, before starting school here in Seattle.

Throughout my time at UW, I have been fortunate to have taken part in so many transformative experiences through taking engaging courses, participating in extracurricular activities, and interacting with so many extraordinary people. Some of my most meaningful experiences include coordinating a reading program at Seattle Children's Hospital and the UW Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; receiving a Gilman Scholarship to study abroad in Nepal, where I was able to assess health technology needs in the OB/GYN department; coordinating a website for Science Explorers, a graduate student group that develops science lesson plans for elementary-aged students; serving as Outreach Chair for the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) at UW for the past 2 years; and being a part of the Department of Bioengineering Diversity Committee, where I was not only able to contribute to improving efforts to improve diverse outreach, but also reflect on inequalities that exist in society and in higher education and think critically about action items to address such issues. These experiences, in conjunction with my research and academic studies in biochemistry and bioengineering, have fueled both existing and new passions and I hope to take these perspectives with me as I pursue a career in healthcare.

In my free time, I enjoy bullet journaling, hand lettering, taking on miscellaneous arts and craft projects, reading (especially autobiographies and memoirs), and traveling. My favorite travel memories during my time as an undergrad include holding a newborn baby at an outreach center in Bolde, Nepal, working as a patisserie assistant in a tiny little town called Nitry in France, and learning more about my home country. After graduation, I hope to continue learning about different cultures in the communities around me as well as while traveling abroad.

And of course, I wouldn't be here today without all of the amazing people that have helped me along the way, so thank you to the amazing peers, professors, and mentors that have contributed to such a great undergrad experience! Also, I'd like to thank my family for all of the endless love and support!

Proudest Moment: Rushing the field after beating Stanford at Husky Stadium my sophomore year.

My interests are soccer, traveling, and going to new restaurants with my friends.

Proudest Moment: Studying abroad and meeting lifelong friends

Thesis: Evaluation of Maasai-Water Relationships in a Changing Landscape: A Case Study of Former Kimana Group Ranch

As an Environmental Science major, I started at UW with an interest in protecting our environment and wildlife, and after these four, short years that interest has grown into a dedication for the decolonization of conservation practices and the inclusion of communities in environmental decision-making. I worked in the SEFS advising department, interned at King County for three summers, studied in Kenya, volunteered, danced in two dance departments shows, and made a lot of good friends and memories along the way.

I am so grateful for my time here and my support system. I couldn't have done it without them. I hope to effect positive change and work towards a more sustainable future, as well as hike, sew, and drink lots of tea.

Proudest Moment: I am proud of all the opportunities I have taken to give back to my community.

Thesis: Effects of Regenerative Agriculture on Soil Health

I would like to make large-scale impacts in the world of environmentalism. I have been so grateful for the opportunities I have been given at the University of Washington. The most notable is simply access to the amazing outdoors of the pacific northwest. My program allowed me to spend so much time among the trees where I am happiest!

Thank you to everyone I've met along the way and to all of those who have made me into the woman I am today. I could not have achieved this without all of you.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment is more of a collection of little moments. I was honored with the job of being a TA for two quarters and every time a student would come to me for help, we would work together to best tackle the topic at hand. My happiest and proudest moments at UW were simply watching the student's expression change from confusion to understanding.

Thesis: In-vitro Bubble-Enhanced Heating for Focused Ultrasound Treatments in the Brain

Hi, I'm Sierra. Although this is not exactly how I pictured the end, I am still so proud and thankful for the last four years. I have had the great pleasure of putting something of myself into every piece of my work here at UW and have found a passion and love for medical imaging and its applications in global health. I want to thank my family, friends, and co-workers for their constant support. And now, I am off to graduate school. TTFN!

Proudest Moment: That day I was called on in class and had the right answer (at least I think that happend at least once)

If I wasn't a nurse I would probably bake cakes. Since baking cakes = eating cakes, I'm glad I chose the healthier route of nursing. The path to my BSN was not quick. It took about 10 years, taking 1 nursing pre-req at a time while developing my career in healthcare leadership. While the journey took longer than expected I'm glad I have context and direction in who I want to be as a nurse. I believe nurses are uniquely equipped to change healthcare for the better and I want to be a part of that. I didn't expect nursing school to change me but it has. I have been surrounded by compassionate and inspiring faculty, patients, and colleagues. They've made me a great nurse and an even better human. I am grateful to walk away changed.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW was founding my RSO and see it grow in numbers over the years and host meaningful events that made a impact to cultural diversity. On top of that, it would be my summer internship working for the White House AAPI projects to better represent and promote the AAPI community during a time that's filled with fear and xenophobia to make a positive difference.

Thesis: "Extinction: The Bargain with Humanity - Climate Change and Social Marketing"

My Website mengc12@uw.edu

Mengwei (Crystal) Chen was born in Kaifeng, China, and immigrated to Washington State with her family when she was eight years old. She is graduating with Departmental Honors this Spring majoring in Marketing and English. By using the narrative skills from English and packaging skills from Marketing, she practiced innovative campaigns such as "Selling Climate Change" with social marketing. As the Founder and President of the Ancient Chinese Association (ACA), she conceives that marketing shouldn't be limited to "products" and that it's possible to market a "culture." She believes miscommunication is a catalyst to a majority of the crises in this world, and her goal in the future is to enhance message flow and combat miscommunication for individuals, groups, and societies at large. Outside, she's also a motivational speaker who traveled to different high schools promoting students to seek higher education and ways to practice personal branding. In summer 2020, she interned for the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI), aiming to learn strategies to enhance the construction of narratives and other skills to better represent and promote the AAPI community. She's also worked as an advocacy intern at the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce assisting local projects and as an outreach specialist for the City of Seattle through ECCC. As a former competitive swim team member, she's very active and seeks the opportunity to go swimming during her spare time and other activities such as hiking and archery.

Proudest Moment: Giving a speech in Red Square about the need for disability inclusion in emergency services for a public speaking class!

Thesis: Racial Stereotypes and News Media: An Exploration of United States Drug History

Elise is also completing her Yoga Teacher training through the University of Washington, and continuing to grad school in the Fall.

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments has been when I represented UW at an international conference and had the opportunity to sharing my research.

Thesis: Winter under-ice patterns of greenhouse gases in lakes of interior Alaska

I have had moments of great joy in the last four years of UW. Not all my moments were as joyful as others but there were certain parts of my UW life that kept my spirits high against the coursework and winter weather of UW. Working in David Butman's lab pushed me out of multiple comfort zones and as a result gave me one of the most steady and consistent parts of my UW career. I have to thank UW Women's Rugby for giving me a community which turned into forever friends and best roommates. Lastly, I loved all of my ESRM classes and I have treasured this experience that started with an interest and grew into a passion making me not only a scientist but more of a steward of the Earth.

Proudest Moment: Completing my degree in three years and exactly 180 credits!

Thesis: Elements of Compromised Autobiographical Memory and PTSD

vanesl@uw.edu

I love music, good reads, and getting outside! It was a pride and joy to lead The Veritas Forum at UW for three years and I have a similar desire to be gracious and conversational with people who think differently than I do. I love themes of generativity and creativity out of trauma, and I hope to bring such components of healing into my work with trauma populations in the future.

Proudest Moment: Serving as the editor for my JSIS Task Force report! Despite only meeting over zoom, our group bonded and produced more knowledge in 10 weeks than I ever imagined was possible. I’m proud to have pushed myself into accepting a leadership role that allowed me to learn so much from my peers.

Thesis: Covering Just Cause: U.S. Media and the 1989 Invasion of Panama

mayagreen555@gmail.com

At UW I’ve held two roles that shaped my experience. As a research fellow at the Center for Human Rights, I found a passion for freedom of information and archival research. Working as a writing tutor for intro-level Art History courses has both greatly improved my own writing and allowed me to encourage other students to explore the arts beyond just satisfying university requirements.

Writing my thesis over the last year was challenging and eye-opening. It allowed me to connect with expert faculty I wouldn’t have otherwise built relationships with and see many different ways to approach what initially seemed like a clear-cut problem.

For the summer after graduation, I’ll be continuing my work with the Center for Human Rights. In the fall will be moving to Madrid to work for the Spanish Ministry of Education as an English language and cultural assistant. I’m eternally appreciative for the professors, graduate student instructors, and staff who helped me grow and made the next steps possible!

Proudest Moment: I'd have to say my proudest moment at UW was getting into the English department Honors program and fulfilling one of my academic goals. Being able to learn and work with the faculty and my peers has been amazing, and I literally could not have picked a better time to be in an Honors cohort focusing on temporality and human extinction.

Thesis: In the Wreckage of Humanity: Ruins, Agency, and the Art of Post-Apocalyptic Video Games

My experience at the University of Washington has been defined by my commitment to literary scholarship and health care, as well as the personal empowerment I've felt in pursuing both English literature and STEM. This has all set me on my path towards becoming a physician, (hooray for studying for the MCAT soon!), and I'm hoping to keep up my writing as much as possible in the future. My love for creative writing and English has only grown in the English Honors program, and I can't be more excited for what's next.

I'm beyond grateful for the friendships I've made during my undergrad, and for everything I've been able to learn. Cheers to four years, UW.

Proudest Moment: Being able to graduate in 4 years from such an amazing university and program! It's been an incredible journey and I'm so thankful for the things I've been able to achieve in my time here.

tayler.hoftell@gmail.com

As a first generation college student, I never thought I would be where I am at today. I've been able to accomplish literally my wildest dreams here at UW. Before I started college, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. I found the MSE department my freshman year at UW and knew that was the path I wanted to go down. Although there have been plenty of ups and downs throughout my time here, I’ve found this degree to be so rewarding and I sometimes I can’t believe how far I’ve come since my freshman year. I've been involved with incredible research in the MSE department and with the Boeing Advanced Research Center on campus that has truly shaped my undergraduate experience here. After graduation, I'll be starting my career as an engineer at Honeywell Aerospace and I couldn't be more excited!

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW was when a professor that I greatly respect told me that a paper I had been working on was good enough that I should try to have it published.

I am a non-traditional student. On top of being a transfer student, I am married and a father. I love to read and am devoted to playing and watching soccer. At this stage of my life, I could never have graduated if it hadn't been for the patience and support of my family. I was lucky that my partner has always been willing to take time away from her garden (her happy place) to read my papers and our daughter has been interested in the classes I have taken and books I have read.

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW is graduating as a first generation college student!

It has been really awesome to be a UW student. I've really found my passion here, in art no less (every mother's worst nightmare!) But UW has shaped me to be who I am today and has set me on a life path where I can actually be happy.

Proudest Moment: Being a Student Producer of the Animation Capstone

My Website

I decided to pursue an art degree at UW in order to have a creative-based career. Currently, I want to create concept art for video games, and I believe that having a solid fine arts background was the first step to accomplish that. I think my time at UW has allowed me to grow both academically and as a person. I have a much better balance between working hard and spending time with friends and family. Outside of school, I enjoy baking, playing games, and visiting new places. I'm excited to see what surprises the future has in store for me.

Proudest Moment: Received Psychology Departmental Research Award, and Mary Gates Research Scholarship

Thesis: Person-specific Links between Sleep Disturbance, Sleep Hygiene Practice, and Depression Symptoms

bettyshang1998@gmail.com

I'm an international student from China. I started my journey at UW - Seattle as an undergrad 4 years ago and before long, I fell in love with the city. At UW, I've been able to widely explore my academic interests. For many years, I've been fascinated by the human mind and drawn to topics around psychopathology. Therefore, after taking courses in psychology and some other fields, I became clearer about my true passion and decided to major in psychology.

In my junior year, I joined our departmental honors program and there, I got to dive into my interest topic in psychology and hone my research skills. I've felt very lucky to work in Dr. Katherine Foster's PEARL lab, where I've learned so much, and received tremendous help, support and inspiration, and collaborated with extremely talented people and researchers in this field.

During my time at UW, I've met life-changing people, taken mind-blowing, enlightening, and challenging courses in various fields. I'm grateful for all my experiences and the amazing people I met in the past 4 years for they've shaped me into a better person, and provided me with valuable perspectives. I've learned a lot from every experience I had, and I've become braver to take on challenges and pursue my goals in the future.

Proudest Moment: The best moment was getting into my major, the Architecture school became a second home!

Thesis: Soak in the Rain: Designing for Our Climate by Engaging the Senses

Four years seemed to go by in four seconds. Over the past several years I have enjoyed staying involved at UW. I started my freshman and sophomore year in leadership for HFS, participating in Hall Council and eventually the Residential Programming Board. After getting into my major I participated in the student led groups, AIAS, The CBE Student Council, Happy Hour Committee, and ASUW Achitectural Commission Board. I met life long friends in my architecture studios and learned a lot within my design classes. In 2019 I was able to be apart of the Furniture Design studio and entered my finished piece in the Interior Designers of Idaho Chair Affair (a furniture competition for students and professionals in Boise) and won Best Functional Design. I also was able to do independent research throughout 2019 and presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. To finish off my time at UW I was recently awarded along with another classmate the "Faculty Award for Scholarship and Leadership". It was a long journey but I couldn't have done it without the support of friends, my professors and advisors, family, and coffee.

Proudest Moment: Learning to balance life and work during the busiest quarters and getting the most out of every experience

Thesis: Learning to balance life and work during the busiest quarters and getting the most out of every experience.

At Foster, I majored in Accounting, IS, and CISB. I am interested in business and different cultures. At UW I got to meet many different people and got to study abroad in Japan. My experiences taught me to challenge myself, be open to differences, and allowed me to have an expansive worldview. Therefore, I thrive on living in varying cultural and educational communities and find being part of vastly different areas of the world exciting. Outside of school, during my free time, I also just enjoy hanging out with friends, singing, and dancing.

Proudest Moment: Making the Dean's List over half of my quarters here.

Despite the struggles I've faced, the UW has been a wonderful place for me to learn and increase in intelligence, wisdom, and faith. The decision to change majors rather than schools, although a hard choice to make, was definitely the right one for me, as staying here allowed me to continue on the path I had already set out for myself and grow as a person, not only as a student. Although I am not sure what lies ahead, I know that what lies behind has prepared me for it, and now I only have to follow God's guidance.

Proudest Moment: Getting chosen for departmental honors

Thesis: Speaking to Children: The Relationship between Adults’ Talk and Children’s Gender Identity

I am Seattle born and raised, and part of an amazing family of 6 people. I love to ski, do yoga, hike and read. I am interested in pursuing a career in psychology post grad.

Proudest Moment: Strangely enough, getting a 4.0 in a computer science class that I took to fill a general education requirement only because absolutely no other STEM classes worked with my schedule. I was terrified the entire quarter because it's so completely out of my comfort zone, but it all worked out!

Thesis: READING PREGNANCY AS LIMINALITY IN MODERNIST BRITISH FICTION

My Website tamarleveson@gmail.com

I was born and raised in Silicon Valley, and while the four years I've spent at UW have been a bit rainy, I wouldn't change it for anything. In addition to my studies, I have served for three years as a committee leader for UW Hillel, hosted a weekly radio show on Rainy Dawg with my friend Mary every week since winter quarter of freshman year, and interned at a local design magazine called GRAY. I hope to continue my studies in English literature in a master's program in the UK in the near future.

Proudest Moment: Getting into Foster and Climbing Mount Rainier

simisonjack@gmail.com

I am passionate about technology and business. My favorite technologies include AI (self-driving, data, and more), VR, Blockchain, cars, and computer hardware. My love for business started through my love for technology at a young age. I am motivated to learn all things tech and how to capitalize on it. The technological frontier is always moving forward and it is as exciting as ever.

Proudest Moment: The moment I finally turned in my English thesis!

Thesis: Imaginary Equality, Romance, and Sex: Teenage Girls and Boys’ Love Literature in China

shirley.b.ouyang@gmail.com

I am an international student from Changsha, China. I triple majored in English, Math, and Philosophy. UW not only offers a great environment for learning and research but also many many many other opportunities. I love to see the world and understand the world from different perspectives, so I am very grateful for the wonderful study abroad opportunities at UW, allowing me to study abroad four times--to England, Italy, Spain, and Ecuador. In the future, I will continue to get to know and to embrace the diversities and differences that make our world complex and colorful.

Proudest Moment: Establishing residency in Washington

emmajewellscher@gmail.com

I am from San Diego, California, and am lucky that during my time at UW I've had the opportunity to passionately pursue multiple areas of interest. As a journalist my work has been featured in over 20 different publications ranging from the hyperlocal to international levels. My junior year, I was able to work full time in Olympia, Washington covering the state legislature, and in Freetown, Sierra Leone as a columnist. In between these jobs I was lucky to spend a spring in Rome, Italy studying religious institutions as part of a study abroad program. I've also had the opportunity to work on multiple sociological research projects, including as an employee for UW's Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity (CERSE), as an intern for a study on substance use in military veterans, and on a study of my own which addresses structural inequality and power dynamics within the Greek Community. I've served as president of the Society of Professional Journalists, UW Chapter, worked on staff at The Daily UW for four years, and am a member of Gamma Phi Beta. In my free time I like to read, write, and spend time with my friends and my dog, Pigeon. After graduation I am working at a trade publication for veterinarians called VIN News, and afterward am applying to law school. I'm so grateful for the time I've spent at UW, and can't wait to see what the future holds!

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment at UW was when I submitted my thesis after a year and a half of research and writing in both the Dominican Republic and New York.

Thesis: Motivations Driving the Differentiated Electoral Behavior of the Dominican Diaspora in New York during the 2012 and 2016 Dominican Presidential Elections

marielletrumbauer@gmail.com

My college career has defined and sparked in my a passion for activism. I spent my freshman year in Ireland at Trinity College Dublin before transferring to UW. During my time at UW, I worked on a Presidential campaign in Florida, a Senatorial campaign in Louisiana, and a Congressional campaign in Georgia. I also interned with the State Department in the Dominican Republic and the House of Representatives.

I began my college career as a business major, but later found my passion for politics and international relations. Applying to the Jackson School of International Studies was one of the best decisions that I made during my time at UW. I was able to serve as the President of the Jackson School Student Association (JSSA) and partake in the Departmental Honors Program. I joined my fellow honors classmate in her research in rural India, conducted research in the Dominican Republic, and did interviews all throughout New York City to compile an 84-page thesis that proved factors of corruption as motivators behind differentiated voting patterns in the diaspora.

My experience during the past three years at UW has inspired me to work in politics and stand up for marginalized populations. I plan to attend law school in the next three years and move to Washington D.C. with the goal of working for a Congressional Office.

Proudest Moment: When I received a 4.0 in an extremely mathematically challenging course on financial derivatives, even with my strong aversion to math.

I am passionate about cooking, reading, fitness, and music (both playing and listening to). I also love watching movies and am a total film snob.

Some things I've accomplished are: Attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts, going on a month long solo backpacking trip to Mexico, and graduating (hopefully) from the UW with a business degree.

Proudest Moment: Learning enough German in 9 months to have meaningful conversations during my study abroad.

Thesis: Functionalizing Exfoliated Black Phosphorus with Rhenium Carbonyl Species

davidhales@berkeley.edu

I came into UW undeclared and unsure about my academic interests. My freshman year I made some good friends in the honors general chemistry sequence and enjoyed the content so I applied to the chemistry major. I was lucky to find communities in STEM, music, and ultimate frisbee that helped me find a place in college. I'm super grateful for those communities and the all the awesome people I met through them. Spring and summer of my sophomore year I studied abroad in Heidelberg, Germany, and took classes in chemistry and German. As a lifelong introvert, my study abroad really helped to push me out of my comfort zone in a constructive way. Winter quarter of my junior year I started zooming through my double major in physics, which has been a uniquely challenging experience. At the same time, I also started research on black phosphorus chemistry as part of the Velian group. I'm thankful to Prof. Velian and all of the members of the Velian group for their patient mentorship and support as I learned what it means to be a scientist. I'm proud to graduate with departmental honors in both chemistry and physics. After graduation, I will pursue a PhD at UC Berkeley in synthetic inorganic chemistry.

Proudest Moment: Completing my individual capstone research project!

sarah.kneadler@gmail.com

I will be graduating from UW spring of 2019 from the ESRM department with departmental honors. My interests include natural resource management, corporate social responsibility, sustainable business practices, and sales! I love everything the PNW has to offer, like gorgeous scenery and a yummy Top Pot donut from time to time.

Proudest Moment: In ESRM 315, we took a field trip to Mount St. Helens and had a tour of a forest lead by Jerry Franklin. He is an inspiration in the forestry world, so getting to meet him was an amazing opportunity.

Thesis: The Effects of Stand Age, Species, and Geographic Location on Seed Counts Within Serotinous Cones

ashleyhillis2020@gmail.com

Hi! My name is Ashley Hillis and I am graduating with a degree in ESRM with a focus in forest management and with departmental honors. My time at UW has been filled with so many research opportunities that have provided invaluable experience. For instance, I worked with two different UW grad students in the Quantitative Ecology lab monitoring different types of animals. I also worked for the center in urban horticulture collecting data on the beautiful cherries trees at UW to help make a model to predict when they will bloom. I also took my research interest outside of UW and did a summer of fieldwork with Pacific Wildland Fire Science Lab. I spent the summer under the California sun measuring vegetation and tree DBH in high severity burned areas. When I came back to UW I spent my senior year continuing research in fire disturbances by studying serotinous cones and different variables that affect the seeds they contain. I did this work under the guidance of Michelle Agne a Ph.D. student in the Harvey Lab. Over the summer I will continue doing work with the Harvey lab doing fieldwork. In the future, I plan on continuing my passion for environmental science and attending graduate school.

Proudest Moment: Getting the opportunity to exhibit my art work at the UW Tower, the Husky Union Building, and the UW Medical Center in Winter 2019

Thesis: Art Heaux - a one-off 20-page publication on character study, emotion, and underlying themes of past and present

My Website

I spent my 4 years at UW studying technology and global media in the Department of Communication as well as Photo/Media in the School of Art, where I was a part of the 2019-2020 Honors cohort. Off campus, I was a member of Chi Omega sorority, where I served as the Alumni Relations Coordinator for 2 years. When I wasn’t in the art building working on my next project, I was a volunteer with ASUW A+E for 2 years where I was a committee lead for Spring Show 2019, and I got the opportunity to be a Game Day Recruiting Intern for Husky Football during the 2018-2019 season. My passions currently lie in bringing ideas to life, creating memorable live experiences for audiences, and making safe and equal spaces for people in the various sectors of the entertainment industry, regardless of race or gender identity.

Proudest Moment: Finishing my thesis! I've grown so much as a writer in the past three years, so finishing a project on that scale was very gratifying.

Thesis: Really Really Real: Reality in Performance and the Hyperreal in the Plays of Annie Baker

In addition to the English department, I've been heavily involved with the School of Drama as well as the Department of Dance, taking many classes in those departments. I've also participated in eight productions (plays and musicals) during my time at UW, primarily as an actor but also as a director and crew member. This year in the English Honors sequence I've had the opportunity to focus on Drama and write a thesis about one of my favorite contemporary playwrights, Annie Baker. I've also had the opportunity to blend my interests in English and Drama by working as a Literary Intern at ACT Theatre.

This August I will be moving to New York City to attend a two-and-a-half year acting conservatory program at the Atlantic Acting School.

Proudest Moment: When I graduated with 2 degrees, and one of them is an honor degree.

I am so glad to graduate as honors. I am excited to connect with other honor alumini.

Proudest Moment: My best memories at UW come from spending time with outstanding, goofy, and vibrant individuals who not only motivated me to become better, but also to enjoy life once (or twice) in a while.

Thesis: Effect of SS-31 on the Sod1KO Model of Sarcopenia

My Website kevinanguyen2@gmail.com

Hello! I'm Kevin Nguyen. I'll be graduating with a degree in Physiology this year, and I enjoy drawing and painting in my free time.

It feels surreal to conclude my 4 years of undergrad at UW. I remember back to the beginning of high school when I first designated UW as my dream school like it was yesterday. So much has happened during my time here and I will carry the endless memories, relationships, and lessons with me as I continue along my own journey.

Some highlights from my undergraduate career include: working on an extensive research project in the Marcinek lab for almost 3 years; learning from and assisting patients in clinical settings every summer; and collaborating with rad individuals on the Neurobiology Club officer board. And while STEM classes were something else, I'll give some credit to the endless and toiling hours of study for allowing me to indulge in the arts of learning and physiology.

Most importantly, my undergrad experiences have given me a greater perspective on life. There are many many things in this world that need to be improved upon. Personally, I will pursue medicine to not only to heal others but also to fight and rectify the disparities and conflicts that obscure the field from its full potential. My past interactions with other bright individuals along my journey have ensured me that they will do great things and change their respective fields for the better as well.

Proudest Moment: Making the Dean's List for nearly 4 years straight

I am a transfer student that has had nothing but a good experience at UW. Over my three year here, I have been blessed to have made many educational and personal relationships that I will cherish forever. Getting to watch the Dawgs play a Rose Bowl in Pasadena is something I will never forget. GO DAWGS

Proudest Moment: My Capstone in both degree programs! Creating ElectionGuard and writing our report for Bruce McConnell

My Website kderash0@uw.edu

I love having been able to serve my campus and help out the clubs I was a part of. I sought to gain knowledge to prepare for the growing challenge of technology and security in government and I'd like to say I succeeded!

Proudest Moment: Being a member of the Washington Hyperloop team

sev.sando@gmail.com

When I moved to Seattle from Canada in my senior year of high school, I didn't know what an SAT was, I didn't know which universities were good, and I was desperate to develop a new social group and learn how to navigate this new country of mine. All I did know was that I wanted to learn about airplanes.

I'll be honest, after four years of engineering school I am STILL blown away by airplanes. HOW DO THESE THINGS EVEN FLY?! I joined this department to uncover the mystery of flight and I am coming out even more intrigued, and even more enthused. I have worked in the Quantitative Flow Visualization lab for two years, run wind tunnel tests, built a rocket for the Hyperloop team, and studied aviation in France one summer. I think I like planes more than the average bear...

Technical stuff aside, one of the things I have enjoyed most about my time at UW has been sharing my experiences with younger students. I have been a College of Engineering Peer Mentor, and I have organized and participated in countless elementary school science fairs as the Outreach Coordinator for UW's chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This major and this department are rooted in passion, and I found profound satisfaction in sharing that passion with the next generation of engineers.

While I have experienced some incredible things in my four years here, the most valuable things I gained were the outstanding friends I met. I learned a deep appreciation for putting myself in a positive and supportive environment, and these lifelong friends I met who create that for me are worth more than any degree.

I grew and learned immeasurably at UW, and I am incredibly appreciative for my time here. It has prepared me for an exciting future and I can't wait for what is to come.

Proudest Moment: When I solved a math problem at the dorm/ won the Hub Pool Tournament!

Thesis: The fundamental group and its applications

huangpubo@qq.com

I'm Pubo, a fourth-year math major. I like playing pool, hiking, and snowboarding! I'm sad that I can't snowboard in the near future because I'm not in Washington right now, what a Shame!

Proudest Moment: graduation

Thesis: Relating Individual Differences in Culturally Unfamiliar Music Comprehension to Neurocognitive Aspects of Second Language Aptitude

My name is Jiafei Li. I majored in Psychology and minored in Informatics. I love music and literature, and have always been interested in their impact on us human. Therefore, under the mentorship of Dr. Prat, I conducted the research of music comprehension, as well as its relation to language learning. I hope to continue to "be boundless", to keep exploring various fields of knowledge and extending my limit.

Proudest Moment: Seizing the opportunity to work in a laboratory setting for all 12 quarters I attended the University of Washington.

Thank you mom I love you! My success wouldn't be possible without your unconditional love and support.

Proudest Moment: Spending my summer taking an intensive Arabic course

Thesis: Reducing Amyloid-Beta Aggregation in Caenorhabditis elegans: A role for Retrograde Response Signaling and bZIP transcription Factors

I grew up on Vashon Island, WA, which sits in the Puget Sound. While at UW, I was able to spend three years conducting undergraduate research on mitochondrial retrograde signaling and Alzheimer's disease. I also had the opportunity to learn a lot about toxicology & public heath while working as an assistant for the Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, and come across new biological methods as an research intern at DotQuant. I've enjoyed getting my degree in biochemistry because it has allowed me to interact with many interesting sub-fields of biology -- from protein design to drug metabolism! I'm excited to spend my summer continuing my internship before (hopefully) exploring abroad and applying to graduate programs.

Outside of class, I love to spend time with family and friends, tend to my plants, go birding, and try new desserts on the Ave!

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments was when I was awarded the SAFS Faculty Merit Award

Thesis: Zebrafish embryo screening to evaluate the effective removal of toxics from urban stormwater runoff using novel bioretention methods

I grew up with my two brothers and little sister in the small city of Herriman, UT where I spent my time swimming, hiking, playing soccer, riding horses, and playing the saxophone. Since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to move away to the ocean. At first, I thought that meant going to college in California but life brought me to the University of Washington, and I am so glad it did. I have loved my time at the UW. I have experienced some truly exceptional opportunities including a summer in Alaska studying salmon and a quarter at Friday Harbor collecting data from research boats and studying skates. Attending a school with 47,000+ students can be difficult but I was lucky to find community within the College of the Environment where I represented as a student ambassador for a couple of years. I am excited to jump into the next stage of my life where I hope to apply my degree in a career oriented toward environmental education and outreach to work for a sustainable future for all.

Proudest Moment: I am proud of finishing my Honors thesis, and of the relationships and opportunities I created during my time at UW!

Thesis: “Family is Everything”: Importance of Embracing Family for Indigenous College Students’ Educational Success and Leadership Development

faaumukaimana@gmail.com

I am Fa'aumu Kaimana, and I am graduating from the UW with majors in Medical Anthropology & Global Health, and Sociology. I explored the concept of family in my honors thesis, which investigates the role of family in Indigenous students’ educational success at the University of Washington. In a year's time, I hope to pursue a doctorate program in Indigenous Studies or a related field, and research the relationship between language and resilience among Seattle area Indigenous communities.

2020 President's Medalist (Four-Year Award), awarded by President Cauce at graduation
2020 Husky 100 Award Recipient, awarded for an exemplary Husky Experience inside the classroom, in communities, and beyond
2020 Curtis Wienker Award for Best Honors Thesis in Anthropology
2020 Albert W. Black Undergraduate Community Service Award

Proudest Moment: One of my proudest moments at UW was getting into honors, and fulfilling one of my most important longterm academic goals. Getting to interact with and learn from my History Honors cohort was one of the most exciting experiences of my college career, and I am extremely grateful for every minute of it.

Thesis: Wives, Daughters, and Rebels: Women’s Interactions With the Law and Society During the Triumviral Proscriptions

Over the course of my time at UW, I have been able to expand my horizons and be a part of so many wonderful organizations. This has all set me on the path to becoming a teacher, and I am excited to be starting my masters in teaching next year!

Proudest Moment: Implementing a composting program in the Alpha chapter of Chi Omega!

kgibian@uw.edu

I will be graduating from UW this spring through the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences with honors in wildlife conservation. I am passionate about predator-prey ecology and conservation education with the goal to enter the wildlife field as a wildlife technician. My interests include large carnivores, travel, and superheroes!

Proudest Moment: Abigail's proudest memories at UW were traveling to Spain to conduct research and turning in her 53 page thesis in preparation for graduation.

Thesis: The Social Perception of Value: STEM vs. Social Science and Humanities, an Ethnography of Communication

My Website

Abigail is a journalist with a passion for learning about other cultures. On her study abroad trip to Spain, she fell in love with the people, languages, architecture, and history of a culture different from her own. While there, she conducted her first ethnography. Upon her return to the U.S., she decided to continue to learn about cultures through this research process.
At the same time, she used her curiosity to fuel her work in journalism, writing about social issues like homelessness, access, and diversity. This earned her the Pioneer Award for Excellence in Journalism. In addition, she has been a Dean's List student for her entire UW career which earned her an award for High Scholarship.
Following graduation Abigail will be looking for a position where she can use her writing, photo, and video storytelling skills to create truthful and informative journalism, PR, or content creation.

Proudest Moment: I believe it will be the moment of hold in my hands the declaration of my completion of achieving my bachelor's degree !

Thesis: Bursting the Bubble: Transforming White Identities

My Website

I returned to college after a 31 year hiatus of raising a family four in 2013. I was at point in my life where I wanted to grow in ways that would challenge me in every sense of my being. It has been an incredible learning experience and I have been enriched in the academic soil of coursework that has literally transformed my life. Having the opportunity to experience Dr. Rachel Chapman's Alter/Native Anthropology course ushered in a profound intersection in my life where the exposure of my own "White Fragility" (DiAngelo, 56). in response to uncomfortable conversations around racial topics and privilege plowed into my identity as a white woman. It was the beginning of a deeper education of my ignorance and a revelation of the isolated reality my Whiteness had afforded me. My conscientious determination to push past fear and move deeper into vulnerable relationships with students of color allowed me to stay connected and do the work that was necessary to create new forms of engagement. The willingness on the part of people of color in my life at the time to move in relationship with me through the difficulty of sharing their stories allowed me to see outside of my own experiences and gain a new kind of knowing. What emerged relationally was profound; students worked through their own positionality within identified constructs of people groups and where together we examined intersections of power and oppression in our own lives through a lens of indigenous scholarship within the discipline of anthropology.
I wanted to understand how whiteness was affecting communities of color in my predominately white community of Bainbridge Island. This led me to purse the opportunity to apply to the departmental honors program in which I was able to continue to pursue an auto-ethnographic collaborative research project in my community in which I ask the questions “Can, and if so, where, when and how are white identities transformed from positions of White Fragility and White Supremacy into identities and relationships with People of Color of solidarity, allyship, accompliceship and race-traitorship in denouncing white privilege in order to create a culture that is equitable and inclusive for all people? ” My research has allowed me to examine how radical social justice education and cross-racial relationship building impacts individual and community identity transformation in respect to racial equity. I am committed to following this work in my community and am inspired by the faith that I see in other community members who are dedicated to the heartwork that is necessary to forge a culture that is more loving and just for all.

Robin Di Angelo, “White Fragility” International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, vol. 3. no. 3. 2011, catalyst.uw.edu/workspace/file/download/7efed96ce7ca56e0747e7fffd69e8465f6d5a5451eb4b0ff3be81dabe33f1a34?inline=. (Accessed Nov. 14, 2017) 56.

Proudest Moment: I am proudest of my honors thesis because it was challenging. It required intense focus, adaptability, and persistence.

Thesis: Las semillas de la sombra (Shadow's Seeds)

Hi, I’m Terezia. I have nurtured the dream of earning a B.A. for a long time. I have always loved the Spanish language and was fascinated by its musicality and potential to express emotion. However, it was through the study of literature written in this language that I realized how deeply Spanish resonated within me.

Proudest Moment: Making lifelong friends, and making lifelong memories with them.

My Website kurt3903@gmail.com

I came to UW in 2016 with the intent to become a nuclear physicist. It was a big change for me, not only transitioning from high school, but also to live in the city and take care of myself independently. I made many new friends and had the best roommates I could have hoped for here at UW! I also had a great part-time job working at Bay Laurel Catering, which was a very unique and rewarding experience. I got to participate in undergraduate research in the UW Quantum Ion Computing Group, working alongside a fun and talented group to put my physics skills to work.
The Physics Departmental Honors program showed me several new and exciting research applications in modern physics. I got to study several experiments in great detail, which not only improved my understanding of the physics involved in these studies, but gave me a greater appreciation for the applications of physics and the knowledge I was gaining.
Life at UW has certainly opened up my eyes to trying out new experiences and opportunities - I now see the wide variety of possible careers and higher education that await me as a physics graduate. While I am considering graduate school in my future, I want to get a job where I can apply my physics knowledge and see what fields I want to pursue in detail. I can't wait to see what the future holds for me and my fellow graduates!

Proudest Moment: I was proud when I submitted my final draft of my undergraduate thesis.

Thesis: On the Methods of Old Chinese Reconstruction

I am a linguistics nerd with a background in theoretical linguistics, historical linguistics and language change, and cognitive psychology. I currently work as a machine learning data linguist.