Lorenzo McCleese, a third-year Departmental Honors student, studies Environmental Science & Terrestrial Resource Management. Lorenzo first learned about undergraduate research in action when he attended a Dawg Daze event hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Inspired by the experiences of other UW students, Lorenzo undertook his first research position studying anthropogenic pollutants in the Duwamish River. Based on this experience, he knew that he wanted to pursue research more.

Lorenzo is passionate about how climate change impacts research, particularly within vulnerable ecosystems and for frontline communities of color. He is currently working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Alaska Fisheries Science Center, where he examines oral histories from Alaskan Indigenous and rural fishers to better understand how climate change is experienced, described, and felt within critical coastal communities. He also works with the University of California at Davis to study the presence and efficacy of climate refuges for the red abalone along the Californian coast. This summer, he will  research at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Monterey, California where he will work on yet another computationally-focused project centered on climate impacts on marine ecosystems.

Lorenzo plans to pursue a PhD in Earth Systems Science or a related field, continuing to study climate change impacts on threatened ecosystems using computational tools. Reflecting on the Goldwater Scholarship, he shared that the award provides both community and support. “The Goldwater Scholarship grants me access to an invaluable repository of professionals in and out of my field,” he said, adding that the funding also helps relieve financial pressures as a self-funded student pursuing graduate and fellowship opportunities.

Lorenzo credits the UW Honors Program with giving him the flexibility to continue research during the academic year through research credit opportunities. “I’ve found that the most growth I’ve had has been within research,” he explained. “It has pushed me as a thinker and scholar in ways I didn’t expect.”

For students hoping to pursue research, Lorenzo encourages them to lean on the support systems around them. “You don’t have to figure it all out on your own,” he shared. “In my experience, I’ve been surrounded by staff and faculty who have wanted me to succeed.”

Rachel Yin is a third-year Interdisciplinary Honors student studying Bioengineering and Neuroscience. Her first exposure to research came in her junior year of high school, where she studied the volumetric segmentation of the C. elegans pharyngeal nervous system. As she watched intricate neurite trajectories form day by day, she found herself asking more and more questions about how behavior emerges from structure and organization. During her first quarter at the UW, she took NEUSCI 490, a computational neuroscience seminar course, which expanded her curiosity even further. “Being part of the course helped me realize that the questions I had been asking about the 20 neurons in the C. elegans pharyngeal nervous system could be pursued at a much larger scale. Seeing how much was still left to understand made me certain that research was where I wanted to be,” Rachel said. 

Rachel is most passionate about systems and computational neuroscience, especially the question of how the microscopic organization of circuits gives rise to macroscopic dynamics of the entire brain. In Professor Nicholas Steinmetz’s lab, she has worked on quantifying discrepancies between mouse brain atlases and the in vivo brain.

Rachel plans to pursue a PhD focused on systems and computational neuroscience while also developing interactive tools that help researchers visualize and analyze neural circuits across multiple scales. In response to her Goldwater award, she shared, “Receiving the recognition has motivated me to continue being the kind of curious and driven learner I aspire to be, and to think more ambitiously about the questions I want to pursue.” 

As an out-of-state student, Rachel says the Honors community helped make a large university feel more navigable. Through Honors, she found mentors and peers whose interdisciplinary curiosity encouraged her to think more expansively about her own interests. “I realized that my interests in engineering and neuroscience didn’t have to live in separate boxes,” she explained.

Her advice to students interested in research mirrors the same curiosity that first drew her in: “Don’t be afraid to take that big step. Research may appear to be an intimidating space to enter, but the hardest part is usually just starting and following through.” 

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Dr. Jeanette Bushnell and Dr. Maralyssa Bann have been named as the recipients of the 2025-2026 Honors Excellence in Teaching Award, which recognizes faculty members whose teaching has left a lasting impact on Honors students.

Jeanette Bushnell, who has taught in Honors for over a decade, began as an undergraduate math tutor for the Ethnic Cultural Center. She earned three degrees at UW and Anishinaabe knowledge from Mide teachers. She is also a small business owner of The N.D.N. Players Research Group.

In Honors, Jeanette teaches her incredibly popular class “Lovework: An unfinished syllabus”. Here are some thoughts from her student nominations for this award:

“This class completely changed my life and was such a unique experience within the academic context of UW. Jeanette is a true change-maker. Authentic to herself and the future that she envisions for the world.”

“Dr. Jeanette Bushnell is truly in a league of her own, and I’m so grateful I had the chance to learn from her in Honors Lovework: An Unfinished Syllabus. I will never forget it. Dr. Bushnell didn’t just teach a class; she completely opened my eyes to Indigenous pedagogy and changed the way I show up in my most important relationships, whether that’s how I treat myself, my family, or the people I love romantically. Dr. Bushnell pushed me to rethink my old ideas in such a wonderful, encouraging way that I actually looked forward to the “unlearning” process. She is more than an instructor; she was a rock for me and a genuine support system when I didn’t know I needed one.”

Maralyssa Bann is a hospitalist at Harborview Medical Center where she has previously served as Director of Hospital Medicine and as Associate Medical Director for Acute Care. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and holds a faculty appointment as Associate Professor in the UW Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine. She also was a guest speaker at our Global Challenges 2025 event “Public Trust in Science.”

In Honors, Maralyssa teaches both “Safety Net Hospitals in the US: Past, Present, and Future” and a study abroad course, “Honors + Medicine London: Socializing Medicine – Comparing Concepts of Societal Safety Nets.” Here are some thoughts from her student nominations:

“Dr. Bann doesn’t just teach Honors 230C; she lives it. Her lectures on safety net hospitals weren’t just about history and policy, they were a call to action. Her passion is so high-energy and genuine that it’s impossible to sit in her class and not feel inspired to do something about healthcare equity. She has this incredible way of making you care about the systemic issues facing underprivileged populations as much as she does. Because of her, I didn’t just learn the material; I found a new direction for my future in healthcare advocacy.”

“As a doctor at Harborview, Seattle’s safety net hospital, Dr. Bann comes into the class with an incredible amount of knowledge, experience, and anecdotal stories that support learning in this class. She works hard to get to know students and always keeps the classroom a supportive and welcoming environment.”

Congratulations to this year’s HETA recipients! We are so grateful for your endless support of Honors and impact on students’ lives.

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Honors student Sreshta Appalabattula began her academic journey in technology, but over time, became increasingly drawn to the question of how law can keep pace with rapid innovation. Based on her experience in the UW Honors Program and informatics, Sreshta reflected, “I was encouraged to think more critically about the societal and ethical dimensions of the fields I was studying, which played a key role in my shift toward policy and legal studies.”

Sreshta added, “When I arrived at the University of Washington, I was surprised to find that, despite a large and active pre-law community, there was no platform for undergraduates to publish their work. At the same time, many students, especially those from STEM backgrounds, were not always encouraged to engage with the legal implications of their fields.” Motivated by this gap, Sreshta founded the Undergraduate Law Review with a few peers as an interdisciplinary space where students from all backgrounds can explore and publish work related to law. 

In just a month, they revived the organization from the ground up, recruiting an executive and editorial team of 10+ students and a writers team of 15+ students, securing RSO status, and currently developing their inaugural Spring 2026 edition. Follow @uwuglawreview on Instagram or reach out to ulawreview@uw.edu for more information!

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Congratulations to second-year Honors student Sophia Kawamura and recent Honors graduate Claire Cho on their recognition at the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA) in Florida! The ICFA is devoted to all forms of the fantastic across literature, film, and the other arts.

Sophia earned first place for the Must Reads Book Award, while Claire was named third runner-up. Honors first-year Finn Hoebelheinrich and second-year Lena Korn were also recognized as honorable mentions. At the conference, they presented readings of their work and participated in a range of academic panels focused on speculative fiction.

All students submitted their work through Professor Rachel Sobel’s Honors course, Writing Speculative Fiction from Life and Research. 

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Each year, the University of Washington recognizes 100 students whose academic journeys demonstrate personal growth and transformation. These students actively engage with their communities, lead with purpose, and take on complex, often ambiguous challenges. From volunteering at a community food forest to contributing to NASA’s LISA mission, these Honors Huskies are applying what they learned to make an impact across their UW experience. 

This year, the following 28 students from the Honors Program were named to the 2026 Husky 100:

Maya Falodia ’27 is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Disability Studies. As part of the Honors Program, she was a Peer Facilitator, helped with the Honors Peer Mentoring Program, worked as a recruitment ambassador, and now is a Student Assistant. She also serves as Vice Chair of Minorities in Technology. Maya has conducted research with the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology in the Allen School and is currently conducting research on Open Source Projects related to accessibility in the Make4All Lab. She also went on a study abroad in Rome, Italy, where she analyzed the access and inclusion of Rome and its transit systems.

Anika Neumeyer ’27 is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English and Law, Societies, and Justice. She has been involved with the Interdisciplinary Honors Program as a Communications Intern, Peer Facilitator, and Student Assistant. Beyond Honors, Anika serves on the Executive Board of UW Dawg Pack and works as a social media intern at the University Book Store. She also led a book drive in collaboration with UW Athletics and studied abroad with the LSJ Amsterdam program, where she studied public school segregation in Seattle and Amsterdam. 

Q&A with Maya and Anika

What does being recognized as a Husky 100 mean to you personally?

Maya: I feel grateful to be recognized and proud. Husky 100 is a goal I set for myself my first year after I saw friends and mentors I really looked up to get recognized as Husky 100. To me, Husky 100 represents students who are using their education and skills to make the world around them a better place, which is what I’m trying to do! I was excited when I found out I achieved my goal of being part of Husky 100.

Anika: This award helps me feel more confident in my goals to tackle literacy, censorship, and educational policy—topics which I often feel are side-lined. It also means that my work and efforts toward these topics/interests/areas have been recognized at UW. This award doesn’t only recognize myself, but also all the communities and programs I am connected to here at the UW that have made it possible for me to achieve this. I am proud that I can represent them with this award. 

Reflecting on your time at UW, is there a moment, experience, or activity that reshaped how you see yourself or your future? What did you take away from it?

Maya: One important moment of my time at UW was related to being a peer facilitator. As a peer facilitator, I had to put together a panel of current and alum Honors students for my Honors 100 section. One of the panelists was a UW alum, who majored in Disability Studies. After the panel, I talked with her a bit, as I was really interested in Disability Studies but didn’t know a lot about the program. I set up a coffee chat with her, where I learned more about her path and classes she recommended. It is partly because of her I am minoring in Disability Studies and why I went on the specific study abroad I did. This experience showed me how new connections can come from anywhere and anyone, and that I wanted to pursue Disability Studies.

Anika: One of the most vital experiences to my time at UW was the Communications Internship with the UW Honors Program. Looking back, this role really gave me the first stepping stone at UW and helped me immerse myself in a program that would guide my time here. Everything I have accomplished at UW stemmed from that first role in Honors: whether it was the development of a digital portfolio that landed me a Social Media internship at University Book Store, my mentor’s encouragement to study abroad with LSJ, or the Community Spotlights student interviews motivating me to create my own Mary Gates Leadership project.

In what ways has UW prepared you for what’s next, and how do you hope to carry those experiences forward?

Maya: UW has offered me so many experiences, from research to studying abroad to leadership roles. All of these experiences have helped me develop and gain skills like public speaking, project management, being adaptable, and strong technical knowledge. A lot of my experiences are linked by the common threads of proactive inclusion and accessibility. I hope to carry these guiding principles forward in whatever I do next. After graduation, I plan to work as a software engineer, with hopes that I can bring my skillset from minoring in Disability Studies and doing research in accessible technology into the tech world. I’m going back to Disney for my second internship this summer, so I could see myself returning to Disney full time. However, I am also interested in working at non-profit organizations or doing research related to accessibility in industry.

Anika: My time at UW has really opened my eyes to the opportunities that arise when you approach things with an open interdisciplinary mindset. I really found my path here at UW when I began drawing things from both my English and LSJ courses and thinking about how they could work together, whether in assignments or larger extracurricular projects. My experiences here have taught me to believe in the conviction of my ideas and my own ability to achieve them. Moving forward, I will take this belief and interdisciplinary mindset with me in my future pursuits and goals. After graduation, I plan to pursue an M.A. in English Literature before moving onto law school. I want to eventually serve as a First Amendment lawyer to fight book bans and censorship.

What advice would you give to the next generation of Honors students?

Maya: Always be open to new opportunities and new connections! You never know when a new classmate, friend, or mentor will connect you to your next passion or interest. I think it’s important to try new things and experiences to figure out what you want to do, and it will often take a lot of experiences to figure out what that is (I’m still figuring it out). While it’s important to be open to opportunities and connections and to say yes to them, remember to take care of yourself and take time to rest.

Anika: I would say to try everything that you can or are interested in because there isn’t anything to lose if you don’t get a club leadership position or onto a certain research project. Don’t be afraid to ask people for help or support if you have an idea. You never know when you might surprise yourself and get an opportunity that perhaps you might’ve scared yourself off of if you hadn’t put yourself out there.

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For first-year Honors student Mahika “Mahi” Malladi, a typical Fall weekend meant helping lead a city council campaign, organizing canvassers, and educating voters throughout the election process. Mahi served as campaign manager for Shilpa Prem’s 2025 Kirkland City Council Position 3 race, a role that reinforced for her the importance of participating in local elections. Reflecting on this experience, Mahi shared, “Even as a freshman student, learning how to articulate yourself in an environment of pressure is so valuable—not only in your personal development as a person of color who is teaching the world to take us seriously, but in politics in which our humanity is debated.”

With Mahi’s leadership and the broader campaign team’s efforts, Kirkland elected its first South Asian woman to City Council, winning by more than 650 votes. She was also recognized as a Campaign Heroine by the National Women’s Caucus (WA Chapter). Mahi notes, “Democracy is not easily sustained. We hold such strength navigating racially aggressive discussions and continue to come out month after month to champion our values.”

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After noticing that menopausal experiences are frequently underrepresented in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research, Tanvi Kale began writing a systematic review on IBD and menopause in 2024. Now a senior, she reflects on this work as part of our Community Spotlight series.

Conducted through the UW Gastrointestinal Health and Wellness Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Kendra Kamp, the project synthesizes clinical and epidemiological literature to examine how hormonal changes during menopause may influence IBD symptoms, disease activity, and quality of life. Tanvi’s work has since shaped her broader academic interests in health equity, gender-based disparities in medicine, and patient-centered care. Reflecting on the project, Tanvi shared, “As an Honors student, I’ve been motivated to pursue work that goes beyond the classroom to address real-world gaps in knowledge, and this review grew directly out of that mindset. I hope sharing this work can highlight how Honors students engage deeply with complex topics and use research as a tool for advocacy, connection, and impact within and beyond the UW community.”

Tanvi’s review was published in February 2025 in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Read her review here.

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Honors Portfolios:

Nia Brice

This site incorporates my Interdisciplinary Honors and Husky Leadership Portfolios which highlighting my undergraduate experiences at the University of Washington while completing a double degree in Medical Anthropology and Global Health (BA) and Biology (BS) with college honors. In my free time I enjoy committing to an old-lady lifestyle which includes reading books, cross-stitching, and visiting museums while never missing an episode of my favorite reality tv shows!

​This portfolio is organized like a museum with each tab being an ‘exhibit’ that highlighting a key reflection of mine, to learn more about this organization read the Museum Map below. Please wander through at your own pace and thank you for joining me!

Marilea Hernandez

My name is Mariela Hernandez, and I am a third year student at the University of Washington in Seattle. I study General Biology with Interdisciplinary Honors. Throughout my honors portfolio, I collected artifacts, pictures, and memories from my undergraduate years. Feel free to look through my portfolio that details my UW experience!

Jaya Field

This portfolio is the culmination of my four years at the University of Washington, and was created as a final project for my time in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program. Through this portfolio I chronicle the peaks and valleys of each quarter I have spent at the university (or abroad), and in doing so reflect on how I have evolved as a student, researcher, friend, and community member over this time period. 

A little about me, I am graduating in March 2026 with a BA in Law, Societies & Justice and BA in International Studies with Interdisciplinary Honors. Originally from Evanston, Illinois, I chose to move to Seattle and attend UW largely because of my acceptance to the Interdisciplinary Honors Program. As a senior in high school I felt constrained by the idea of choosing a major, and loved the prospect of being able to continue to learn about topics outside of my intended area of study. I have been able to take advantage of so many incredible opportunities through Honors, from studying abroad in Peru to moderating the Honors program’s annual Global Challenges event. As I am now in my last quarter of my college experience, I feel immensely grateful to the folks in the Honors program for the way they have shaped me as a person. Enjoy my portfolio!

Research Abstracts:

Joey Arens – A Critical Queer-y Into the Capture of the LGBTQ+ Movement

Within the span of a century, homosexuals in the United States went from pathologized persons with “sociopathic personality disturbances” to revered as “strengthe[ning] the institution of marriage” by the nation’s highest court. This thesis – diverging from prototypical analyses that esteem the “glamorous” and meteoric rise of gay rights – reveals undemocratic normative, institutional, and material intra-movement power asymmetries that informed the movement’s trajectory alteration in its priorities, agenda, and tactics. The dearth of scholarship – failing to mend critical philanthropy studies with LGBTQ+ social movement history – permits the clandestine impacts of private foundations and institutional power asymmetries to be underexamined, thereby reifying the invisibilized omnipresence of force relations inherent in those social movements embedded in a capitalist substructure. This thesis deploys a multi-method approach, integrating quantitative financial data from grant-making foundations to LGBTQ+ causes with qualitative, critical “bottom-up” analysis, with foci on the covert vicissitudes of power archived in the Freedom to Marry Oral Histories and other primary sources. This thesis identifies and dissects three junctures of “movement capture.” The quintessential, conditional funding influxes predicated upon acquiescence to the funder’s priorities, which were substantially dictated by the Civil Marriage Collaborative (CMC), who bestowed the movement with nearly a third of the movement’s monetary budget attained from foundations ($393,138,889). Secondly, the CMC’s affixation to institutional nodes of power – particularly formal sociopolitical channels and the pre-existing sway of the Litigators Roundtable – which thereby bestowed a degree of legitimization for their demands at the expense of more liberatory avenues that reject the reification or replication of hegemonic power. And finally, the portrayal and “advertisement” of the(ir) movement to the public(s) that paradoxically occluded LGBTQ+ self-advocacy in the name of political expediency for gay rights. These findings give further credence that axiom that the revolution will not be funded in a climate of growing and violent wealth inequality.

Devyn Gilbert – A Tale of Two Billies: Non/Normative Masculinities in the Seattle Leather Community

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, perceptions of masculinity in the Seattle leather men community underwent various changes. My paper scrutinizes the reasons why masculine ideals expanded to be more inclusive of transgender male identities, but the same progress was not made with regard to Black men. The purpose of this project is to investigate and shed light on issues of discrimination against intersectional identities within marginalized communities. My thesis is that, in combination with political movements in the LGBTQ+ community, changes in leadership due to the AIDS epidemic made room for new forms of masculinity in the Seattle leather men community. However, those forms of masculinity were still largely normative and white. My project is a case study of two Seattle leather men with non-normative masculine identities, one from the 80s and the other from the 90s. Looking at primary sources in newspapers from the period regarding their experiences and events they were involved in, I compared the coverage of their lives and analyzed this data through the lens of erotic capital. My project found that greater willingness to discuss gender inequality than racial inequality, as well as nationwide transgender rights movements, resulted in an expanded definition of masculinity in the 1990s. This new masculinity included normative transgender male identities, but still unfairly discriminated against gay men of color. These findings are significant as they illuminate the history of racism and transphobia within the gay community that is still present today.

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Candidates should be currently enrolled in the UW Interdisciplinary Honors Program. Work hours will primarily occur between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, M-F, in the Honors office, with some remote hours possible on Fridays. Applicants with Monday/Wednesday availability are preferred. 

In general, the duties for this job include: 

• General representation of the UW Honors Program to the public/stakeholders via phone, Zoom, email, in person as the primary reception staff.
  • Greet all guests and help to answer their question or direct them to the appropriate resource.
  • Check the general program email and voicemail each shift and help triage and respond.
• Assist with advising questions or connecting students to the Honors advisers or appropriate resource. This may include:
  • Assisting advising questions over email and the phone. 
  • Assisting with drop in advising.
  • Assisting with individual advising appointments and the flow/logistics of in-person advising.
  • Assisting with group advising sessions.
• Assist with answering admissions and program questions from prospective students and families.
• Assist with Honors communication, web updates, and social media projects. This could include:
  • Creating and disseminating weekly Honors announcements
  • Creating, organizing, improving accessibility, and updating content of web pages, artifacts, the announcements blog, and other digital communications tools
  • Monitoring Honors social media and create new posts (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)
  • Assisting Honors staff in a variety of presentations to the public.
• Assist as needed with academic services and course/curriculum processes, including Honors-by-Contract & Experiential Learning communication and process management.
• Assist with scheduling Honors room reservations and managing technology checkouts associated with room reservations.
• Assist all Honors staff as needed.

Your supervisor will be Alycia Gilbert, and/or the Program Manager, and you will work closely with all Honors Program staff.

Desired Skills

• Understanding of the Interdisciplinary Honors Program requirements for undergraduate students.
• Ability to articulate the value and purpose of the Honors Program requirements.
• Ability to speak about your personal experiences at UW, and a willingness to share some of those personal experiences/stories with other students.
• Creativity and enthusiasm for supporting the Honors Program and larger UW community.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; demonstrated ability to balance a variety of activities.
• Strong writing and social media communication skills.
• Basic digital graphic design skills.
• Familiarity with WordPress or similar online publishing platforms, or a basic knowledge of HTML
• Photography/videography skills
• Demonstrated involvement on campus or in the community.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills: ability to work well with peers, new students, staff; ability to listen and respond to individuals’ questions and concerns; ability to help others problem solve and make decisions.

Compensation

Compensation is $21.30 per hour.

Dates

Spring Quarter 2026: Position will begin April 15, 2026, with a focus on onboarding and training, as well as taking part in Honors Spring events, such as graduation and Admitted Students Day. Minimum of 10-15 hours per week. 

Summer 2026: The position includes 10 remote hours of work per week during Summer 2026, with flexibility for the student employee’s availability.

Academic Year 2026-27: Autumn, Winter, and Spring at 12-15 hours per week, with an upper limit of 19.5 hours per week. Hours during the quarterly breaks may be available and will be discussed and arranged at least two weeks prior to each break. Hours will primarily occur between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, M-F, in the Honors office, with some remote hours possible on Fridays. 

Please reach out to uwhonors@uw.edu with any questions! We’re excited to hear from you.

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Congrats to Kaytlin Rose Vanderhorst, Carilyn Brandt, and Luna Crone-Barón on being named 2024-2025 President’s Medalists. These students were selected for their rigorous courses, number of Honors classes, and high GPAs.

All three students are in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, and embody interdisciplinary thinking and learning, with majors ranging from psychology and education studies to english and drama. These students continue to impress with their work at the UW Farm, in storytelling, writing for the Daily, serving as peer advisers, and promoting student wellness.

Congratulations!

Click here to read the full story

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