Introducing Program on the Environment’s 2017-2019 Alumni Council!

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The Program on the Environment Alumni Council provides Environmental Studies alumni resources for networking and professional development, and opportunities for community building.

This year, the council has re-envisioned its purpose and onboarded new members from recent cohorts to join in efforts to connect, celebrate and support alumni and build lasting relationships. The vision of the council is to foster connections across academic and professional realms that provide the Environmental Studies community with sustained opportunities for career advancement and personal achievement.

Learn more about the alumni council and get to know our council members, below!

Alumni Council

Kathryn DavisKathryn Davis

Class of 2011
Stewardship Manager, Puget Soundkeeper

In my role as Stewardship Manager at Puget Soundkeeper, I have the opportunity to work with groups throughout the Puget Sound region to protect clean water and share information related to water quality issues. My day can be spent doing anything from speaking in a classroom, to kayaking one of our beautiful waterways, to wading through an urban creek counting returning fish and grabbing water samples. I love it!  

My undergraduate experience at the Program on the Environment (POE) solidified my commitment to promote the connections between a healthy world and healthy people. My favorite memory from POE is spending a week at Pack Forest learning about sustainable forestry and ecosystem recovery.

Along with the rest of the alumni council, I would like to help build a bridge between current students and the professional world and continue to connect the growing circle of POE alumni. Regardless of your chosen career pathway, there is room for you to share your perspective and stay involved with the POE community!

Blake KonradyBlake Konrady

Class of 2005
Program Manager, PROVAIL

I currently work for a nonprofit organization called PROVAIL and manage a program in partnership with Microsoft called The Microsoft Autism Hiring Initiative. I help recruit, assess, train, retain, and coach individuals on the autism spectrum for jobs in the technology industry.

My favorite memory from POE is being able to put studies, data, publications and research from the spectrum of collegiate fields in support of Environmental Studies when discussing public policy and the reasons why protecting our natural world is so important. Meeting so many passionate professors and classmates helped cement my mentality of fighting for what’s right and to be supportive and helpful to all of those around me.

I hope to bring experience from being on the council from the last three years and look forward to how we can refresh the energy, enthusiasm and reach of our work.

Sean WoodSean Wood

Class of 2010
Owner, Contourlines NW

I appreciate that POE allowed me to combine my financial educational background with a focus on sustainable business development quite seamlessly, letting me get the designer degree I was looking for: one that was custom-tailored to my goals and career aspirations.

I hope to plan and support events that get current students excited and engaged in the career-seeking process. I plan to support them by providing guidance toward setting and achieving their post-graduation, professional goals.

Stephanie Ung

Stephanie Ung

Class of 2014
Naturalist, Seattle Parks & Recreation in the Citywide Environmental Education Unit

I build partnerships and co-develop environmental learning programs to support access to liberating and inspiring experiences being in nature can bring. I like to think critically about the programs we currently offer and how we can improve them! At the root of it all, I’m always thinking about systems and how environmental education is a little blip that can have a huge impact on it all.

My favorite memory from POE was co-founding SAGE (The Student Association for Green Environments) and being involved with community building among other students (shout out to Stephanie Aragon and Sarah Sanborn!). Biggest takeaway: everything is interrelated with everything else; relationships matter!

As part of the alumni council, I hope to bring a critical lens around diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environmental field, as the root causes of our planet’s destruction lie in corrupt systems (including those built for and supported by people). I hope to be a part of supporting the movers, shakers, and interrupters of POE!

Adrienne Hampton

Class of 2015
Field Technician and Graduate Student, UW

I completed the Environmental Studies BA with a focus in marine conversation. Currently I am a field technician with the UW Biology Department, Mt. St. Helens Institute, and the U.S. Forest Service.

I seek to influence the nexus where science and policy intersect, to push science into policy. I am also an MPA Candidate within the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at UW. 

Alexandra BradleyAlexandra Bradley

Class of 2016
Environmental Coordinator, Patagonia Ballard

In my role at Patagonia Workwear Flagship store in Ballard I direct the grant-giving processes and develop relationships with non-profits, inviting them to events with the goal of celebrating their work, inspiring advocacy and facilitating engagement in the broader community. I also keep tabs on sustainability metrics in our store and provide staff and partners with a growing list of activism opportunities. 

My favorite memories from POE are from experiential learning opportunities that were made possible by lots of coordinated work and relationships. I still think about what I learned visiting 7 dairy farms in one day with Stevan Harrell, a 9-day backpacking trip in Olympics with Tim Billo, 7 days in Yellowstone National Park with Dr. John Marzluff and a weekend with Elizabeth Wheat on her farm on Whidbey Island. I feel lucky to have had so many unique experiences as part of my academic education. 

I hope to contribute to the alumni council by collaborating with the council members to plan events and intentionally engage students and alumni, encourage a stronger sense of community, participate in on and off-campus events, and learn all I can from others around me!

Jospehine StraussJosephine Strauss

Class of 2017
Legal Assistant, King County Prosecutor’s Office 

I work on various projects throughout the administration section at the King County Prosecutor’s Office; this often involves working with policies and assisting in research and data analysis. I have my eyes set on law school in the near future.

A favorite memory from my time at POE was my ENVIR 280 (Natural History of the Puget Sound) class field trip to Olympic National Park! I loved it and it was definitely one of the most exciting field trips of my undergrad experience.

As a member of the alumni council, I hope to bring fun, innovative ideas that help bridge the gap between current students and alumni, and existing alumni and their connection to the program after graduation. I am also hoping to learn more about how POE alums are spending their time after they’ve left UW.

Joyce LeCompte kicks off Rabinowitz Speaker Series on society and environment, Dec. 5

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Examining the impact of human behavior and actions on the environment is a focus of both Program on the Environment and the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at UW. To further highlight the interdisciplinary teaching and research of both units, we are co-hosting a monthly Rabinowitz Speaker Series: Society’s Role in a Changing Environment, featuring a different faculty member each month.

Join us every first Tuesday (second Tuesday in January) from December 2017 – April 2018, from 4:30–6pm in Wallace Hall Commons. Faculty talks are followed by Q&A and time for mingling.

Our first speaker will be Joyce LeCompte. The title of her talk is Cultural Ecosystems of the Salish Sea: Coast Salish Ecologies of Reciprocity and Resilience.

Bio

Joyce LeCompte at Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve.

Joyce is an environmental anthropologist whose research and teaching focuses on the ways in which culture, politics, science and history inform human understandings and relationships with the environment, and how in turn these relationships and understandings affect social life and human wellbeing.

Joyce is currently a lecturer at the Program on the Environment, where she has taught courses in Ethnobiology, Power and Privilege in Natural Resources Conservation, Indigenous People and the Collaborative Stewardship of Non-human Nature, and Methods in Environmental Studies.

Joyce’s research and writing projects are community driven and focused on supporting opportunities for, and understanding the barriers to, the (re)integration of traditional plant foods into the everyday lives of Puget Sound Coast Salish communities.

In fact, earlier this year, Joyce was the recipient of one of two inaugural project incubator grants with The Center for Creative Conservation. Along with her co-lead, ecologist Sarah Hammond, Joyce’s research on the conservation of camas prairies asks: How can university researchers support efforts of community-based initiatives and partner on conservation efforts?

The project intends to broaden cultural ecosystems learning, focusing on the camas prairies of western Washington, Oregon and Vancouver Island. These landscapes have been managed by Native Peoples for millennia and are of great importance, for food and for other reasons. However lots of land has been lost, in part due to agriculture and development. The long-term goal of the project is to develop a trans-disciplinary Cultural Conservation Education and Research Program.

Read more about Joyce and Sarah’s incubator and their collaborative work with Tribal, government, nonprofit and industry partners to work together to revitalize and restore these critical habitats:

http://conservation.uw.edu/current-work/camas-prairie-cultural-ecosystems-incubator/

Reflections on 9 days in the wilderness with Tim Billo

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For a trip of a lifetime, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs student Katie Keil rearranged her travel to join Tim Billo and his ENVIR 495C: Landscape Changes in the Pacific Northwest course as a teaching assistant. The annual summer course has deeply impacted students who have, for perhaps the first time, experienced raw wilderness and learned about what a changing landscape means for us all.

In Katie’s words: “Although the views were spectacular, my favorite times were the evening thought provoking, student-led discussions about our wild lands around a fire (including some ghost stories).  We explored topics of wilderness preservation, minority access to national parks, and the impacts of changing environments in the Anthropocene.”

Read more about Katie’s experience (below) and see posts from the student blog. Instructor Tim Billo offers this course as one way for students to interact with nature on an intimate level and says “extended wilderness travel offers us rare time and space to think deeply about how we might move forward as a society at this critical juncture in earth’s history, the beginning of the Anthropocene era.”

9 days, 50+ miles, and the time of my life

Program on the Environment welcomes Thao Huynh

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This quarter’s newest addition to the teaching team is Thao Huynh, a graduate student at School of Marine and Environmental Affairs who is teaching our popular Sustainability Studio course.

Welcome, Thao!

What brought you to Seattle and our program?

Thao Nguyen

I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. I moved to Seattle to study marine and environmental affairs at the University of Washington. I am certainly passionate about environmental issues, so Seattle is a great place to be for this kind of stuff!

When I saw an opportunity to teach in the Program on the Environment, a program that specializes in learning, understanding and tackling real-life issues, I knew it would be a valuable experience for me. The students, faculty and staff have been great to work with, and the ideas and creativity that flow through the program motivate me to become a better environmentalist and instructor.

Can you share a bit about your educational background, research interests and expertise?

I received a Bachelor of Arts in biology and a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from the University of North Texas. While there, I developed an interest in marine-related topics, particularly aquaculture and fish physiology. When I moved to Seattle and started my Masters in Marine Affairs, a very human dimension was added to my background and understanding; this shaped my research interests toward food security and sustainable seafood, with aquaculture being a potential solution to these developing issues. Currently, I am collaborating with NOAA to complete my thesis on farming potentials of black cod. 

What’s the focus of this quarter’s Sustainability Studio?

This fall, the ENVIR 480 class is learning about Green Event Planning, and with great timing too. Next summer, Seattle will be hosting the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games, and UW campus will be a main hub for many of the activities. To better ensure that sustainability is incorporated into the planning of this mega-event, the students will be working closely with clients, such as UW Recycling and UW Transportation, to identify and help implement environmental solutions for the USA Games.

Although large organized events can often have large environmental impacts, the Sustainability Studio class will take on this challenge and strive to make the USA Games even greener. 

What environmental issues resonate most deeply with you? 

Environmental justice is very important to me. With climate change on the rise, I believe “climate refugees” may soon become a reality. These are people who are forced to relocate and adapt to new surroundings because their native residence was compromised. You can begin to see these climate refugees from Small Island Developing States, where sea level rise has inundated their homes, and similarly from the PNW indigenous tribes, where a combination of sea level rise as well as environmental degradation has compromised their homes and food sources.

Unfortunately, there is a trend showing that more privileged groups tend to contribute most to climate change while those that contribute least are most affected. I think this dilemma presents a great opportunity to further encourage collaboration across multiple disciplines in environmental studies. 

Share a fun fact.

I love cats! I have a pet cat named Esmeralda, who is currently six years old. I adopted her from an animal shelter at six months in Dallas and drove her all the way up to Seattle. Although she was not too happy during the 10 day drive, we are glad to still be with each other. By the way, I am always open to sharing cat pictures!

Celebration of the Sustainable Learning Space: Post celebration recap and photos!

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Last week, friends of Tikvah and the Program on the Environment came together to celebrate the new Sustainable Learning Space on the north end of the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, to honor Tikvah’s memory and spend time in the garden. It was a bright, sunny day and spirits were high as old friends reconnected and new friendships were forged. 

Program on the Environment students who were part of the garden build project gave tours of the garden, highlighting some of the native plants, educational signs, rain garden and sustainable elements. Friends of Tikvah wrote notes in her memory which will later be tilled into the soil in the garden, and many reminisced about the beautiful soul who inspired the creation of the space, which the program intends to use for future community gatherings.

MORE PHOTOS

Rick Keil, Julia Parrish and Daniel Winterbottom all gave brief remarks and thanked everyone involved in bringing the garden project to fruition, and Leah Weiner, Tikvah’s sister gave a touching toast to thank everyone and to share some memories of her sister and the community that showed up to honor her. Frieda Cohan, an Environmental Studies major at the Program on the Environment is the current garden steward, and will work with others to maintain the space for the school year. The program intends to hire new student stewards each year. 

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with us! See more photos from the event. All are encouraged to visit or revisit the garden space and to remain connected with the Program. 

New Sustainable Learning Space celebrates place-based learning and community

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Designing an outdoor educational space to honor a former staff member, fulfill students’ Capstone requirements, and meet UW building regulations, all within budget and time constraints, is no small feat.

However, this Spring, with the support of a slew of collaborators, a vibrant outdoor learning space, located on the northern side of the School of Aquatic and Fisheries lawn was built. The garden space, adorned with nature-themed quotes, hand-crafted wood benches, native plants, a bioswale and rain garden is the result of a tremendous team effort by students, faculty and staff across campus.

With appreciation and thanks to the Campus Sustainability Fund; UW Landscape Architecture and its annual Design/Build course; UW Department of Urban Design & Planning; UW Department of Facilities Maintenance & Construction, UW’s Office of the University Architect, and the generosity of donors to Tikvah’s Fund, this learning and teaching space is open to all on UW campus, to gather, study and learn.

Tikvah
Tikvah Weiner.

In honor of Tikvah

Tikvah Weiner was beloved at UW, and during her time working at the Program on the Environment, she touched many with her warm personality and genuine care for others.

“She always had a smile on her face and her ebullience and personable manner helped defuse tension; she was driven to bring people together” shares Julia Parrish, who was director of Program on the Environment for part of the time Tikvah was the program’s graduate program adviser and then administrator.

When Tikvah’s health deteriorated with her breast cancer diagnosis, Julia and Landscape Architecture faculty member Ken Yocom, a former program advisory board member, worked to establish a gift fund in her honor. Tikvah loved gardens and expressed a desire to have a space for student use, in the urban environment, as a demonstration of sustainable practices. In this spirit, the learning space and garden will hold space for collaboration, contemplation and camaraderie.

Students shoveling in the garden.
Students shoveling sections of the raingarden.

Collaborating to foster a living lab

The initial plans for the garden location had to be changed and along with students from Landscape Architecture and Program on the Environment, the advisory group mulled over options, quickly. Howard Nakase from UW Grounds suggested the northern part of the Fisheries Lawn, in part for its existing trees and habitat, and from there, the team re-envisioned the original models for the space and completed the project in mere weeks.

Through this interactive experience, students learned about the practicalities of augmenting the built environment—from adapting to planning modifications, applying construction and fabrication skills, to grappling with the incessant blackberry bush growth and the challenges of incorporating sustainable building elements that matched the project’s needs.

Tori Shao shoveling in the garden.
Tori Shao at work in the garden.

For Tori Shao, the student lead on the project and a Landscape Architecture major, the collaborative aspect was a highlight. “I had to learn how to speak in another language when translating the landscape jargon to students from the Program on the Environment,” mused Shao. “I really appreciated how we moved forward to work within the project parameters and how resilient we were in terms of the constraints we had! Learning conversations and flexibility were key.”

Sustainability in action

This project, in large part funded by a Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF), is one of the first of its kind in terms of building a highly visible and usable outdoor space on the UW campus that takes into consideration the complex elements of a changing physical landscape, restoration of an urban area, hydroecology and nurturing of native plants.

“The collaboration and creativity of all made this project possible,” says Kyle McDermott, who was the CSF liaison and helped with coordination and facilitation. “CSF’s mission is to drive change on campus and empower students to use UW as a living lab. This project embodied these goals.”

Mobile wood chairs, built by the Design Build Landscape Architecture students.
Mobile wood chairs, built by the Design Build Landscape Architecture students.

Creating a space with sustainable elements meant many things. Tori Shao shared that the design team thought through everything from the materials, to the use of space as an educational one, to the potential for restoring the natural habitat.

The brightly colored steel and wood chairs with flowing, organic form were designed and fabricated by students with mobility in mind. The five benches around the garden were built from slabs of a felled Sequoia tree that had been struck by lightning on UW’s campus. The student team was enthusiastic to have the CSF-funded Salvage Wood program as a resource when selecting materials and re-envisioning what sustainability meant in the context of the project.

Program on the Environment students learned about bioswale, garden management and incorporated elements of sustainability and eco-psychology. Together, the students contributed to on-site work, selecting and planting Bunny in the gardennative species, weeding, paving pathways and building an ADA accessible space, including interpretive signage around the rain garden, home to native and pollinator plants, birds and the occasional bunny.

For Madeline Schroeder, the spirit in which the space was created will motivate the longer-term care of the garden. “Even in the future, when students look upon this garden and ask how the snags got there or what the purpose of the rain garden is, Tikvah will still be inspiring thought and wisdom. It is for this reason, the ability to contribute to a learning experience unbound by time by an inspiring and well-missed individual, that I decided to take part in this independent study.”

The Sustainable Learning Space is meant for everyone on campus, and stands as an example of a team effort to encourage active learning spaces on campus, to demonstrate the creative work of students, and to provide a contemplative, beautiful space to remember Tikvah.

“This project really captures the very essence of Tikvah: natural, learning-oriented, and beautiful. She cared so much about our students and community, and would be thrilled about the students’ involvement in its design and creation.” – Clare Ryan, former director of Program on the Environment

The project team posing for a group photo.
A large part of the project’s team, posing at the end of quarter to celebrate the completion of the project.

 

Update: See photos taken during the commemoration of the garden space.

 

Student Spotlight: Jenny Renee

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Hard work and grit characterize Jenny Renee. No stranger to challenges, Jenny has traversed an untraditional path and become an enthusiastic advocate for ocean conservation.

Jenny in her element on a field trip to the coast.
Jenny Renee
Jenny Renee in her element, on a field trip to the Olympic coast.

Name: Jenny Renee
Majors: Environmental Studies and Oceanography
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas

Raised by a loving mother who juggled a career and three kids, Jenny grew up with limited resources and never thought about a future career protecting the environment. She moved with her family to Seattle at a young age, receiving support from her mother’s family, descendants from Mexico.

High school was a struggle for Jenny until she attended Seattle Middle College during her senior year, an alternative high school on a college campus. Here, she gave learning a second chance and thrived in a more personalized and supportive educational setting.

From boot camp to college

At 17 Jenny started scuba diving and also signed up to join the Coast Guard to become a rescue swimmer. Unfortunately, regulations prevented her from joining. She decided to start community college but kept pursuing her goals, and two years later joined the Navy, embracing the discipline and rigor of boot camp. She taught fellow recruits and was thrilled to be promoted twice. Her secret to success: “Work hard, play the game, embrace the pain and keep smiling.”

Despite Jenny’s commitment to her work and her ease at building relationships, the challenges continued. Due to an oversight in her application, Jenny was discharged from the Navy, just days before boot camp graduation. She was devastated and found herself on her own, with very few possessions and no place to live.

She moved in with her sister and brother-in-law, and was on food stamps, working retail, mechanics, plumbing and administrative jobs. All the while, her dream of being a rescue swimmer for the Navy drove her to appeal the Navy’s decision, a task that would last over a year. She wrote to the State’s senators and head officers in the Navy, to no avail.

Undeterred by the reality that she’d have to pivot on her career goals, Jenny kept scuba diving, volunteering (at the Seattle Aquarium), attending community college and working full-time to make ends meet.

Eye to eye with an octopus

One night while diving, Jenny encountered a giant Pacific octopus sitting on a cement block, 90 feet down in the water; they stared at each other for what seemed like eternity.

“That magical moment sparked the fire, and in that moment I knew; this is why I need to protect the environment” reminisced Jenny.

Jenny in her scuba gear at the Seattle Aquarium
Jenny at the Seattle Aquarium after a dive in the Underwater Dome exhibit.

Jenny applied to UW, speaking to advisers about her interests, and opted for the Environmental Studies major to get a broad range of knowledge on natural and social sciences. She also took many oceans and fisheries classes. One of her most memorable classes was Rivers & Beaches, taking her outside of the classroom on field trips where she saw parts of the state she’d never encountered. She also met her first mentor at UW, a grad student who encouraged her to keep asking questions and to remain curious.

Through UW, Jenny spent a quarter at Friday Harbor Labs, focusing on marine biology. The experience taught her she did really well in the field. She was inspired to pursue a second degree in Oceanography, and empowered to tackle all the math that came her way. She was even offered a coveted lab assistant position at Charles Nittrouer’s UW Sediment Dynamics Lab, an opportunity she says wouldn’t have materialized had she not led with curiosity or listened to her mentor. In addition to the quarter in marine biology, Jenny returned to Friday Harbor Labs for a marine sediment apprenticeship, and a scientific diving course.

Capstone: creating a culturally relevant science education program

Now back on the Seattle campus, Jenny is busy with and excited about her Environmental Studies Capstone. Through her capstone internship with NOAA, Jenny gets to dive into environmental education, a component of Environmental Studies she hasn’t yet experienced. The project entails creating culturally relevant place-based lesson plans for the Pribilof Island communities in Alaska, located in the middle of the Bering Sea. The lesson plans will focus on Blue King Crab which have historical economic importance to the community, but are in decline. The education plans are part of NOAA’s education outreach research requirement. Jenny is working with a local organization on the islands called ECO, and is creating plans for kids in K-5.

Jenny’s research asks: How do we develop effective science education plans for underrepresented communities that are most adversely impacted by the decline of Blue King Crab? Her lessons will incorporate everything from the significance of the crabs to the community and natural environment, to climate change and oceanography.

Jenny examining a retrieved tripod from Freshwater Bay on the R/V Barnes.
Emily Eidam
Jenny aboard the R/V Barnes during her sediment research apprenticeship, examining a tripod retrieved from Freshwater Bay off the Elwah River.

Working remotely and answering these questions in the 10 weeks that the Capstone internship typically lasts is not enough time, and Jenny understands that to serve a community, she must spend time in that community. She has extended her internship and in October she will travel to St. Paul, one of the Pribilof Islands, for Bering Sea Days, a week long science week for children, where notable scientists from the region present their research to kids in elementary and middle school. Jenny will teach her pilot lesson plan on blue king crab life cycles, and gather feedback to then modify and strengthen what she calls her building toolkit.

“This internship is like going in as a contractor to build a house. I have my toolbox of materials but I need to consult with the residents and build something that they will use.”

Jenny plans to present her internship research at the North Pacific Research Board conference next year. When she graduates, she knows her work will focus on ocean conservation, and she’s prepared to embrace all the bumps in the road she’ll no doubt encounter.

Words of advice to new students

In Jenny’s own words:

Jenny on a hike with friends.
Jenny Renee
Jenny on a hike to Granite Falls with some Environmental Studies friends.

Don’t be afraid to take a class, apply for a job, or program because you think you’re not qualified. Hard work, curiosity, resilience, and passion go a long way. Maybe you won’t be qualified – you’ll still gain experience applying. And maybe you will qualify, and it’ll become the most enriching part of your time at the UW. Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries!

Try to figure out what you’re good at. What inspires you? Try a little bit of everything if you can, because you can’t know until you try! And ask questions!

I know people tell you to “network” because it’s important, but what does that really mean? It can mean anything from telling someone that you liked their presentation, to taking the seat next to the professor on field trips, to talking to the person standing next to you in line for a UW sponsored event. Networking can mean talking with professors and TA’s during office hours, ask them about their research (people love talking about themselves!). Networking doesn’t have to be scary or hard, and you’d be surprised where you can find support and mentors, they’re everywhere and waiting to meet you!

Mysterious sword fern die-off remains a growing concern

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Paul Shannon
Healthy sword ferns in Seward Park, 2011.

The puzzling death of sword ferns in Seattle’s Seward Park is under ongoing investigation by Tim Billo, Paul Shannon and national fern experts the two are consulting with to address the problem.

King 5 News and KUOW spoke with Billo and Shannon and wrote about the concern recently as did Sierra Magazine, reporting yesterday that 11 acres of sword ferns have died in Seward Park so far, with no regrowth. If this pattern continues, the scientists on the project predict all ferns in the park could disappear for good in a decade.

For more on this ongoing research see:

Tim Billo speaks on King 5 News about fern die-off in Seward Park

 

 

International program scholarships with Sept. deadlines!

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There is still time to apply for several fully funded year-long international experiences!

See details below from Robin Chang, UW’s Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards. Rising seniors, new or current graduate and professional students, and alumni may be eligible to apply:

 

Luce Scholars Program – Apply by Sept. 6, 2017

This is a great opportunity for those with little or no prior experience in, or education about, Asian countries to add this valuable perspective to their future career interests! The Luce Scholars Program is open to students and alumni under 30 as of July 1, 2018 in all fields of study. It is unique among American-Asian exchanges in that it is intended for young leaders who have had limited experience of Asia and who might not otherwise have an opportunity in the normal course of their careers to come to know Asia. The program provides living stipends, language training and individualized professional placement in Asia for fifteen to eighteen young U.S. citizens each year. Learn more and apply for UW nomination at http://expd.uw.edu/expo/scholarships/luce. 

Fulbright US Student Program – Apply by Sept. 6, 2017

Open to students and alumni in all fields (and no age limit!). The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed graduate-level study, independent research projects or English Teaching Assistant Programs in over 140 countries. Learn more about the program at https://us.fulbrightonline.org, and about our campus application and interview process at http://expd.uw.edu/expo/scholarships/fulbright. 

Schwarzman Scholars Program – Apply by Sept. 28, 2017

Current UW undergrads should seek institutional endorsement by Aug. 15, national deadline

Launched in 2016, the Schwarzman Scholars Program aims to give the world’s best and brightest students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills through a one-year Master’s Degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Full funding is provided for students to pursue degrees in one of three disciplines:  Public Policy, Economics and Business, and International Studies. Candidates must be at least 18 but not yet 29 years of age as of August 1, 2018. Information on UW endorsement for current undergrads is at http://expd.uw.edu/expo/scholarships/SchwarzSchol.

DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service Scholarships – Apply for UW priority consideration: Oct. 17

Final campus deadline November 1

Highly qualified final year undergraduate students or those who have received an undergraduate degree in any discipline may apply for the DAAD Study Scholarship for a full Master’s degree program at a German university or for study at a German university as part of a postgraduate or Master’s degree program completed in the home country. Research Grants for 1-6 month or 7-10 month projects in Germany are awarded to highly qualified candidates from rising seniors through those who have already completed a Ph.D. (and all stages in between), including those wishing to earn a doctoral degree in Germany. Many study programs and research opportunities funded by DAAD do not require proficiency in the German language, there are no age limits, and US citizenship is not required. Learn more at https://www.daad.org/en/study-research-in-germany/.

 

Connect with UW scholarship advisers at all three campuses for questions and/or application support for any of these programs (and more)!

  • UW Seattle Undergrads & Bachelor’s Alumni: contact Emily Smith (emilys42@uw.edu) & Robin Chang (robinc@uw.edu) in the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards.
  • UW Seattle Graduate & Professional Students & Alumni: contact Michelle Drapek (mdrapek@uw.edu) in the Graduate School Office of Fellowships & Awards.
  • UW Bothell students and alumni at all levels: contact Natalia Dyba (nataliak@uw.edu), Director of Global Initiatives.
  • UW Tacoma students and alumni at all levels: contact Cindy Schaarschmidt (cs65@uw.edu), Director, Student Fellowships & Study Abroad

Congratulations to our 2017-2018 Environmental Leadership Scholars!

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Congratulations to Environmental Studies majors Cassie Maylor and Olivia Scott, our 2017-2018 Environmental Leadership Scholarship recipients!

Program on the Environment, with support from generous donors, awards scholarships to two students each year who demonstrate a passion for environmental studies, integrative thought and action in their academics and activities, and a vision of how they hope to make a positive difference in the world.

Both Cassie and Olivia have shared their gratitude for the scholarship and the support they receive as Environmental Studies majors.

Cassie

Cassie is currently working on her Capstone with 3Degrees, an environmental consulting firm, and says she can’t wait to see where her passion for renewable energy and the future of renewables takes her post graduation. Cassie is also a student ambassador for the College of the Environment and is a resource for students interested in Environmental Studies.

Cassie Maylor

“Receiving this scholarship reminds me more than anything to work harder. As I start my final year as an undergrad, I appreciate constant reminders to make the most of my time.

I had a blast this year, leading two student clubs: ReThink and SAGE. These clubs and their members are relentless in their efforts to make change at UW and with the broader community. I will always be proud and grateful that I had the opportunity to create events with these groups because bringing people together and fostering an interdisciplinary community is important to me.

It was clear very early on for me that UW, College of the Environment, and the Program on Environment were the right place for me. The Program on Environment is incredibly supportive of students.”

Olivia

Olivia is interested in sustainable cities and is complementing her major with a minor in Urban Design and Planning. She was most recently part of an independent study project with Landscape Architecture students to build a sustainable learning center and garden space in honor of a former beloved staff member, Tikvah Weiner. 

Olivia Scott

 

“The Environmental Leadership Scholarship complements my financial aid package, minimizing my need to work. After transferring many times, I finally feel home at UW, and I am grateful that I can pursue my education and become involved in my program without the added stress of supporting myself.

It also reiterates that environmental studies is the perfect field for me, and that I have a valuable place at UW.

This scholarship also allows me to extend my graduation date, which gives me the opportunity to fulfill my dream of studying abroad and pursuing a minor.”