The face of diversity at the University of Washington
Celebrating go-map's 40 th anniversary OVER THE PAST FOUR DECADES, THE UW’S GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES AND MINORITY ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM HELPED PAVE THE WAY TO SUCCESS FOR THOUSANDS OF GRADUATE STUDENTS OF COLOR LIKE TRACY HILLIARD.
FALL 2010
4333 Brooklyn avenue N.E. Seattle, WA 98195-9508 Phone: 206-543-0540 Fax: 206-685-0611 E-mail: vwpoints@u.washington.edu
VIEWPOINTS ON THE WEB: UWalum.com/viewpoints
VIEWPOINTS STAFF Publisher Paul Rucker EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sue Brockmann Editor Jon Marmor Graphic Designers Michele Locatelli, Jenica Wilkie Liaison to Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Stephanie Y. Miller Staff Writer Courtney Acitelli
VIEWPOINTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Paul Rucker, ’95, ’02 Executive Director, UWAA, Chair Carolyn Barge Board Member, Multicultural Alumni Partnership Sue Brockmann, ’72 Director of Marketing, Communications and Revenue Development, UWAA Malik Davis, ’94 Associate Director of Constituent Relations, UWAA
erman McKinney and Juan Guerra – the first director and current director of the UW’s Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program, respectively – have seen the UW make incredible progress in recruiting and serving graduate students of color. Photo by Ron Wurzer.
Colleen Fukui-Sketchley, ’94 President, UWAA Board of Trustees; Corporate Diversity Affairs Specialist, Nordstrom Juan C. Guerra Associate Dean, The Graduate School David Iyall Assistant Vice President for Advancement, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06 Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity Tamara Leonard Associate Director, Center for Global Studies, Jackson School of International Studies
DEPARTMENTS 4 Points of View 10 360° View 12-13 FACES: Shaquita Bell Ray Acevedo
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Carmela Lim, ’05 Board Member, Multicultural Alumni Partnership
4 Spotlight: 1 Kim Hunter's big anniversary 15 A View from the UWAA 16 MAP Bridging the Gap Breakfast
Stephanie Y. Miller Assistant Vice President, Community and Public Relations, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity
ON THE COVER: New Ph.D. graduate Tracy Hilliard was photographed Sept. 8, 2010 by Ron Wurzer on the UW campus.
THE FACE OF DIVERSITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. FOUNDED 2004
snapshot With Warm Regards At the 4th annual UW Tribal Leadership Summit in April, tribal leaders honored outgoing President Mark Emmert, ’75, for his dedication to strengthening institutional relationships with tribes with a blanket presentation. Presenting an individual with a blanket has been used in Native cultures to convey honor, respect and gratitude. Members of the Summit Host Committee presented Emmert with a National Indian Education Association commemorative Pendleton blanket to thank him for his leadership. Emmert left the UW to become president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. From left: Paulette Jordan, ’02, ’03, council member, Couer d’Alene Tribe; State Rep. John McCoy, Tulalip Tribes member; Patricia Whitefoot, president, National Indian Education Association and chair, UW Native American Advisory Board; Dr. Gerald Gipp, executive director, National Indian Education Association; Emmert; Polly Olsen, ’94, of the UW’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute; former Gov. Dan Evans, ’48, ’49; and Leonard Forsman, ’87, chair of the Suquamish Tribe. Photo by Dave Block.
Presenting an individual with a blanket has been used in Native cultures to convey honor, respect and gratitude.
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n the middle of final exams, I took a break and headed to campus for the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) graduation celebration. The flyer said “reception” and that meant food. If you hung out until the end, you got to take home enough leftovers for lunch the next day. Beyond nourishing the body, GO-MAP gave us food for the mind through events like intimate discussions with diverse authors. GO-MAP also fed our social networks, giving us opportunities to connect with other graduate students who may also have been the only person of color in their cohort. Like GO-MAP, the Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) has a strong history of gathering, celebrating, and supporting the diversity of our UW community. Over the past 15 years, we have brought alumni and community organizations back to campus for our signature Bridging the Gap breakfast event, where we have celebrated distinguished alumni and awarded scholarships. Last year, we reviewed a record number of scholarship applications and gave more than $20,000 in scholarships to six outstanding graduate and undergraduate students.
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am pleased to extend heartfelt congratulations to the Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) as we celebrate its 40th anniversary at the University of Washington. The Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity has been proud to collaborate with GO-MAP on several programs and initiatives throughout the years, a natural partnership born through sharing a similar mission of serving the needs of underrepresented minority, economically disadvantaged and first-generation students. OMA&D works diligently with GO-MAP to engage these students in the pursuit of advanced degrees. Among the ways in which this is accomplished is through the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement and Early Identification Programs (EIP). The McNair program supports undergraduate students in their efforts to become researchers and teachers at the university level, and prepares them for doctoral studies. EIP’s goal is to promote diversity in academia and the professional world. Both offer services and resources that allow students to explore various career options at the graduate level, while helping them prepare for the application process and successful completion of graduate school.
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This year, our signature event is moving from the Husky Union Building (closed for renovation until 2012) to Haggett Hall. While the change in venue reduces capacity by half, it has not reduced our goal to raise scholarships for our students, who in this economy especially need our support. You will need to send in your reservations early! Congratulations to GO-MAP on its 40th anniversary. And see you at the 2010 MAP Bridging the Gap Breakfast on Homecoming weekend! Nadine Chan Witt, M.P.H, ’01, Ph.D, ’07 MAP President, 2010-2011 You can support the Multicultural Alumni Partnership Endowed Scholarship by going to www.washington. edu/alumni/meet/groups/map.html
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While OMA&D helps prepare undergraduates for graduate studies, it also partners with GO-MAP on various events that serve current graduate students and engage alumni.
Most importantly, both OMA&D and GO-MAP share the end goal of increasing the number of minority students seeking professional or facultylevel positions and helping them reach a high level of success in their respective fields. During these tough economic times when resources are stretched thin, partnerships such as these are critical to the success of both programs. Again, congratulations to GO-MAP. We greatly look forward to future collaborations over the next 40 years and beyond. Sheila Edwards Lange, Ph.D., ’00, ‘06 Vice President for Minority Affairs Vice Provost for Diversity You can support the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity by going to: http://uwfoundation.org/diversity
ONCE AROUND CAMPUS
CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH Improving the health of indigenous peoples around the world was the focus of the International Network of Indigenous Health Knowledge and Development conference, which was hosted by the University of Washington’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute this past May. Nearly 500 delegates from around the world attended the conference, which was held at the Suquamish Nation on the Kitsap Peninsula. It was the first time this international organization had met in the U.S. The theme of the conference was “Knowing Your Roots: Indigenous Medicines, Health Knowledges and Best Practices.” The event attracted the most respected indigenous health researchers, scholars, policy makers and health practitioners from around the globe. From the opening-day Canoe Ceremony to the signature salmon dinner, delegates were feted in grand Native style and welcomed as honored guests. Says conference co-chair Karina Walters, director of the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute: “The kinship and spiritual connections that were instantly established amongst all of us linked our pasts, presents and futures in a way that is all too rare and precious in today’s hectic world.”
PHOTO BY KAREN ORDERS
Q CENTER FINANCIAL SUPPORT GROWS Students on the Services & Activities Fee Committee at the University of Washington voted in June to increase their financial support for the Q Center, which serves the campus’ LGBT community. The expanded funding means the center—which was established in 2003—will have a full-time director by the end of September. Until now, the center was run by a graduate student working approximately 20 hours per week. “This sets the stage to show what the Q Center can really do,” says Lincoln Johnson, associate vice president for Campus Life & HUB director. “This has been the vision for so many years and we’re very excited for the LGBT community.” Even at a time when tuition is rising, the ASUW and Graduate and Professional Student Senate threw their full-fledged support behind the proposal. “This is a wonderful commitment students are showing for the Q Center,” Johnson says.
PALAU PRESIDENT TORIBIONG RECEIVES LAW SCHOOL HONOR Palau President Johnson Toribiong, ’72, ’73, returned to campus on May 13 to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the UW School of Law. Toribiong holds two degrees from the UW: a master’s degree in law and a J.D. from the law school. On the eve of the awards ceremony, President Toribiong met with the UW Pacific Islander community at the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity’s Ethnic Cultural Center. The event highlighted the growth of the UW Pacific Islander community and featured performances and presentations by student organizations and leaders. Toribiong, 63, is a former ambassador of Palau to the Republic of China. He was elected president in November 2008.
Photo by I an G on z a l es / O f f i c e of Minority Affairs & D iv ersity
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DIVERSITY. IT’S THE WASHINGTON WAY.
GO-MAP'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
BIG STEPS, BIG PAYOFF 40 years ago, the UW undertook a new commitment to diversity in graduate education. The results are eye-opening By Jon Marmor Tracy Hilliard.
orty years ago, the University of Washington attracted national attention for its groundbreaking efforts to improve opportunities for undergraduate students from underrepresented communities. Around the same time, the UW created the Office for the Recruitment of Minority Graduate and Professional Students, a move that didn’t attract nearly as much notice. Yet that initiative, started in 1968, made the UW one of the first universities in the nation to address the vexing problem seen throughout the country—the alarming lack of students of color attending graduate school. Today, the program has a different name: the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (known as GO-MAP). And this fall, as GO-MAP celebrates the 40th anniversary of its first cohort of students, it remains a national model for how a university can serve the needs of students of color and students from other underrepresented groups by creating an educational and social environment where all students can thrive. The results have been striking. In 1968, 169 minority students were enrolled in graduate study at the UW. In 2009, that number was 2,178. In 1968, 25 minority students were admitted to the UW’s graduate and professional programs. In 2009, that figure was 1,209. 6
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But behind the numbers is a story of community building that has enabled the UW to compete for and bring in the best graduate students of color from all over the country. While other major universities—such as the University of Michigan or Stanford—can offer better financial aid packages to graduate students of
“ The UW’s commitment to diversity that began in earnest 40 years ago was remarkable forward thinking.” color, the personal networking opportunities the UW has created for students of color has fostered nationally recognized success. “The UW’s commitment to diversity that began in earnest 40 years ago was remarkable forward thinking,” says Juan Guerra, director of GO-MAP for the past four years and a UW professor for 20. “Back then, much of the national focus was on undergraduates. But we focused on graduate students, too, because it was equally important in our eyes.”
The UW pulled it off with a groundswell of support from all over campus, ranging from the Faculty Senate to the Office of Minority Affairs to academic departments. They contributed financial backing as well as a commitment to work with the new office to help recruit and retain students of color. “We clearly noticed the lack of representation of people of color on campus,” recalls Herman McKinney, ’69, who was the UW’s assistant dean in the Graduate School when GO-MAP's predecessor was established four decades ago. “Bringing that to the forefront helped us significantly. Our conscience helped make it happen.” Today, GO-MAP has a staff of six, something few universities can match in an office dedicated to serving underrepresented students in graduate school. Many credit the personal nature of GO-MAP’s community-building efforts for its resounding success. “GO-MAP became my community when I was a graduate student here,” recalls Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06, the UW’s Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity who came here in the late 1990s to pursue a master’s degree in public affairs and a Ph.D. in education. “Through GO-MAP, I met graduate students from many other departments, and it helped me engage in campus life.”
“ Many former GO-MAP students serve on city councils, are lawyers, business executives and community leaders.” Talk to any GO-MAP student past or present, and you’ll hear the same story. Take JW Harrington, ’80, ’83, for instance. He was the first African American doctoral student in the UW geography department when he attended the UW in the early 1980s. It was isolating enough to be the only student of color in his department. Add to that how much time a grad student spends on school, and it’s easy to see how even more isolated a graduate student of color can feel. “There’s no way to know other graduate students of color or faculty of color,” he says. “But GO-MAP works to break down those barriers.” GO-MAP—an official unit of the UW Graduate School—does that with a multi-pronged approach: • Helping academic departments support its students of color • Providing funding to help cover or offset the cost of graduate school • Building personal community to break down the isolation minority students feel The program works. Through its events, such as the Getting Connected Orientation and Fall Reception, and Voices in Academia Lunches, GO-MAP brings together students from wideranging disciplines. “GO-MAP became a place where I started to think of education in global and interdisciplinary ways,” says Ed Taylor, ’93, who earned his Ph.D. in education at the UW and today is the University’s Vice Provost and Dean, Undergraduate Academic Affairs. “I found peers and role models in other graduate students I wouldn’t have otherwise met.” For Tracy Hilliard, ’00, ’03, ’10, GO-MAP played an even more critical role. The only African American student in her health services doctoral program, a few years into her Ph.D. studies she needed to change faculty advisers—not uncommon in graduate school but a traumatic event nonetheless.
Current GO-MAP director Juan Guerra and GO-MAP’s first director, Herman McKinney. Photo by Ron Wurzer.
“I was in tears,” she recalls. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.” That’s where GO-MAP stepped in. GO-MAP staff members supported her through her transition to identify a new faculty adviser. With their help, she was able to restart her scholarly research in health disparities. The ultimate result: this past August, she earned her Ph.D. “The University has come so far when it comes to being prepared to accept students of color and help them be successful,” McKinney adds. “The significance of this program can’t be overlooked. Many former GO-MAP students serve on city councils, are lawyers, business executives and community leaders. They have played a major role in our economy.” As GO-MAP enters its fifth decade, it faces a big challenge in funding, and it wants to improve its ability to retain graduate students of color, who sometimes leave because of financial concerns. But Guerra, the GO-MAP director, says the formula for success will be carried on. “Funding is always a challenge, but we are grateful to have people who are committed to creating a nurturing environment for underrepresented grad students on campus,” he says. “And we are all more committed than ever.”
OCT. 14 DECLARED GO-MAP DAY Gov. Chris Gregoire, ’71, has declared Oct. 14 as GO-MAP Day in honor of the University of Washington’s Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program’s 40th anniversary. In addition, the Washington State Senate presented GO-MAP with an official Senate Resolution honoring GO-MAP’s 40th anniversary. The resolution recognizes the contributions GO-MAP has made on behalf of graduate education and in celebration of the untold thousands of students from diverse communities who have been served by the office since its first cohort in 1970. —JM
Jon Marmor is editor of Viewpoints 7
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EXPANDING WORLD VIEWS. IT’S THE WASHINGTON WAY.
FIRST PERSON
A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY How GO-MAP and a Bonderman Travel Fellowship enriched the life of a first-generation Chicana
PH OT O C OUR T ESY R OCIO ME NDOZA
By ROCIO MENDOZA
Rocio Mendoza.
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If someone would have told me five years ago, while attending and commuting 14 miles from La Puente to California State University, Fullerton, that I would soon move out of state for graduate school and then travel the world alone after graduating, I would have laughed. But that is exactly what I did. Attending the University of Washington’s Prospective Student Days, a recruitment event sponsored by the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP), had a great influence on my decision to attend the UW for graduate school. It was during this weekend that I had the opportunity to meet several supportive faculty, staff and graduate students of color from various departments on campus. I can recall what a staff member said during that weekend: “Look around you. Now you might not see this diversity in your classroom, but know that you are not alone on this campus.” This was comforting to hear; and it reminded me that no matter how far I would be from my friends and family, I could find a supportive community anywhere—and that is what I found through GO-MAP. So, I was ready to venture out and start a new chapter in Seattle. Of course, selling this idea to my parents, as the oldest daughter of four, who had never been away from home for longer than a month (and even then it was to spend time with family in my parents’ hometown in Jalisco, Mexico) was a difficult task. It was a bittersweet time for my parents; on the one hand, they were proud to see the first in the family to graduate from high school, from college and now pursue a graduate degree. But on the other hand, their first-born was going to be far away from home. In the end, of course, my parents were very supportive of my decision and were excited for my next move.
Living in Seattle with the constant rain and gloom was a definite adjustment from sunny Southern California; I was terribly homesick and for some reason, none of my home-cooked food (not even my guisados, ni mi olla de frijoles) quite had the smell or taste of my mom’s meals. I must admit, however, that the weather in Seattle is ideal for graduate work and for spending countless hours in a coffee shop. Eventually, through the College of Education and GO-MAP, I began to reach out to new friends, advisers and mentors that led me to a richer and more meaningful experience in graduate school and in Seattle. During my last year at UW, I received the Bonderman Travel Fellowship, a $20,000 award to travel around the world alone for eight months. Once again, my parents were terrified at the idea that I would be on my own, thousands of miles away. However, my experience moving to Seattle (including dealing with culture shock), definitely prepared all of us mentally and emotionally for undertaking that trip. Two months after earning my master's degree in Educational Leadership in Policy Studies in June 2008, I was on a plane to Tokyo, where I began my 10-month journey. Traveling alone, as a woman of color, witnessing extreme poverty around the world, and being constantly reminded of the privilege that I held, was life altering. The lessons and perspectives I gained through this trip now influence my work with firstgeneration high school students as a coordinator of an Upward Bound Program in East Los Angeles. It is so powerful to see students’ eyes light up when I share my stories about college, graduate school and traveling. What is even more powerful is that the students, as well as my younger siblings, can now imagine the world of opportunities a college degree can offer from a Chicana’s first-hand experience.
GO-MAP AT A
GLANCE
GO-MAP, the University of Washington’s program to support graduate students from underrepresented communities, has made stunning advances since it began in 1970. Highlights: • GO-MAP has awarded more than $6.2 million in Diversity Fellowship Awards to graduate students in the past 15 years. • In the past five years, five GO-MAP students have received Bonderman Travel Fellowships. • GO-MAP, along with The UW Graduate School, is a founding member and coordinator of the National Name Exchange, a consortium of more than 50 Ph.D.-granting institutions working to increase the number of qualified minority students accepted into graduate school. www.grad.washington.edu/nne THEN AND NOW
CALENDAR OF GO-MAP EVENTS For information on these events, contact GO-MAP at gomap@uw.edu or 206-543-9016.
AUTUMN 2010
Feb. 10, 2011
Oct. 11, 2010 Open House, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., GO-MAP Suite, G-1 Communications Building
3-6 p.m., Walker-Ames Room, Kane Hall
Oct. 14, 2010 Getting Connected Orientation and Fall Quarter Reception, UW Club 4 p.m., orientation for new students 7 p.m., reception for UW students, faculty and staff
In 1968: 25 minority students were admitted to UW graduate and professional programs.
Nov. 2, 2010
In 2009: 1,209 minority graduate students were offered admission.
12-1:30 p.m., Parrington Hall Commons
In 1968: 169 minority students were enrolled in graduate study at the UW. In 2009: 2,178 minority students were enrolled in UW graduate study.
Voices in Academia Lunch Moderator: John Macklin, chemistry “Graduate School 501: What You Need to Know about Grad School”
Dec. 9, 2010
Most popular degrees, 1968: Social Work, Education, Law, Medicine
Mangels Lecture: “America’s War on Immigrants”
Most popular degrees, 2008: Education, Business, Engineering, Social Work
Speaker: Doug Massey, Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Princeton University
In 1968: The office was called the Office for the Recruitment of Minority Graduate and Professional Students. In 2008: Its name is the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program.
6:30 p.m., Kane Hall, Room 120
WINTER 2011
SHOW ME THE MONEY GO-MAP offers diversity fellowships ranging from $5,000 to $16,500 annually. NETWORKING CENTRAL GO-MAP holds quarterly receptions to encourage grad students, faculty and staff to build academic, social and professional networks across campus.
Jan. 27, 2011 Mangels Lecture: "Hearing America Singing: Multi-Vocal Cultures in America" Speaker: Elizabeth Alexander, Chair of African American Studies, Yale University
6:30 p.m., Kane Hall, Room 130
Winter Quarter Mentoring & Networking Reception “Extending the Pipeline from Undergraduate to Graduate School”
Feb. 24, 2011 GO-MAP Graduate Diversity Fellows Dinner 5 p.m.
A fundraising dinner to honor the academic achievements of underrepresented minority graduate students and support the UW Graduate Diversity Fellows program. To request an invitation, e-mail gomap@uw.edu or call 206-543-9016.
SPRING 2011 March 31-April 1, 2011 Prospective Student Days and Spring Quarter Reception, various locations across campus.
For more information, visit grad. washington.edu/gomap/prospective.htm
May 12, 2011 Mangels Lecture: “Adventures of an Astrophysicist” Speaker: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director, Hayden Planetarium, New York
6:30 p.m., Kane Hall, Room 130
Tyson will share his reflections on highlights from his scientific career that include being blamed for demoting Pluto.
All Mangels lectures are free and open to the public; however, online registration will be offered to guarantee seats. To register online, go to www.grad.washington.edu/lectures.
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360° View: DIVERSITY FROM EVERY ANGLE
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS Frances Youn, ’02, has been appointed as the UW student regent for 2010-11. Youn, who was selected by Gov. Chris Gregoire, ’71, is an M.B.A. student at the Foster School of Business. David Chui, ’81, published his book Journey of an Apple: From Lake Chelan to Hong Kong in May. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the twists and turns of growing and shipping our state’s signature fruit. He works in the field of information technology. Iftikhar Dadi, ’85, ’87, had his book Modernism and the Art of Muslim South Asia published by the University of North Carolina Press in May. He is an assistant professor in Cornell University’s Department of History of Art. Jee Kim, ’02, has been hired as the Korean community liaison for the City of Federal Way. He provides Korean translation services, guides residents through city procedures and helps them gain better access to city services, materials and resources. Agnes Oswaha, ’99, founded the Southern Sudanese Women’s Association, a non-profit that helps newly resettled Sudanese in Washington state adjust to life in the U.S. She works with the Government of Southern Sudan Mission in Washington, D.C.
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IN MEMORY Spencer G. Shaw, a University of Washington professor emeritus of library science who was a nationally recognized storyteller and advocate for children’s reading, died June 16. He was 93. Shaw spent 17 years on the faculty of the UW Information School when it was known as the School of Library Science. Among other topics, his research focused on multicultural materials for children and young adults, library service to special populations, and library service and programs for the aging. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Shaw can be made to the Spencer G. Shaw Lecture Series, c/o the UW Foundation, Box 359505, Seattle, WA 98195. Edward L. Jones, who served as an African American studies professor and student adviser for more than 19 years at UW, died May 8. He was 88. Jones was one of the first African American professors hired at UW after the 1968 sit-in and was the assistant dean of Arts and Sciences in 1968. Roberto F. Maestas, ’66, ’71, who devoted his life to fighting for social justice, died Sept. 22 of
lung cancer. He was 72. Maestas, the founder of El Centro de La Raza, a Seattle social-service agency on Beacon Hill, was one of this region’s most passionate and outspoken advocates for civil rights. He and several other community leaders joined together to bring about wide-ranging changes to the Seattle area in the 1960s and 1970s. See the Spring 2011 issue of Viewpoints for a complete report. Amie Komoto, ’58, who coordinated adoptions for the Children’s Home Society of Washington, died Dec. 29. She also worked with Medina Children’s Services and Family Court. She was 87. Din David Shing, ’51, who spent most of his career working for Boeing, died April 28. A Hong Kong native, he served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and came to the UW after the war to earn his degree in engineering. He was 89. Ryo M. Tsai, ’58, ’59, who spent her career working for UW Libraries and the Seattle Public Library, died Feb. 22. She started her career in the UW science library but moved to the Seattle Public Library System and worked in branches throughout the city: downtown Seattle, Columbia City, Green Lake, Magnolia, and Yesler (now Douglass-Truth). She concluded her career as head librarian of the Susan Henry Branch library on Capitol Hill. She was 88.
WISE BECOMES FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN TO HEAD UW Provost Phyllis Wise became the first Asian American to serve as president of the University of Washington when she was appointed July 8 as interim president while the Board of Regents searches to replace Mark Emmert, ’75. Emmert left the UW to become president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. “I look forward to forging ahead on many fronts and to working with the community to build on our strengths and create new opportunities for the University of Washington to make a difference,” Wise said. As provost, Wise was the University’s chief academic and chief budget officer, and the second-highest university administrator. Wise, who joined the UW in 2005 as provost and was since appointed executive vice president, has said she is not a candidate for the permanent job. A member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, Wise is a professor of physiology and biophysics, biology, and obstetrics and gynecology. —Jon Marmor
MILESTONES The Business and Economic Development Program of the UW Foster School of Business is marking its 15th anniversary. The program, under the direction of Michael Verchot, has helped minority-owned and women-owned businesses account for more than $55 million in new revenue and the creation of more than 1,000 jobs in Washington. The autobiography of the late Samuel E. Kelly, ’71, Dr. Sam, Soldier, Educator, Advocate, Friend, was published by the University of Washington Press. Kelly, who died in 2009, co-wrote the book with Quintard Taylor, the Scott and Dorothy Bullitt Professor of American History at the UW. Kelly was the UW’s first vice president for Minority Affairs. Four student-athletes were named 2010 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars: Tennis player Venise Chan, who has a 3.61 GPA and was named All-Pac-10 first team in 2009; volleyball player
Jill Collymore, who was a 2009 Pac-10 Scholar Athlete of the Year; soccer player Faustine Dufka, who has a 3.61 GPA and led the UW to the second round of the NCAA championships in 2009; and soccer player Brent Richards, who has a 3.74 GPA and was All-Pac-10 second team in 2009. Mark Mitsui, ’03, is the new president of North Seattle Community College. He had been vice president at South Seattle Community College, and currently is a doctoral candidate in the UW’s education leadership and policy studies program.
Montoya-Lewis, ’95, ’96, chief judge for the Lummi Indian Tribes; and Mariane Spearman, ’84, a King County Superior Court judge. Appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire, ’71, to the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs are Albert Shen, ’91, board president of the Northwest Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans; and Sofia Aragon, ’94, senior governmental affairs adviser for the Washington State Nurses Association. Falesha Ankton, ’10, received the UW Athletic Scholar Award at the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity’s 40th annual Celebration in May. Her name appears in nine UW women's track and field top-10 lists.
The UW School of Social Work honored State Rep. Eric Pettigrew, ’87, with its 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award. Pettigrew serves as the chair of the state House Health & Human Services Appropriations Committee. Four UW alumni were honored in the Women of Color Empowered Luncheon in May: Jenny A. Durkan, ’85, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington; Lourdes Fuentes, ’96, a Seattle-based immigration attorney; Raquel
Brent Richards Venise Chan
Faustine Dufka Jill Collymore
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faces: shaquita bell Shaquita Bell at the Odessa Brown Clinic. Photos by Karen Orders.
A WORK ETHIC THAT NEVER STOPS Treating patients, mentoring students all in a day’s work for Shaquita Bell BY Courtney Acitelli Dr. Shaquita Bell, ’10, had a big job this past summer. Or, more accurately, three big jobs. Bell was a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s, as well as the chief resident in pediatrics there. And she is a staff doctor at the bustling Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic in Seattle’s Central District. Bell was the first Native American to be appointed a chief resident at Children’s Hospital, but she is not likely tell you so. Bell cheerfully calls herself a “two-fer,” pointing out that she is the daughter of a Cherokee mother and an AfricanAmerican father. Her parents are health-care practitioners: her mother is a home-care nurse and her father is a chiropractor and who also treat animals with chiropractic care. But despite their professions, Bell says, her parents were surprised when she decided to choose a career in medicine. “I just wasn’t around hospitals growing up,” she says. But armed with a deep love for science and biology, and with her graduation from Drake University looming, she decided to apply to medi-
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cal school. At the University of Minnesota, where she landed, Bell found she enjoyed her pediatrics rotation the most. “People were always happy there,” she says. “The kids’ resiliency is amazing.” Bell soon set her sights on the University of Washington for her residency in pediatrics due to its national reputation. “It was my first choice, absolutely. If I could have ranked it first, second and third, I would have.” Bell loved her time at Children’s, which ended this past June. “Now, I am ready to focus on patient care rather than leadership,” she says. (In her role as chief resident, she oversaw about 95 pediatric residents, taught classes, and managed scheduling and other aspects of resident life. It sounds like she was actually working 10 jobs.) Today, Bell is only slightly less busy, tending patients at Tacoma’s Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and continuing to see patients at Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic. A Minnesota native, Bell delights in being able to serve multicultural communities like hers in Seattle. “When I interviewed (for residency), I
was excited to see the diversity of patients that Children’s sees,” says Bell. “And Odessa Brown is the best generational clinic in the world, in my opinion. There’s just so much potential here for working with underserved communities.” Bell also serves as a mentor for Seattle-area high school students and undergraduates of color who are considering becoming doctors. Victoria Gardner, director of the UW School of Medicine’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, matches students she believes will benefit from Bell’s style of mentorship. “So many of these students want to pursue big dreams, but just don’t believe they can do it,” Gardner says. “Shaquita helps them believe they can do it. I just love sending students to her.” Bell has one more thing she intends to accomplish: a triathlon for which she’s been training for months. “This is new for me,” she says. But knowing Bell, she will approach the triathlon as simply one more job at which to excel. Courtney Acitelli is a Viewpoints staff writer
faces: Raymund Acevedo
Raymund Acevedo takes on the Sahara Desert. Photos courtesy Ray Acevedo.
DETERMINATION,DEFINED Despite polio, alum attempts world’s hardest foot race By Jon Marmor Raymund Acevedo, ’90, made history in April when he became the first person with polio to participate in what many consider the most challenging foot race in the world: the Marathon Des Sables, a weeklong, 155-mile trek through the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Why would anyone attempt to traverse the world’s most famous desert—where temperatures routinely hit 120 degrees—especially while using leg braces and crutches? “I thought it would be a cool thing to do,” he says. But Acevedo, a Philippine native who has a bachelor’s degree in French Literature from the UW, wasn’t doing it just for the fun of it. He and a friend wanted to raise awareness and money for charities that help people with disabilities. In addition to likely being the first UW graduate ever to participate in the race, Acevedo used leg braces that were made for him by UW Medicine’s Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic. But carrying a heavy backpack (loaded with food, water and other supplies) on crutches in the extreme desert heat was too much, and Acevedo had to stop at the 9-kilometer mark. “It was a lot
harder on crutches than I thought it would be,” he says. “My goal was to make at least 100 miles. It wasn’t to be. But I am so glad I tried.” (Race officials made him stop due to time limitations.
“ I saw the race as a unique opportunity to help make the lives of so many people with disabilities a little better.” If it were up to Acevedo, he would have completed the race.) While his body may have stopped short of the finish line, the fundraising efforts conducted by Acevedo and his walking partner, Vladimir Martinovsky, were quite successful, bringing in more than $10,000 for three charities: Challenged Athletes Foundation, Handicap International and Shriners Hospital, which treated Acevedo when he
was a youngster. (Acevedo, who was infected with polio at six months of age, is one of more than 50 million Americans afflicted with some level of disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.) Working for others is nothing new for Acevedo, who with his family moved from the Philippines to Seattle when he was 3½ years old. After graduating from the UW in 1990, he joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Gabon, teaching English in French-speaking Africa. For that adventure, he took two pairs of custom-made leg braces made by Ann Yamane’s students in the UW’s nationally renowned Rehabilitation Department. Acevedo, who works for an investment firm in San Francisco, trained for the big race by walking to and from work each day (6 miles round trip) and walking the hilly streets of the city by the bay. After the bottom fell out of the economy and put his career at risk, “I thought of the race as a way to do something more meaningful,” he says. “I saw the race as a unique opportunity to help make the lives of so many people with disabilities a little better.” Not to mention making a little history along the way. Jon Marmor is editor of Viewpoints 13
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spotlight: KIM L. HUNTER & lagrant COMMUNICATIONS
OPENING DOORS, GIVING BACK A former EOP student marks a milestone with the gift of volunteering By Erin Rowley
Kim L. Hunter proudly poses with the students who received 2010 LAGRANT Foundation scholarships. Photo courtesy the LAGRANT Foundation.
Kim L. Hunter, ’82, an alumnus of the University of Washington Educational Opportunity Program, is celebrating an important milestone in a special way. In 1990, Hunter established LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, a Los Angeles-based multicultural marketing communications firm that specializes in African American and Hispanic consumer markets. Under Hunter’s leadership as president and CEO, the agency will commemorate its 20th anniversary with a yearlong commitment to communityservice projects in education, health care, and arts and culture. Over the next year, Hunter’s employees will volunteer close to 1,000 hours of work at six non-profit organizations: the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Center Theatre Group, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Para Los Niños, and the Public Relations Student Society of America. The project began on the company’s anniversary date of Sept. 1 and will continue through Aug. 31, 2011. “Given that clients hire me to give counsel on philanthropy, one of the things I wanted to do was align the firm’s corporate social responsibility
“The response has been phenomenal, partly because it was timely,” Hunter says. “People know there is a changing of America in terms of demographics, and employers, such as myself, are looking for a diverse pool of candidates to interview.” While the scholarship dollars are important, Hunter sees the internship placement and careerdevelopment workshops to be the two most critical components the foundation offers. And Hunter — who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the UW and reaped the benefits of services provided by the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity’s EOP—knows first-hand what that type of support means. “Was EOP an integral part of my academic life there on campus? The answer is yes, absolutely and categorically,” Hunter says. “It opened doors for me without a doubt.” Now, thanks to the philanthropic endeavors of his agency and his foundation, Hunter is the one opening doors.
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initiatives with community-based organizations that fall within (those parameters),” Hunter says. This special commemoration of his agency’s 20th anniversary isn’t the only way Hunter gives back. Frustrated with the lack of ethnic diversity in the communications industry, in 1998 he established The LAGRANT Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships, career-development workshops, internships and mentorships to under-
“ EOP… opened doors for me without a doubt.” represented minority students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in advertising, marketing and public relations. In its first year, the foundation gave away $20,000 in scholarships. That amount increased to $50,000 the following year and climbed to $250,000 in 2008. In all, The LAGRANT Foundation has awarded more than $1 million to 170 ethnic minority students nationwide.
Erin Rowley is the public information specialist for the UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity. This is her first article for Viewpoints.
Campus datebook
A VIEW FROM THE PRESIDENT
Calendar of Events
When I was little, I often tagged along with my mother (a UW grad) when she worked on the University of Washington campus providing educational opportunity to underserved populations. And I’m proud to say I inherited her passion.
October 15-16, 2010 OMA&D'S "The Weekend" Celebrate Homecoming at the UW with the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and other campus partners.
I recently finished my 12th year on the board of the Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program, which raises money for scholarships for students from underrepresented communities. And I was fortunate to have been involved in the discussions that led to the creation of this very magazine.
October 15, 2010 Alumni Mixer Mingle with alumni of color and friends of diversity. Enjoy live music and light appetizers. Time: 8 p.m. –1 a.m. Location: Hotel Deca, 4507 Brooklyn Ave. N.E.
CollEen Fukui-Sketchley
This year, I am thrilled to take on an even larger role as president of the UW Alumni Association because of its work on behalf of diversity. The UWAA is working harder than ever to reach out to communities that have not historically been involved with the University or alumni association after their days as students here. We have a lot to offer and I’m excited about spreading the word.
October 16, 2010 MAP Bridging the Gap Breakfast Celebrate alumni award winners and scholarship recipients. Time: 8 –10 a.m. Location: Cascade Room, Haggett Hall
In closing, I wish to acknowledge and congratulate the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program on its 40th anniversary. It is a big milestone – and I hope you will join me as we at the UWAA strive to reconnect even more graduates of color with the University.
Colleen Fukui-Sketchley, ’94 UWAA President, 2010-11
VIEWPOINTS RECEIVES TWO NATIONAL AWARDS
The face of diversiTy aT The UniversiTy of WashingTon
sPeciaL issUe
SPRING 2009
October 16, 2010 Tailgate and Homecoming Game Join the official OMA&D tailgate and sit together for the Oregon State game. Location: The Zone; Husky Stadium
40 To WaTch Honoring 40 emerging leaders wHo are making a difference
Viewpoints was honored recently in two national competitions: Gold Award in the Hermes Creative Awards, put on by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals. Viewpoints was honored in the category of Publications / Magazines. A total of 3,600 entries were submitted from throughout the United States and several countries.
For more information and to register, visit http://depts. washington.edu/omad/ weekend.shtml
Award of Excellence in The Communicator Awards competition, put on by the International Academy of the Visual Arts. More than 7,000 entries were submitted from throughout the U.S. Viewpoints was honored in the category of Educational Institutions.
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4333 Brooklyn Avenue NE Box 359508, Seattle, WA 98195-9508
MAP BRIDGING THE GAP BREAKFAST TO HONOR LEADERS IN DIVERSITY
Date: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010 Time: 8 a.m. Where: Haggett Hall, Cascade Room Tickets: $45
Samuel E. Kelly Award
Distinguished Alumnus Awards
The 25 members of the House of Knowledge Advisory Committee have led an effort to build the House of Knowledge, a longhouse-style facility on the University of Washington campus. For decades, community members have sought to create a place that will enable students to maintain strong ties to family and culture while helping them achieve their educational goals. Pictured below (from left) are co-chairs W. Ron Allen,’83, chairman of Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, and Charlotte Coté, associate professor of American Indian Studies. With them is Denny Hurtado, Washington State Director of Indian Education.
Richard A. Jones, ’75, is a United States District Court Judge for the Western District of Washington. Previously, he spent 13 ½ years as a King County Superior Court judge, and 17 years as an attorney, deputy prosecutor and Assistant United States Attorney. In addition, he has devoted much time to community organizations and as a student mentor. Patricia E. Loera, ’93,
is a senior program officer for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where her responsibilities include making grants aimed at increasing the number of minority youth who graduate from high school ready for college. She is from a large immigrant family from Yakima.
To learn about the MAP scholarship recipients for 2010, visit UWAlum.com/MAP
For more information, visit UWalum.com or call the UWAA at 206-543-0540
Cynthia Kan Rekdal, ’62, ’77, ’82, ’89, is known for
her many contributions to promoting diversity in her role as an educator. She is the founder and executive director of the Washington State Association of Multicultural Educators. A native of Seattle’s Central Area, she has been a teacher, education administrator and longtime community volunteer.
The 2010 Diversity Award for Community Building Jai-Anana Elliott is the associate director of diversity and recruitment at the UW Michael G. Foster School of Business. She manages the school’s diversity programs and created Young Executives of Color, a community outreach program for underrepresented high school students.