Viewpoints - Fall 2011 by University of Washington Alumni Association / Alumni Relations

The face of diversity at the University of Washington

A World of Learning Studying abroad gives students a chance to broaden their horizons and become the creative thinkers our world needs. The UW is working to give students of color the chance to see how travel can enrich their lives

FALL 2011

THE FACE OF DIVERSITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. FOUNDED 2004

4333 Brooklyn Avenue N.E. Box 359508 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 Editor Jon Marmor Graphic Designers Jenica Wilkie, Michele Locatelli Liaison to Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Stephanie Y. Miller

VIEWPOINTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Paul Rucker, ’95, ’02 Executive Director, UWAA, Chair Carolyn Barge Board Member, Multicultural Alumni Partnership Malik Davis, ’94 Director of Constituent Relations, UWAA Susan Wilson Williams, ’73 President, UWAA Board of Trustees

UW student Ryan Trinidad teaches young students in Ghana in 2011. Photo courtesy Ryan Trinidad.

Anthony Salazar Graduate Diversity Program Specialist, Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program 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: Rick Welts Lei Ann Shiramizu

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Carmela Lim, ’05 Board Member, Multicultural Alumni Partnership Stephanie Y. Miller Assistant Vice President, Community and Public Relations, Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity

4 Spotlight: 1 New life for ECC murals

Pomp, circumstance and celebration Big smiles were the order of the day at the 7th annual Pacific Islander Graduation ceremony June 6 in Red Square. The

15 A View from the UWAA 16 MAP Bridging the Gap Breakfast

snapshot event was created after it was realized that Pacific Islander students who pioneered many of the programs at the UW

ON THE COVER:

graduated without a ceremony to acknowledge all they had

UW students Ryan Trinidad, Erica Lane (top) and Cathea Carey interact with youngsters in Ghana in 2011. Photo courtesy Ryan Trinidad.

done. The Pacific Islander Student Commission put on the event this year. Photos by Crystal Simone.

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hey say that in the womb, your child can hear the sounds of the outside world and taste the diversity of foods the mother eats. I think about this on a Friday evening, as I take a slower than usual stroll along Alki beach, delightfully punctuated by passers-by, giggling, politicking, wooing, and sharing dreams in many languages. Salsa music strikes up near the Statue of Liberty and my husband Joseph and I stop for a few dances. We close the night by stopping at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant for dinner and use Facebook to make weekend plans for dim sum. Internet and smart phone applications keep us actively engaged in the world. But technology and media will never substitute for the life-changing experiences that travel and living among strangers can offer. We learn how to listen and advocate. We learn different historical experiences and how they shape what is important to someone else and how that might be different from what is important to us. And hopefully, we learn how to survive independently and lead collaboratively.

hen reflecting on my educational journey, the one thing I wish I had taken advantage of was the opportunity to study abroad. All through college, money was an issue and studying abroad seemed like a luxury. I also felt that challenges facing our communities here at home were more pressing than those overseas. In retrospect, I realize that the academic, career, and personal benefits gained from studying abroad are immense, and that we are better able to understand issues at home when looking through an international lens. Through studying abroad, students learn first-hand about history, arts, culture, and languages. They acquire crosscultural communication skills and an awareness of diverse business practices that are increasingly vital to achieving success in today’s workforce. They gain self confidence and a high level of independence. There are several programs affiliated with the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA&D) that provide a springboard for students to benefit from these life-changing experiences. Last summer, some students documented their studyabroad journeys through a blog on the OMA&D website. The reflections and observations they make on the blog (http://depts.washington. edu/omad/omad-student-blog/) demonstrate the profound effect these programs have.

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This issue of Viewpoints highlights the study-abroad opportunities the University of Washington provides for our students. It is one of the ways the UW links students to the world and helps launch careers for future leaders. Closer to home, how can we simulate the studyabroad experience? Many of us already do, by working, volunteering, or studying in different communities locally. Join us on Homecoming weekend for this year’s MAP Bridging the Gap Breakfast and be inspired by examples from this year’s distinguished alumni and student scholarship winners. I will be there, and my son will be listening.

For alumni who were not able to study abroad, it is never too late. Seize any travel opportunity that may present itself and create your own educational experience. Or better yet, support current students by contributing to the OMA&D Foreign Student Activities Fund. With the rising cost of tuition, students need financial assistance now more than ever. The Del Rio Global Citizens Scholarship and the McDermott Endowed Award for Study Abroad are also examples of funds that make it possible for students to broaden their world views by traveling abroad. In an expanding global economy, our communities will continue to benefit as OMA&D and the University of Washington provide students and future leaders with a heightened sense of our interconnected world.

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 UWalum.com/MAP

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

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ONCE AROUND CAMPUS

SPRATLENS EARN LAUREATE STATUS FOR UW GIFTS Thaddeus Spratlen, UW Professor Emeritus of Marketing, and Lois Price Spratlen, ’76, University Ombudsman Emeritus and Professor Emerita of Psychosocial & Community Health Nursing, have been recognized as Laureate level donors for their lifetime giving to the University of Washington that topped $1 million. “We are honored and proud to be able to share this recognition with our colleagues and friends regarding our reasons for and the goals of our career-long pattern of giving,” they said. Thaddeus joined the UW faculty in 1972 and retired fully in 2006. Lois, who received her Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the UW in 1976, took a tenure-track position in nursing that year. She retired from her Ombudsman position in 2008 and from her faculty position in 2010. “For all of our years here,” they said, “we have made giving back to the UW a top priority. We emphasize giving back because we experienced most of our career success here as a result of having UW resources and opportunities.” Two Thaddeus Spratlen Endowments at the Foster School of Business support the Business and Economic Development Center, which provides assistance to businesses in under-served and economically distressed communities through project-based student learning, and a diversity scholarship. “In these and other ways, our goals of making a difference by helping deserving students and investing in business development can be realized at the same time that our giving supports the diversity-related teaching, research and service mission of the University,” the Spratlens said.

INTELLECTUAL HOUSE RECEIVES $3.7 MILLION A total of $3.7 million from state funding and an anonymous gift have been received to support the building of the Intellectual House at the University of Washington. The longhouse-style facility will be built on the UW Seattle campus in parking lot N6 near McMahon Hall. Scheduled to open in 2014, the 19,000-square-foot facility will provide a multi-service learning and gathering space for Native American students, faculty, staff and others from various cultures and communities. The budget for the Intellectual House is $10.6 million. The UW pledged $5 million in matching gifts, and the project also received a Coast Salish name gifted by the late Vi Hilbert, an esteemed elder of the Upper Skagit Tribe. Previously, the state provided $300,000 in pre-design funding and the Confederated

Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation announced that it will donate lumber worth an estimated $91,000 for the new buildilng. On Sept. 10, the UW hosted the fifth annual 2011 UW Tribal Leadership Summit at Mary Gates Hall Commons. The event was a gathering of leaders from the UW and regional tribal governments who meet in the spirit of the Centennial Accord to promote partnerships, advance mutual goals, and address issues facing tribal communities. For more information on the Intellectual House, go to www.washington.edu/diversity/hok. For more information on the Tribal Leadership Summit, go to: www.washington.edu/diversity/summit/.

UW TO HOST NATIONAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE The UW chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) will host the SACNAS national conference next fall. Anthony Salazar, GO-MAP Graduate Diversity program specialist, sees next October’s conference, “Science Technology and Diversity for a Healthy World,” as a tremendous opportunity. “We hope to be able to showcase the Pacific Northwest as a grand hub for science and technology to our guests,” Salazar says. “The ideals and ideas of innovation and diversity are at the heart of what we do here at the University of Washington.” The selection of the UW and Seattle as the conference host is a testament to the growth of the UW’s SACNAS chapter, which was founded only four years ago. The group is composed of undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral students and provides its members a dynamic support network. The UW chapter of SACNAS has been integral in coordinating diversity efforts on campus by participating in panel discussions with several science departments about how to attract more minority students to the sciences. The group has also worked with high school students. In 2010, the group was one of five SACNAS chapters nationwide to earn the distinction as a Role Model Chapter for its outreach efforts. In 2009, the group was selected as Chapter of the Year for chapters in the 10- to 19-member category. 5

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BROADENING

HORIZONS

Opportunities abound for students of color to study abroad—and reap the benefits By JULIE GARNER

“I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself.” —James Baldwin The late African American writer James Baldwin put his finger on a central truth long understood by programs and departments throughout the University of Washington: Studying abroad and learning about other cultures can lead to a better understanding of oneself—and the world. Since 1995, the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity has collaborated with UW faculty, staff and UW International Programs and Exchanges (IPE) to ensure that students who are economically disadvantaged and/or are from underrepresented minority backgrounds can secure funding and take advantage of study-abroad opportunities. Dr. Gabriel Gallardo, Associate Vice President of Student Services and Academic Support Programs for the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, and his team reach out to students of color who think travel and learning abroad is not an option for them. “The message I have for students is, ‘Don’t think you can’t do this.’ Cost, family concerns, anxiety, and lack of awareness of opportunities to study abroad should not be barriers,” Gallardo says. “We have worked with IPE to increase the diversity of students participating in these programs.” Gallardo brings an unusual and deeply personal perspective on what it means to be immersed in a foreign culture. In 1976, Gallardo and his family fled their native Chile during the military dictatorship of Gen. 6

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Augusto Pinochet. Over a period of 17 years, Pinochet’s government was responsible for the murder and torture of thousands of Chileans. At the age of 12, Gallardo found himself in the U.S., contending with a new language and culture not to mention the beginning of his teenage years. “As you can imagine, it was very difficult,” Gallardo says. One day, Gallardo hopes to take students to Chile. He says it isn’t unusual for students to study abroad in their country of origin to reconnect with family and friends—something referred to as a “heritage-seeking” experience. On a larger scale, one of Gallardo’s priorities is to make students of color aware that funding for study-abroad experiences does exist. He explains that by putting together funding packages from several sources, the UW is working hard to remove financial barriers to travel. “Cost is a big issue for our students,” he says. Currently, OMA&D is particularly involved with six study-abroad programs. Destinations include Rome, where the UW operates its Rome Center. The trip is a collaboration between the Classics Department, IPE and OMA&D. “We’re there during spring break each year and we take 12 students for 10 days,” Gallardo explains. “The out-of-pocket cost for students is about $500.” Trips to Brazil are organized in partnership with the Department of Anthropology. The focus there is exploring issues of gender, race and development. This past summer, in a collaboration between the School of Social Work and OMA&D, students spent four weeks in Ghana, a new destination, studying the Sankofa experience: “Exploration of Race and Identity Development in a Cross Cultural Exchange.” Sankofa is

UW students in Ghana in 2011. Photo courtesy Ryan Trinidad.

a Ghanaian expression that means “one must return to the past in order to move forward.” There are also trips to Barbados, Tahiti and Japan. “We looked at study-abroad efforts and saw that students were going to traditional places like Europe and Asia,” Gallardo says. “We said ‘Hey, there are unexplored regions we need to develop.’ For example, the Pacific Islands had very few programs,” he said. Last January, 14 Jackson School of International Studies students and two Inuit participants traveled to Ottawa, Canada, where blizzard conditions provided a dramatic backdrop for meetings with indigenous leaders, Arctic policy analysts, international trade specialists and diplomats. Sara R. Curran, Chair of the Jackson School’s International Studies Program, says “a short-term, research or study-abroad component incorporated into some of our Task Force classes demonstrates to students the fundamental need to understand the complexities of local contexts for better addressing global policy challenges.” Julie Gurley, U.S. Special Envoy to the Arctic Council, recognized the implications of the students’ policy recommendations, stating, “The government needs smart, energetic, creative thinkers to make the best policy for the United States, and foreign policy is not something most college undergraduate students think about for their future careers.” Peter Moran, the UW’s Director of International Programs and Exchanges, says his program is keenly interested in increasing the number and diversity of students who study abroad. Alejandro “Val” Espania, who manages counseling services for the Office of Minority Affairs

and Diversity, helped coordinate the addition of Tahiti to the UW’s destination list. Espania, a native of Hawaii, had a personal interest in island culture so the proximity of Tahiti to Hawaii made it a natural choice. The summer 2011 Tahiti trip is the third OMA&D trip Espania has organized. All of the trips have involved collaboration with the faculty and staff of the Comparative History of Ideas program. Tahiti was the first study-abroad destination for Seattle native Corddaryl Woodford, ’10. He also studied in South Africa and Rome through UW programs. The Tahiti trip was an eye-opener. “I’m an inner-city boy, so going to a small island like Tahiti changed my perspective on life,” he recalls. Life on Tahiti, he explains, is lived unwired and unplugged. He researched the cell-phone situation before he left the states and found that with the exception of “hot spots” accessed with only one kind of phone, there really was no Internet access. So instead of using Facebook, Woodford had to connect in person. The result? He had “real, lengthy conversations with indigenous people about their lives,” he says. Woodford was confronted with a different way of life in Tahiti, where the locals place more importance on family than material things. Espania explains: “They were unable to Twitter or text. When we returned, I got a Facebook message from a student who had gone to Tahiti. She said, ‘I see things differently because of the trip, Val. I have these friends that I always go to the mall with and now I don’t want to go. I learned that I don’t have to have that be part of my life’.”

SPIRIT RENEWAL

Getting outside the classroom brings healing, inspiration In 2009, student Renata Cummings transferred to the UW from Seattle Central Community College. And she wasn’t very happy about the way things were working out. “I was the only Black American in all of my classes. I felt isolated because day in and day out I never saw anyone who looked like me,” she says. She wanted a change of scenery. So she was thrilled when announcements for Summer Exploration Seminars abroad came out. An educational trip to Tahiti titled “Mixed Race Experiences in the USA and French Polynesian (Tahitian) Contexts 2009” seemed like the answer to her prayer. She applied right away. “I desire a life filled with many different people, interacting openly and without fear,” she wrote in her application. “Fear can make differences such as race explode into things like racism.” Off she went to the South Pacific. At first, she was bowled over by the heat and the humidity. But in short order, the island’s natural beauty became a source of pleasure —as well as the educational experience she was getting there.

Sitting beneath fruit trees with an ocean view, Cummings and her fellow students explored the meaning of colonization as well as topics such as identity development, duality and success without conquest. “It really made me appreciate education outside of a classroom,” she says. “I thought about how lucky I was to have people like my classmates, mixed like me and not like me, but always with me. The wounds I’d formed by being the only black student in my business classes were healing.” One day, Cummings and her fellow classmates piled into a van for an outing. When she asked one of the program guides where they were going, she was startled when he replied, “To jump off a bridge.” Moments later, the van stopped several feet from a bridge over a river. “[The two guides] did what no one expected: They jumped off of the bridge. And then I jumped.’ ” What would Cummings tell students thinking about studying abroad? “I say, ‘Jump. Maeva I Te Oro’!” (Welcome to Life, in Tahitian) This story was adapted from a letter Cummings wrote to the trip guides.

Julie Garner, ’10, is a Viewpoints staff writer 7

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JACKSON

SCHOLARSHIPS PROVIDE MONEY FOR TRAVEL ABROAD Through the generosity of Washington state, individual donors and donor organizations, the UW offers students funding for studyabroad opportunities from a variety of sources. Here is just a sample of the scholarships and grant awards currently available: The Del Rio Global Citizen Scholarship provides funds to students for foreign study and research. The scholarships provide financial support to students in the UW’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) so that they can study abroad. The founder of the fund, Nelson Del Rio, ’84, was an EOP student at UW who graduated in the top 10 of his class, went on to study law at Harvard and became a successful businessman and philanthropist. “A lot of people think it’s reading and writing that will change young peoples’ futures but I think it’s vision and hope that changes and broadens a life and travel will do that,” Del Rio says. He says he

takes that philosophy “right to my home.” His son, Nelson Del Rio Jr., is the youngest person ever to travel via dog sled to visit the North Pole, according to Del Rio. In 2008, Katherine E. McDermott established the Roseanna Wabel McDermott Endowed Fund for Study Abroad in honor of her grandmother. McDermott, who is presently teaching in Mongolia, says her grandmother believed strongly in the power of education to transform peoples' lives. The Bonderman Travel Fellowship is available to graduate students (including those in the Law and Business Schools as well as other graduate and professional programs); undergraduate students in the University Honors Program (Interdisciplinary, Departmental or College Honors); and students in UW Tacoma’s Global Honors Program. Bonderman Fellowships give students an opportunity to engage

in independent exploration and travel abroad. Each Bonderman Fellow receives a $20,000 award for travel. UW undergraduate students who are Husky Promise- and Pell Grant-eligible and also Washington residents may apply for the GO! (Global Opportunities) Scholarship, funded by the Washington state Legislature. This competitive scholarship helps academically promising undergraduate students with significant financial need gain access to international learning opportunities. Each year, more students are funded for study-abroad opportunities through the GO! Scholarship than through any other source. The Fritz Undergraduate Scholarship is funded by the Chester Fritz Endowment. This academically competitive scholarship provides funding to students majoring in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

SCHOOL: A LEADER IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION For more information or to donate money to support travel opportunities, call the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity at 206-685-0518 or select the OMA&D Foreign Student Activities Fund online at www.uwfoundation.org/diversity.

FOCUS ON MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION REAPS SUCCESS Anyone interested in multicultural education in the U.S. is familiar with the name of Banks. James A. Banks and Cherry A. McGee Banks are UW education professors who wrote a seminal work in the field of education—the Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education, the first book of its kind ever published. James Banks is the Director of the Center for Multicultural Education at the UW, while Cherry Banks is a professor of education at UW Bothell and a faculty associate of the center. At a time when evidence-based practices are driving what happens in the classroom, the Banks’ contribution to the field of education is important for every public-school educator, especially as society becomes more diverse. Multicultural education aims to create equal educational opportunities for all students by changing the school environ-

ment so it will reflect cultures and groups within a society. Cherry Banks is chairperson of the Diversity Council at UW Bothell, where seven areas in the campus’ 21st Campus Initiative have been identified—and increasing diversity is one of them. “UW Bothell is one of the most diverse campuses in our state. We have 36 percent students of color now. We are very proud of that and we’d like it to become even more diverse,” Banks says. The campus’ Education program added a number of courses focusing on multicultural education. The Diversity Council plans to implement a diversity minor that will be available to all students beginning this fall. Faculty from diverse backgrounds will join students in exploring the historical and theoretical aspects of diversity. In addition, there will be an experiential course involving

work in the community in public schools, health or social-services sites. Moreover, UW Bothell is working with Rainier Beach, Cleveland, Franklin, Garfield, Roosevelt, Chief Sealth, Ingraham, West Seattle, and Mariner and Everett high schools as part of its Dream Project to foster applications for admissions from students from underrepresented communities. The program conducts workshops on essay writing and the college-application process, and holds college awareness days. In these schools, applications to the UW Bothell have risen a whopping 235 percent. Cherry Banks pointed out “that at the Bothell Campus, we define diversity broadly to not only include students of color, but also veterans, students from economically diverse backgrounds and students who are the first in their family to go to college.”— Julie Garner Cherry Banks

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Jackson School Director Resat ¸ Kasaba.

For more than 100 years, the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) has served as a gateway for undergraduate and graduate students to learn about the world beyond Seattle. According to JSIS Director Resat ¸ Kasaba, our world is once again being pulled in opposite directions. On the one hand, distant parts of the globe are being linked to each other through trade, investment, migration, and communication on a level that the world has never witnessed before. At the same time, relations among people are becoming defined with growing suspicion and outright hostility to an alarming degree. A Jackson School education encourages students to build an indepth and historically informed understanding of world areas, civilizations, and global forces and trends, and to engage others through study abroad, foreign language learning, and rigorous academic and intellectual pursuits. Jackson School students, faculty, and staff take this commitment to international education seriously. Funding, in the form of various scholarships, such as the Leslieanne Shedd Memorial Fund and the Dorothy Fosdick Memorial Intern-

ship Fund, allow students to pursue diverse internship opportunities. For example, Semir Hasedzic, ’11, is a Shedd Scholar who worked with an NGO in Rwanda this past summer in an internship related to human rights. Another Shedd Scholar, Nathaniel Thomas, ’11, held a summer internship with the USAID Africa Bureau. Gai-Hoai Nguyen, ’12, interned in Oaxaca, Mexico, with PROSA, a local nonprofit medical clinic, with funds from the Fosdick scholarship. Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS) enable students to pursue foreign language and area studies training either at UW or at other institutions. Seventy-four students from more than 15 departments and schools across UW received summer FLAS fellowships while 64 academic-year FLAS fellows are studying languages as diverse as Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Russian, Turkish, Salish, Urdu, Thai, Hindi, French, Khmer, Latvian, Swahili, and Swedish during the 2011-12 academic year. To learn more about the 13 academic programs and 14 centers affiliated with the school, including the eight National Resource Centers and FLAS Fellowships funded by the Department of Education through the Title VI Program, go to http://jsis.washington.edu/ 9

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360° View: DIVERSITY FROM EVERY ANGLE

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS Alan Sugiyama, ’74, received Seattle Central Community College’s inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award for his longstanding contributions to the community. Sugiyama, founder and former executive director of the Center for Career Alternatives, was recognized for his impassioned fight against discrimination while he was a student at SCCC.

Luis Fraga, the UW’s Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement, was sworn in as a member of President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. UW student Frederica Miako Mackert was crowned 2011 queen by the Seattle Japanese Queen Scholarship Organization. She also reigns as queen for the Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural festivals.

MILESTONES

Emile Pitre, ’69, Associate Vice President in the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, co-authored a study published in the journal Science that examines how a guided- learning approach in a UW biology course helped students, especially educationally disadvantaged students, increase academic performance. UW student Veronica Quintero was crowned 2011 Miss Seafair. Quintero is a third-year student majoring in communication. She also serves as a peer mentor with the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity’s College Assistance Migrant Program.

IN MEMORY C. Raymond Merriwether, ’58, who was known for championing educational equality in Seattle, died May 23. Recipient of a 1995 Multicultural Alumni Partnership Distinguished Alumni Award, he had a 40-year career in architecture, engineering, property development and health-care management. He also was a staunch advocate for nonprofit organizations, particularly those dedicated to improving the educational experience for Seattle-area students. Merriwether graduated from Howard University in 1947 with a degree in civil engineering. The following year, he became a structural plan examiner for the City of Seattle. He went on to earn a master’s degree in urban planning from the UW in 1958 and a second bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from Washington State University in 1960. He was 86. In his memory, the C.R. Merriwether Scholarship Fund has been established to support architectural engineering students. Donations may be sent to: C.R. Merriwether Scholarship c/o University of Washington, Box 351266, Seattle, WA 98195-1266. C. Benjamin Graham Jr., ’58, ’62, the first student in a wheelchair to graduate from medical school at the University of Washington—and possibly the nation—died March 19. After earning his M.D. and completing his residency at the UW School of Medicine, the Missouri native joined the UW medical school faculty. He also served as director of radiology at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Graham, who played wheelchair basketball, 10

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helped organize the first wheelchair basketball team in Seattle and was later inducted into the Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame. He was 80.

work on the 707, 727 and 737 programs. He retired in 1995. He was 83. Takika Susanne Lee, ’61, ’62, who worked for many years at the UW School of Law and in the Gallagher Law Library, died Feb. 22. She was 88. Branda Pui Chu Luke, a former UW student who as a private banker helped new immigrants open bank accounts, died March 18. She also worked as a mortgage broker. She was 57.

C. Benjamin Graham, ’58, ’62, (left). Photo courtesy Pearl Graham.

Florence M. Fujita, ’41, who held various jobs at the UW, died Jan. 7. She spent several years in relocation camps in Oregon and Idaho during World War II. She returned to the UW in 1968 and worked at the Burke Museum, in the Staff Employment Office and at TV station KCTS. She retired in 1982. She was 90. Kazuo Kumasaka, ’50, who had a long career as an engineer at Boeing, died Nov. 18. He worked in Boeing’s Military and Aerospace Divisions on the B-52, B-70, X-20 Dynasoar and SST programs. In 1965, he joined the Commercial Airplane Division to

Douglas W. Luna, ’70, a lawyer who served on the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission, died Feb. 23. He helped create a judicial court for the Tlingit-Haida Tribes in Alaska, served as an administrative law judge for the state Employment Security Department and as a review judge for the state Department of Social and Health Services. He was 67. Helene Tsutsumoto Yorozu, ’55, a longtime Seattle elementary school teacher, died Feb. 13. While a UW student, she was president of the Orchesis Dance Club. She was 78. Vija Rekevics, ’57, a Latvian immigrant who went on to become involved in the world of fashion, died Feb. 2. In 1949, as a 16-year-old, she arrived in America with her Latvian family after spending time in a post-World War II refugee camp in Germany. She served as supervisor of guest relations for the 1962 Seattle’s World Fair before she started working in the fashion industry and opened her own retail store. She was 77.

Christopher R. Flowers, ’02, ’03, was elected to the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board. He is director of the Lymphoma Program and medical director of the Oncology Data Center in the Department of Hematology and Oncology at the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University in Atlanta. He holds a master’s degree in pharmacy and a fellowship in medicine from the UW. 2 Two UW alumni were honored by the Japanese American Citizen’s League for their work with the Asian Pacific American community: former Washington state Rep. Kip Tokuda, ’69, ’73, and the late Roberto Maestas, ’66, ’71, founder of El Centro de la Raza. Both are recipients of Distinguished Alumnus Awards from the Multicultural Alumni Partnership.

his efforts to make civic and citizen engagement processes more inclusive. 3

The painting Window of Make Believe by Seattle artist Alfredo Arreguin, ’67, ’69, is part of the “Seattle As Collector” exhibit on display at the Seattle Art Museum put on by the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. 1 Joel Ing, ’86, has been appointed to the Washington State Public Stadium Authority. He is a workforce housing developer with Shelter Resources, Inc., in Bellevue. Seattle TV journalist Angela King, ‘95, has been awarded a regional Emmy for her work, “What Would You Do.” She works as a reporter and anchor for Q13 FOX News This Morning on station KCPQ.

History Professor Quintard Taylor has been honored by the Association of King County Historical Organizations for his leadership in disseminating information about African and African American history. He is the creator of a free online encyclopedia called www.Blackpast.org.

Erina Aoyama, ’09, has been awarded the 2011 Mortar Board GEICO Fellowship, which includes a $5,000 prize. She plans to travel to attend Sciences Po, Paris School of International Affairs to pursue a master’s degree in international affairs and international communication. 4

Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, ’81, ’84, was honored with the 2010 Management in Race and Social Justice Award. He was recognized for his civil rights leadership and for

The University of Washington Bothell joined with Bellevue College to welcome students from China into a joint business-degree pilot program.

MILES HONORED FOR HIS PUBLIC SERVICE For more than 25 years, Nathaniel “Nate” Miles, ’82, has worked to create positive change in a variety of arenas—nonprofit and educational communities, state and national politics, and in the world of business. For his work, he was honored with two awards. Leadership Tomorrow presented Miles with the Edward E. Carlson Outstanding Alumni Award. Each year, the group selects one individual who has significantly contributed to the well-being of the community. Before that, FirstThursday Seattle honored Miles as its 2011 Man of the Year. Miles is director of government affairs, western region, for Eli Lilly, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. He serves on several boards including the University of Washington Foundation Board, where he

represents the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity. In this role, Miles—a married father of three who is referred to as the unofficial mayor of Seattle’s black community—works to increase the level of private giving to the UW. Accompanying the Carlson award is a $1,000 grant to be donated to the non-profit organization of Miles’ choice. He donated half of the award to the UW's Educational Opportunity Program Scholarship Fund. —Ina Zajac

1. Window of Make Believe by artist Alfredo Arreguin, '67, '69 2. Christopher R. Flowers, '02, '03 3. Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, '81, '84 4. Erina Aoyama, '09 11 viewpoints

faces: RICK WELTS

ALSO OUT Rick Welts, ‘75, was photographed June 11, 2011 in Phoenix by Rick Giase.

Former Phoenix Suns CEO Rick Welts, ’75, who in May became the first professional sports team executive to come out as gay, is just the latest in a line of high-profile UW alumni who have had the courage to do so.

Lei Ann Shiramizu

Lei Ann Shiramizu was photographed June 22, 2011 in Seattle by Anil Kapahi.

Others include: Karen Bryant, ’91, B.A., Communication. A former guard for the Husky women’s basketball team, Bryant is CEO of the Seattle Storm women’s basketball team.

TALL ORDER: HOOPS EXECUTIVE COMES OUT Former Phoenix Suns CEO Rick Welts becomes first pro sports leader to declare he is gay By JULIE GARNER When Rick Welts, ’75, was a freshman at the UW in 1971, he would have been astounded if someone had told him that 40 years later, he would be blazing a new trail as the first person in professional sports management to come out as a gay person. And yet, on May 16, 2011, Welts—then president and CEO of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns—did exactly that in an interview with The New York Times. His groundbreaking revelation rocked an industry long committed to an informal, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” modus operandi both on the court and in the highest echelons of management. To date, the only man associated with pro basketball to come out has been John Amaechi, a former NBA player who disclosed his sexual orientation after his career was over. Welts—who left the Suns in September to move to California to be with his partner—called The New York Times because he wanted to “start the conversation” about homosexuality in team sports, and his courage struck a nerve. To date, he has received thousands of emails and not one has been negative. “It’s been overwhelmingly positive and humbling,” he says. 12

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Rick Welts’ personal journey began in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, where he grew up as the son and grandson of a long line of Huskies. His grandfather, Richard (Robin) D. Welts, graduated in 1924 with a degree in history and in 1932 with a law degree; his parents and sister are also alums. “I was going to Husky football games for as far back as I can remember,” he says. As a UW student in the early 1970s, Welts experienced personal crises over his sexual orientation.“My impressions of gay people came through the media. They were portrayed stereotypically as flamboyant. I didn’t feel anything like that and that was part of the isolation and discomfort,” he recalls. But that ended when Welts met a fellow student who lived in a fraternity. The young fellow liked sports and was gay. “There was a sense of exhilaration that there were other people out there like I was,” Welts says. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in communication, Welts joined the staff of the Seattle Supersonics, where he served as public relations director. (As a teenager, he had been a Sonics ball boy.) He left the Sonics to join the NBA office (where he helped develop All-Star Week-

A COMMUNITY’S

REBIRTH

Col. Grethe Cammermeyer, ’76, M.A., Nursing, ’91, Ph.D., Nursing. She lost her job as an Army nurse after declaring during a 1989 interview for a top-secret clearance to apply for the War College that she was a lesbian. Fired from the Army, she was reinstated after a judge ruled that her discharge was unconstitutional. Jenny Durkan, ’85, J.D., Law. In 2009, Durkan became the first openly gay U.S. Attorney since the position was created in 1789. David Kopay, ’66, B.A., History. The former Husky and NFL running back in 1975 became the first professional athlete from a major team sport to announce publicly that he was gay. —Julie Garner

end) and eventually became the president and CEO of the Suns. Never during his career in professional sports did he reveal his orientation to colleagues. One sad result was that he experienced the death of his longtime partner, Arnie Chinn, ’78, without the support of his many friends and colleagues. Today, Welts can feel “authentic” and be who he really is. It’s a good feeling when he comes home to Seattle and the UW, a place and school he loves. For a longer profile of Rick Welts, go to UWalum.com/Columns and click on September 2011.

Japantown is coming back to life, thanks in part to the work of Lei Ann Shiramizu BY INA ZAJAC

Lei Ann Shiramizu, ’82, enjoys wearing many hats. She’s a goodwill ambassador, a fashion maven, a freelance writer and a community developer. As owner of Momo, an eclectic retail store in Seattle’s Chinatown International District, she also sells many hats—as well as stylish scarves, sweaters, and skirts. Momo is a happy destination for shoppers seeking comfortably sophisticated clothing, distinct jewelry, and quirky collectibles. Fashion is fabulous, but Shiramizu wants Momo—which means peach in Japanese—to serve a much higher purpose. Momo represents the new face of Seattle’s Japantown, historically known as Nihonmachi. Nihonmachi had long been a thriving JapaneseAmerican cultural and commercial center until the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. In the days and months that followed, nearly 10,000 King County residents of Japanese descent were abruptly sent off to internment camps with little more than a suitcase. They were forced to leave behind their belongings, their businesses, and their way of life. Shiramizu gets choked up when she thinks about those affected families, and says their plight

motivates her to diligently promote neighborhood businesses and activities. “Families had nothing to come home to,” she says. “Most relocated to the suburbs so they could get a new start. Today there is new growth, but we are retaining history.” Shiramizu moved to Seattle in 1979 to attend the University of Washington and was initially

“ Today there is new growth, but we are retaining history.” attracted to what is now known as the Chinatown International District because the area’s compelling sense of community reminded her of her home state of Hawaii. “The UW gave me a firm foundation which helped me to succeed,” she says. “I am so proud

to be a UW graduate.” She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication. After three decades of living and working in the Northwest, Shiramizu still exudes an easy-going island attitude. Hawaiian influences can also be seen throughout Momo, which Shiramizu and husband Tom Kleifgen opened in 2007. Shiramizu knows her neighbors well and has an affinity for making connections. “I love helping shoppers find something special, but I am also a concierge and an ambassador,” she says. “People often come to the ID seeking cheap good food, but once here I help them discover the area’s other offerings.” Shiramizu often encourages her shoppers to visit the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, stop by the century-old Panama Hotel for a cup of tea or check out a nearby gallery. She also knows the best place to get a heavenly foot massage. “Some things would surprise you,” she says. “I love to tell people about the pinball museum.” Ina Zajac is a Viewpoints staff writer

Julie Garner,’10, is a Viewpoints staff writer 13

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Campus datebook

spotlight: THE ECC Murals

A VIEW FROM THE PRESIDENT Artist's renditions of the Native American, Black and Chicáno murals that are being preserved for the new ECC courtesy of Rolluda Architects.

When I first started teaching in the mid-1970s, I took groups of students from the Central District on field trips to new and exciting places they had never visited—and they were all in our own backyard! We went to Tillicum Village. The Space Needle. The UW campus. Many had never been on a boat before or walked around our gorgeous campus. Even though these places were here in Seattle, to these students it could just as easily have been Timbuktu because they never had the opportunity to explore outside their neighborhood. This was a Summer Work Exploration Program sponsored by the United Way and it won a national award from the National Alliance of Businessmen for its unique approach to motivating students to further their education after high school. These seemingly small outings around town turned out to be a big deal for these kids and showed that travel is exciting and important. I still get choked up thinking about it. As an educator and proud UW alum, I know first hand that education changes lives—and that some of the best education you can get does not happen in the classroom; it occurs outside of your comfort zone, when you are exploring some place new, whether it’s in your backyard or on another continent.

SUSAN WILSON WILLIAMS. PHOTO BY L av ie photography.

NEW LIFE FOR THE MURALS

Our University is working to create more opportunities and financial support for students to pack a suitcase and go learn about a new culture —and feel the amazement that travel and interaction with people from a different way of life can bring.

All 24 original artworks to be relocated into new facility By JULIE GARNER

The story of how and why the UW’s Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) was founded during the tumultuous early 1970s is extremely important to the UW’s communities of color. Thus, alumni, students, faculty and staff of color will celebrate in January 2013 when the new Ethnic Cultural Center opens its doors, especially because it will contain the 24 murals that adorned the walls of the original ECC. The murals, which range in size from 3 to more than 300 square feet, tell the story of the struggle for equal educational opportunity at the UW. Many depict the social and political events that led to the creation of the old building, which was erected specifically to serve students of color as a “home away from home.” When plans were formulated to build a new, larger ECC for the 64 groups that now use it, the first question that needed answering was: What will happen to the murals? “When we started the project, the murals were always in the forefront of our minds,” says Sheila Edwards Lange, ’00, ’06, Vice President for Minority

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Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity. But there was a problem. “Our initial analyses was that taking them out and putting them in the

“ It’s not just the university’s history; it’s Seattle’s history, too.” new building would not be cost-effective because asbestos was present,” she adds. Removing asbestos requires an abatement contractor and a long, expensive process. A plan to capture digital images of the murals and place them on panels outside the new ECC

was shelved when stakeholders advocated for retaining the originals. UW leaders decided to revise their plan and bring the murals over. “Preserving the murals ensures the legacy of diversity efforts at the UW,” Lange explains. “But it’s not just the university’s history; it’s Seattle’s history, too.” The new plan calls for the murals to be cut out along with each wall in order to minimize asbestos issues. The old murals—as well as new art to be created by students—will be placed in the new building’s public and meeting spaces. Four of the largest murals will be affixed to the roof monitors. The University has retained BOLA Architecture and Planning to work on the murals project. Part of that included interviews with the four artists whose work will be featured on the roof monitors. All of the murals have now been properly catalogued. Julie Garner is a Viewpoints staff writer

Susan Wilson Williams, ‘73 UWAA President, 2011-12

Calendar of Events October 29, 2011 OMA&D's "The Weekend" Celebrate Homecoming at the UW with the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and other campus partners. MAP Bridging the Gap Breakfast Celebrate alumni award winners and scholarship recipients. 8 a.m. Haggett Hall, Cascade Room Tailgate and Homecoming Game Join the official OMA&D tailgate and sit together for the UW-Arizona game The Zone, Husky Stadium For more information and to register, visit http://depts.washington.edu/ omad/weekend.shtml

WARM FEELINGS Graduating UW dental students Danielle Stimson (left) and Rolanda Ward show off their gifts after a “blanket ceremony” at the Foege Building’s Vista Café on June 3. The event honored the two women and their heritage: Stimson is a member of the Blackfeet Nation; Ward, who is of Aleut descent, is the first member of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation to become a dentist. Family, friends and classmates attended the event, along with representatives of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and enjoyed a dinner featuring elk stew and smoked salmon. Stimson plans to return to her tribal reservation in Montana to practice, while Ward will pursue a residency in oral medicine at the UW. Photo by Steve Steinberg.

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MAP BRIDGING THE GAP BREAKFAST TO HONOR LEADERS IN DIVERSITY Distinguished Alumni Awards Juleann Cottinni Gandara, ’81, served as chief of mammography, a section of the radiology department that she developed while teaching in the UW School of Medicine. She is active in providing health care and mentoring to Native American communities, and recruits Native students to the UW School of Medicine. Roy P. Diaz, ’94, ’96, ’02, earned his Ph.D. in chemistry and his J.D. at the UW School of Law concurrently and then worked in a prominent patent law firm in Washington, D.C. Today, he is a Seattle-based expert in intellectual-property law. A former volunteer at the UW Instructional Center, today he helps recruit students of color to the UW School of Law and volunteers as a mentor for students who apply to the UW.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011 Time: 8 a.m. Where: Haggett Hall, Cascade Room Tickets: $55

Joey Ing, ’59, and Vera Ing, ’74, are being honored for their work on committees, boards and offices of virtually every nonprofit agency in the International District. As an architect, Joey mentors UW architecture students, and in recent years, the couple has been active in multi-ethnic theater groups that stem from the UW School of Drama.

Samuel E. Kelly Award LeRoy McCullough, ’72, ’75, has served as an elected King County Superior Court judge since 1989 and is the Presiding Judge of the Drug Court in the Juvenile Court of Seattle. He is a tireless volunteer who has been involved in numerous community organizations and causes ranging from the Black College Tour Committee to the First AME Church.

Gandara, Diaz and McCullough photos by Ellisha L. Ley; del Rosario photo by Ron Wurzer.

For more information, visit UWalum.com or call the UWAA at 206-543-0540

2011 Diversity Award for Community Building Cynthia del Rosario, ’94, ’96, is the director for Graduate Minority Recruitment and Retention at the UW Information School, and previously held a similar position in the College of Education. Del Rosario sponsors the iSchool’s Diversity Committee and supported the formation of a student organization, iEracism. She is also active in the Graduate Opportunities for Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP), working to ensure that the iSchool, College of Education and GO-MAP communities support diversity initiatives across campus.

For more information about MAP, visit UWAlum.com/MAP