People
August 5, 2022
A toast to Yvette Gunther, a centenarian alumna with rich UW memories
Once self-described as shy, the sociable Yvette Gunther, '45, now enjoys dance classes and public speaking. She recounts her time at the UW during World War II.
July 22, 2022
Ada Limón, ’98, named 24th U.S. Poet Laureate
The 1998 drama graduate received the nation's highest honor in poetry.
July 21, 2022
A tribute to John Hartl, ’67, Seattle’s greatest movie critic
Famed movie critic John Hartl had a thoughtful eye, an unusually high IQ and an encyclopedic knowledge of film.
June 15, 2022
Good, better, best!
They garden, they read, they cook and they dream of becoming dentists. Teachers: They're just like us! But these six are the cream of the crop.
May 30, 2022
Clear sailing ahead
A new nonprofit called the Husky Sailing Foundation aims to create a more stable future for a sports club that dates back to 1948.
JoAnn Taricani, 1953-2022
School of Music Director JoAnn Taricani brought joy to her students and colleagues over more than four decades before her sudden death Feb. 1.
High-water mark
Linda Fagan will continue to put her UW master’s degree in marine affairs to good use in her new role leading the U.S. Coast Guard.
Dreaming of America
Wes Hurley has built a community of allies from his time at the UW, and it’s paying off.
‘Star Wars’ to the stars
NASA is going back to the moon and planning to land humans on Mars, thanks in part to Orion manager Howard Hu, ’91, ’94
The heart of health care
Through public health crisis, nursing leader Pam Cipriano, ’81, has delivered doses of hope and advocacy. The 2022 Alumna Summa Laude Dignata award recognizes her service.
May 29, 2022
Stolen beauty
The story of the shocking theft, destruction and replacement of George Tsutakawa’s sculptural gates at the Washington Park Arboretum.
Media man
For the past 31 years, Jeff Bechthold has worked in sports information for the UW athletic department. He handles Husky football and crew.
Earth and space
Gary Lai, the lead architect of Blue Origin’s New Shepard program, heads to the heavens.
For the next generation
After 26 years leading Densho, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and sharing Japanese American history, executive director Tom Ikeda, ’76, ’79, ’83, is retiring
Out of style
The Scissor’s Edge has been a fixture in the HUB since 1949. Hairdresser and salon operator Jane Snell is reluctantly hanging up her shears.
Chilling out
For most people, camping season starts in early summer. For a few hardy UW students, it started in March.
May 25, 2022
Champion of opportunities
Michael Verchot receives the 2022 UWAA Distinguished Service Award for his work on behalf of the UW Consulting and Business Development Center.
Commemorating Ken Sirotnik
Ken Sirotnik's legacy remains strong nearly two decades after his death. The UWAA honors him with the 2022 Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award.
Husky Walk of Fame
Jean Smart joins the growing list of UW legends whose names are engraved on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Community champion
For his dedication to the UW and Chicano/a/Latino/a communities, Erasmo Gamboa receives the 2022 Retiree Excellence in Community Service Award.
May 18, 2022
Heartfelt effort
After the tragic and sudden loss of his friend, Adam Lang found a way to honor Daniel Phelps's memory.
May 17, 2022
One who dared
A gifted actor and director—and one of "The Five Who Dared"—Harvy Blanks made history.
May 16, 2022
Why we love the ECC
As the ECC celebrates 50 years of creating a space for diversity and inclusion, alumni share fond memories of the space.
UW’s new regent, Leonard Forsman, ’87, looks ahead
Leonard Forsman, '87, is the UW's new regent. He tells Viewpoint his goals and priorities for his six-year term.
Toward a more diverse faculty
A new campus-wide effort led by Alexes Harris supports underrepresented groups and first-generation faculty.
May 5, 2022
Air anniversaries
UW-affiliated public radio stations KUOW and KEXP mark milestones in 2022.
May 4, 2022
Beloved communities
College of Built Environments students help historically Black churches survive gentrification.
May 3, 2022
Honoring Frank Irigon
Frank Irigon, noted social and civil rights activist, will be honored with the 2022 Charles E. Odegaard award.
March 18, 2022
Behind the scenes
Tres Tracy Ballon, '01, is the master carpenter at the UW School of Drama. We talked to her about squirrels, big ideas and building sets (and boats).
March 11, 2022
Remembering Desmond Tutu
Twenty years ago, the human rights leader delivered a message of hope to Seattle.
Win a trip to Browntown
George Tramountanas, '93, turned personal tragedy to big-screen comedy in his new feature film about a unique incentive for weight loss.
March 5, 2022
Dinosaur dreams
Zeke Augustine, ’23, has sifted through soil for microscopic fossils and helped dig up a Triceratops. The Burke Museum has been at the heart of it all.
Living through history
UW history professor Margaret O’Mara shares her perspective on the pandemic and its echoes from the past.
‘You Deserve the World’
Ally Ang is a 2021 graduate of the UW Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing, with a focus on poetry.
Fungi friendly
The Northwest is the perfect place for a mushroom enthusiast; one digs into the Burke Museum’s collection.
For the Love of iPhone
Software developer Tom Love’s innovative programming language became the backbone of every Mac, iPhone and iPad.
The voice of Yakima Valley
While working on her doctorate, Monica De La Torre, ’16, studied the Yakima Valley's Radio Cadena. She shares their stories in “Feminista Frequencies."
March 4, 2022
Mentor to many
Millie L.B. Russell, who passed away in November, helped generations of BIPOC students become medical professionals.
Autism in the spotlight
Actor Mickey Rowe's book chronicles his journey from a legally blind self-described outcast to the hero of his own story.
Caring for custodians
Evalynn Fae Taganna Romano, ’10, ’21, leads an effort recognize an often overlooked group in the pandemic: campus custodians.
A real character
Versatility has been Jean Smart’s strength since her UW days. Now, the Emmy-winning actor’s star is shining brighter than ever.
Native leader joins Regents
As a UW regent, Leonard Forsman plans to help represent Indigenous people.
March 3, 2022
The Kelly ECC at 50
Once a student activist’s dream, the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center celebrates five decades as a space for diversity and inclusion.
March 2, 2022
Where our voices are heard
Mustapha Samateh, president of the ASUW, reflects on his journey from Gambia to the UW.
March 1, 2022
Preserving crafts in India
Judy Frater, '87, put her UW museology degree to good use by seeking out and empowering local Indian artisans.
One momentous week
In the span of seven days in November 1961, civil-rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. and President John F. Kennedy spoke on campus.
February 14, 2022
The power of representation
An El Paso native's journey to UW leads to a key position as the White House Deputy Cabinet Secretary — and a piece of political power.
January 31, 2022
From puck steals to book deals
Player-turned-agent Ryan Minkoff’s second book, “Nora’s Hockey Dream,” pays homage to his sister and all the girls who love hockey.
December 11, 2021
Locally grown
Marie Spiker is an assistant professor of epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health, registered dietitian and enthusiastic kayaker. We asked her about her various passions.
December 4, 2021
Why get a booster?
Marion Pepper of the School of Medicine helps us better understand the latest COVID-19 shot.
Fruity, not healthy
Fruit drinks are often disguised as nutritious alternatives to soda. Researchers try to counter that narrative.
UW in the cards
‘Down the Ave,’ a card game developed by business students, is full of UW and Seattle references.
Closing the distance
For a teacher in a time of COVID-19, the challenge is to bring the world to students.
Why grad school works
Graduate education is more than a ticket to a better future; it’s an engine for the public good.
Electrofishing
Students wade into Issaquah Creek to quantify the population and distribution of different fish species.
Junior Coffey, 1942-2021
Junior Coffey, who passed away recently, overcame traumatic experiences to become a Husky football star and racehorse trainer.
Imogen exposed
Imogen Cunningham was an innovative and influential fine art photographer. A retrospective features nearly 200 of her works.
A call to action
Associate Professor Wendy Barrington, '12, brings a passion for health equity to her role as director of the Center for Anti-Racism and Community Health.
The art of curiosity
As she curates an exhibit at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, doctoral student Brittney Frantece examines art through a critical lens.
The midcentury view
A new book finally shines a spotlight on Paul Hayden Kirk, ’37, who set the standard for Northwest modernist architecture.
Legal relief
Longtime prisoners who received life and long sentences as minors benefit from a UW program that sends students and lawyers to help.
Fighting the infodemic
Twisted facts, fake news and social media spoofs can turn society upside down. One UW team is working to help us through the infodemic.
Hall of Famers
Twelve former student-athletes from five sports receive the highest honor in UW Athletics.
Portraits of justice
Alfredo Arreguin has painted the official portraits for three justices on the Washington State Supreme Court. At 86, the master of Mexican-American art remains a source of colorful ideas and vivid canvases.
November 19, 2021
Celebrating Gen Z
Rickey Hall, UW vice president for minority affairs and diversity, on the latest issue of Viewpoint.
Remembering the Spratlens
Thaddeus Spratlen and Lois Price-Spratlen were the UW’s academic power couple—excelling as scholars and opening up opportunities for others.
Nursing leader’s legacy
One of Seattle’s few Black nurses in the 1940s, Rachel Suggs Pitts helped create a network of support for her colleagues and nursing students.
Changing the law
Enoka Herat works with law enforcement leaders and the families of people who have died from police violence to change practices in Washington.
The rise of Gen Z
The most diverse generation in American history, they are engaged, informed, and not content with the status quo.
Rising above hate
A Japanese American UW grad turned businessman, Harry Kawabe was a humanitarian who built economies in two U.S. cities and dedicated his life to building community.
From pain to poetry
Poet Jane Wong isn’t afraid to lay her emotions bare as she explores ways beyond the written page to reach audiences.
Indigenous walking tour
A walking tour of the UW campus highlights sites that are relevant to the Native American experience.
October 30, 2021
A life in service
Dave Stone, ’68, is recognized for his lifetime of service—military, public and volunteer—with the Distinguished Alumni Veteran Award.
October 21, 2021
Personalizing care
Margaret Towolawi, ’10, adopts a new model for health care that promotes closer doctor-patient relationships.
September 11, 2021
Friend to veterans
Dentistry professor Theresa Cheng leads a nonprofit organization that connects veterans with resources and employment opportunities.
Eyes on the goal
Sociology Professor Alexes Harris, ’97, works closely with UW Athletics to help student-athletes succeed.
It's oral history
From the Bagley Hall attic to global outreach: The School of Dentistry celebrates 75 years.
Art and exploration
“Fly Your Own Thing,” a celebration of the late Alden Mason, ’42, ’47, is on exhibit at the Bellevue Arts Museum.
September 8, 2021
Visual music
Through the interplay of light with her creations, artist Barbara Earl Thomas creates ‘ordinary magic.’ Her extraordinary work explores childhood, race and religion.
September 4, 2021
Hope and healing
A researcher combats cancer with the help of UW doctors and tools developed by his colleagues.
The Nisei story
‘Boys in the Boat’ author Daniel James Brown’s new book depicts the heroism of World War II-era Japanese Americans.
Meals & memories
Two decades after Tom Stockley and his wife, Peggy, perished in a plane crash, their daughters curate a new book of his eating pleasures.
Anderson honored
James G. Anderson, '66, will receive the 2021 Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences.
Jewell on faculty
Former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, ’78, was appointed to the Edward V. Fritzky Endowed Chair in Leadership for the 2021-2022 school year.
The ‘Renton Redhead’
Kermit Jorgensen was part of a Husky team that notched back-to-back Rose Bowl victories.
A life in design
Nin Truong brings creativity and sustainability to the world of public art, skateboarding and apparel.
August 31, 2021
A distinguished legacy
Thaddeus Spratlen was a trailblazing business educator, a prolific scholar, a mentor and role model for generations of students.
Land of fire and smoke
Ernesto Alvarado will be the first to tell you: You can’t suppress all of a region’s fires when they’re as much a part of the ecology as its flora and fauna.
Global vision
Stan Barer, recipient of the 2021 Gates Volunteer Service Award, used his UW Law degree to help make the world a better place.
A name that stuck
Cassandra Amesley, ’77, ’81, made ‘Red Square’ catch on and etched her name in Husky history.
Higher purpose
After his NFL career, Mark Pattison kept pursuing athletic feats. He recently climbed Mount Everest to complete the Seven Summits challenge, raising more than $56,000 for charity.
9.11.01: I was there
Two alumni who escaped the horror of Ground Zero bravely share their stories of trauma and hope.
August 12, 2021
Seizing the moment
Whether we’re together in person or using technology to bridge the distance, the UW Alumni Association is about making connections.
July 22, 2021
A fresh lens on QTPOC life
Through feature films, groundbreaking documentaries and shorts, a UW librarian creates a canon of meaningful representation in American cinema.
June 21, 2021
Professors nonpareil
One year into remote learning, these seven distinguished scholars kept class as fresh and relevant as ever. Find a seat and meet your 2021 Distinguished Teachers of the Year.