Two worldly alumni visit the UW for 2024 commencement
Alvin Wang Graylin and Biraj Karmacharya returned to campus for this year's commencement activities.
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- Alvin Wang Graylin is a tech entrepreneur with expertise in AI.
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- After graduate school, Biraj Karmacharya returned to Nepal, where he is a leader in public health.
Author and tech pioneer Alvin Wang Graylin, ’93, and public health leader Biraj Karmacharya, ’15, ’17, came back to campus this June to join in the graduation celebrations for their respective colleges.
Both are internationally recognized for their work in their respective fields: Karmacharya, an alumnus of the School of Public Health, has expertise in community-based rural health care and in training the next generation of health workers. Graylin, who majored in electrical engineering, is a technology entrepreneur and business executive with expertise in artificial intelligence and extended reality.
Graylin has more than 30 years of experience creating, developing and delivering technology products. The global vice president for development for Taiwanese consumer electronics company HTC co-leads the global program for investing in startups at the intersection of virtual reality, augmented reality, AI and 5G technologies. His book, “Our Next Reality: How the AI-powered Metaverse will Reshape the World,” is due out this month.
Karmacharya came to the UW from Nepal on a Fulbright and pursued a master’s in public health and a Ph.D. in epidemiology. Today he is director of public health, community programs and global engagement at Dhulikhel Hospital-Kathmandu University Hospital. He is also an affiliate associate professor in the UW’s Department of Global Health and was the founding co-director of the Nepal Studies Initiative of the Jackson School of International Studies.
“It is hard to imagine a more inspirational individual who can speak to the opportunities that our UW public health graduates have to leverage their skills and passions and create positive change in the workforce,” says Hillary Godwin, dean of the School of Public Health. Biraj Karmacharya was honored with school’s 2024 Alumni of Impact Award.
Wayne Gillam and Kate Stringer contributed to this story.