Giving

“Chinese pre-modern history is a field that holds invaluable lessons for today's world.” And the study of that period is alive and well at the University of Washington thanks to a generous $1.5 million gift from the Tang Research Foundation to establish a professorship in Pre-Modern Chinese History.

“I couldn’t ask donors to give if I weren’t also giving,” says Michael Podlin, a former UW fundraiser. Podlin recently included a significant bequest in his estate plans for the Department of Philosophy in the amount of $2 million. This gift dramatically increases the size and flexibility of a modest endowment he established years earlier.

A group of Arts & Sciences faculty known as the Dean’s Academy Futurists are  imagining what higher education might look like after 2050 and envisioning new models for the liberal arts

“Almost 80 million people speak Telugu,” says Hanuma Kodavalla. “Not many people know its richness as a language and culture.” He and his wife recently established the Hanuma and Anuradha Kodavalla Endowed Chair in Telugu at the UW, providing an invaluable investment in the College of Arts & Sciences and Department of Asian Languages & Literature. 

With the creation of a new Equity, Justice & Inclusion fund, the College is putting resources behind its values. Under the leadership of Associate Dean Maya Smith, this new fund will foster faculty mentorship, curricular innovations, and more—all toward a vision of greater access and equity.

Kay was and remains the ultimate role model for all of her children. Making her way through four years at the UW, graduating, and finding work in journalism in the late 40s and early 50s, only a few years after the end of WWII, were huge accomplishments and showed a lot of grit and determination. For her kids, what was most inspiring was that she never complained about the hurdles she encountered, but faced each day with positive focus.

High school teachers spent four weeks at the UW Summer Institute in Physics and Physical Science to improve their understanding and teaching of physics. 

The Mo Habib Translation Prize is bringing the work of Persian writers — and translators of Persian — to an English-language audience. 

Two grants from the U.S. Department of Education International and Foreign Language Education office will allow the Canadian Studies Center at the University of Washington to award eight to 10 fellowships each year to students studying French or an Indigenous language spoken in Canada.

With a 2.3 million Mellon Foundation grant renewal, the UW’s Center for American Indian & Indigenous Studies continues to dream itself forward.

University of Washington political science professor Anthony Gill explains the social and economic value of gift-giving — and how even unwanted gifts help promote trust and build relationships.

Michael Biggins has cherished Slovenia for decades. A gift to Slavic Languages & Literatures ensures that others at the UW will experience Slovenia as well.

Astronomers at the DiRAC Institute have been preparing for a flood of data from the new Rubin Observatory. Now undergrads have joined the effort.

With a gift to Speech & Hearing Sciences, Lacey Berns is creating community for those caring for children facing communication challenges — and honoring her daughter.

When Dan Harmon passed away in July of 2021, the UW lost one of its champions, many lost a dear friend and colleague, and the world lost a humble scholar who became a beloved citizen wherever he went. Still, in his unassuming way, and even in death, he managed to impart a few more delightful and lasting surprises.