At UW Tacoma, undergraduate students have ample opportunities to engage in research that tackles complex questions and creates tangible community solutions. When you imagine scientific research, what do you see? Chances are, you鈥檙e picturing sprawling laboratories filled with highly specialized equipment and researchers working late into the night. Depending on the project, you鈥檙e not too far off. At the 乱伦社区 Tacoma, however, research takes many forms and often starts somewhere more familiar: a lingering curiosity that won’t go…
Tag: student engagement
Help for the local ecosystem 鈥� one yard at a time
When Lynne Robins moved to the Finn Hill neighborhood in Kirkland, Washington, in 1999, she fell in love with the forested slopes and verdant landscape. Over the years, however, she saw native plants replaced by chemical-dependent lawns due to development. 鈥淲atching these changes was heartbreaking,鈥� said Robins, professor emeritus聽in the聽Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education聽in聽the 乱伦社区鈥檚聽School of Medicine. 鈥淚 began to wonder what one person could do to make a difference.鈥� Inspired to act, she decided to…
Making meaningful opportunities for students
In any given enrollment period at the 乱伦社区 Bothell, students can choose among dozens of community-engaged learning and research opportunities. From STEM to disability justice, each class features hands-on partnership with organizations and people across Puget Sound. How do聽faculty connect with the right聽community聽partners聽in the first place? And how do they build strong, enduring relationships with them? Enter Dana Washington,聽community-engaged learning program manager in the Office of Connected Learning.聽Each year, she supports the University鈥檚聽more than 100 community partners and…
A Seat at the Table with Gregg Gonsalves
On the evening of Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Gregg Gonsalves 鈥� global health activist, epidemiologist, ACT UP veteran, and professor at the Yale School of Public Health and Yale Law School 鈥� sat down with Students of Color for Public Health, along with CAB members from the Seattle Vaccine Trials Unit,聽and UW Positive Research for a small dinner and a very open conversation about research, activism, and the future of public health. For many in the room, this was not…
Strickland Fellowship for Career Pathways recognized among top local projects by Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County
The 乱伦社区 Tacoma鈥檚 Strickland Fellowship for Career Pathways program was named one of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County鈥檚 鈥淓xcellent 10,鈥� an annual recognition of projects making a meaningful impact on the region鈥檚 economic growth. The university received the award during the Economic Development Board鈥檚 Annual Meeting on March 24. 鈥淭he Strickland Fellowship for Career Pathways is a powerful example of how collaboration can turn vision into impact, making it a clear choice for one of this…
Advancing justice-centered education
Taking over as director of the聽Goodlad Institute聽for Educational Renewal,聽mathematics professor Dr. Allison Hintz knew she stood on big聽shoulders. Her first聽order of business:聽return to聽the work of Dr. John聽Goodlad, the renowned educational researcher聽for whom the聽institute聽is聽named. In聽doing so,聽Hintz聽came to聽more deeply appreciate聽鈥斅燼nd take fresh inspiration from 鈥斅爃is profound influence on the field of education. 鈥淭hrough many large-scale research projects and influential books, Dr. Goodlad strengthened the democratic purposes of schooling, deepening the understandings of how schools work and how they could improve,鈥� Hintz said….
Global recognition for Livable City Year partnership
In Pacific County, collaboration is fueling change. Local leaders and the 乱伦社区鈥檚 Livable City Year (LCY) program joined forces to address housing, health, and sustainability challenges, and the results are being recognized on the global stage. In recognition of a three-year collaboration designed to drive community-centered innovation, the Pacific County Economic Development Council and the LYC program聽have received the 2025 Partnership of the Year Award from the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Network (EPIC-N). Housed in the…
Restoration projects benefit local communities
For students who want to go into environmental sciences careers, having opportunities to get outside and get their hands dirty is an integral part of their undergraduate studies. Even better is when learning outside the classroom leads to real-world impacts and engagement with local communities, says Dr. Amy Lambert, an associate teaching professor in the 乱伦社区 Bothell鈥檚 School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences. 鈥淪tudent engagement with places and the communities that they support is central to my teaching,鈥�…
Five CELE-community connections we loved in 2025
Across Seattle and throughout Washington state, the Community Engagement & Leadership Education (CELE) Center is instrumental in the 乱伦社区鈥檚 community engagement 鈥� connecting the UW with neighborhoods, schools and community organizations to address critical social issues. Through authentic, reciprocal partnerships, the CELE Center provides students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to thriving communities. The CELE Center鈥檚 programs are centered around four focus areas: community-engaged learning, leadership education, pre-K鈥�12 student success and…
Community partnerships spawn salmon education for local park
Students, faculty and staff collaborate to bring new signage and geocaching tours to O.O. Denny Park in Kirkland, Washington. As any good outdoor enthusiast knows, the first rule of exploring nature is: 鈥淟eave no trace.鈥� There are, however, the occasional exceptions to this principle 鈥� such as when small, human-made additions to wild places raise awareness about conservation and other environmental issues. When Ash Putzke spent their summers as a kid catching salmon fry at the mouth of Denny Creek…