News from the School of IAS
Category: Alumni
Sustainability guru Sean Schmidt champions good biz
In his Nordstrom days, co-workers called Sean Schmidt (’09, Policy Studies) the "Green Machine" and an "environmental entrepreneur." Ahead of the curve, Sean was the driving force behind several grassroots employee groups which sought to heighten sustainability awareness at the company and better serve customers who were seeking sustainable products. In 2000, Sean led the effort to launch a Sustainable Business & Development program at Nordstrom with the goal of improving and expanding the company in ways that had economic, as well as social and environmental value, by ...
February 20, 2018
Careers and Cultural Work Roundtable highlights cultural studies values in action
Alumni of the M.A. in Cultural Studies program returned to campus to share their stories about living the values of the program in their work, studies, and lives. The roundtable discussion on “Careers and Cultural Work” highlighted the flexibility and applicability of cultural studies learning to multiple fields of endeavor, working inside and across institutions, sectors, and communities. ...
February 20, 2018
Travis Sharp curates, produces and presents
MFA alum Travis Sharp (’15, Creative Writing & Poetics) is a Ph.D. student in the Poetics Program at the University at Buffalo (SUNY) where he teaches writing and rhetoric. Amidst the demands of graduate life, Sharp finds space to collaborate, curate, produce, and present. For example, he was recently funded to curate a series of ephemeral texts via autodestruct.online, and this June, he will teach a workshop on ...
February 5, 2018
Talena Lachelle Queen becomes first African American Poet Laureate of Paterson, NJ
For the first time, since the city was founded by Alexander Hamilton 225 years ago, Paterson, NJ has named Talena Lachelle Queen as their first “African American Poet Laureate.” A ceremony honoring Queen will take place on February 3 at the historic Paterson Public Library. Queen (’14) is a poet and graduate of UW Bothell’s inaugural MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics program ...
February 2, 2018
Daniel Lee’s persistence paves career in UX research
IAS alum Daniel Lee (’17) began his career in computer systems while in the United States Air Force, and at one time, he managed over 500 network servers across his base. After serving, Lee spent nine years managing a usability lab at Microsoft, which cemented his passion for user research and design. It soon became clear that he would need a bachelor’s degree to progress in this sector, but career advancement wasn’t his only motivator. Lee’s father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer ...
January 31, 2018
Paula Waters serves the Woodinville community
Alum Paula Waters (’98, Liberal Studies) attributes her strong commitment to public service to the education she received. “I took an urban studies class at UW Bothell, and it sparked my interest in cities,” she said. “The class helped me learn what makes a city great and how it can function successfully.”
January 30, 2018
Alumni Shout Out!
Chad Bates (’14, Global Studies) accepted a new role as Business Operations Manager for Specialty Practices at Amazon Web Services Professional Services. Previously, he was the Concierge Customer Service Manager at Amazon Web Services. Jung Lee (’13, Policy Studies) started a new position as Academic Services Manager for ...
January 23, 2018
Basu and Yang-Abreu help Mosqueda win Seattle City Council seat
Last November, Teresa Mosqueda became the newest addition to the Seattle City Council, and recent graduates Aretha Basu (’17, Society, Ethics & Human Behavior) and Tai Yang-Abreu (’17, Global Studies) were critical to her victory. Basu served as Mosqueda’s campaign manager and Yang-Abreu, her field director. Yang-Abreu graduated last summer and described the intensity of her last few months ...
January 17, 2018
Brooke Magnusson connects her talents with passion for global health
Brooke Magnusson (’09) had spent several years in cancer research when she decided to pursue a master’s in Policy Studies. While she felt positive about her work, she desired greater impact and saw policy as that vehicle. Through her graduate studies, Magnusson received advanced training in...
January 16, 2018
Alums Houston, Johnson, and Tsoodle nurture links between community and students
IAS alums Mary Houston, Gretchen Johnson, and Alice Tsoodle are highlighted for their community leadership in the latest issue of UW Bothell Magazine. Pivotal learning moments catalyzed their careers, and each remains deeply engaged with UW Bothell as co-educators. Houston (’08, Society, Ethics & Human Behavior; ’10, Policy Studies) credits an internship with Workforce Snohomish, later her employer, as integral to her learning and professional path....
January 12, 2018