2021 Year in Review
Most of 2021 (and 2020) was spent in “remote operations” mode at UW Bothell. With only essential staff and faculty coming to campus regularly, those 20 months were unlike any other in the University’s more than 30 year history.
Through sheer determination — and with assists from technology — UW Bothell students, faculty and staff remained connected to one another, the broader UW community and partners throughout the region.
In September 2021, UW Bothell officially welcomed its second largest incoming class of students for autumn quarter. Thousands of current undergraduate and graduate students also finally returned to campus even as many others — including most second-year students — set foot on the Plaza for the very first time.
Faculty and staff spent the preceding months preparing for the return to campus life. In the last days before the start of the quarter, many offices and departments across campus decorated their spaces with banners, balloons and streamers to celebrate students and in-person learning.
In this year-end news review, we share these and other highlights from 2021, an unusual year in which research, teaching, learning and community building all continued despite the pandemic.
We encourage you to check out the stories below as well as these recent awards and honors of our students, faculty and staff.
January
- Timely lessons from 2020: The Course
- Developing a K-12 behavioral health program
- Students get 2 of 10 PAGE fellowships in nation
February
- Expertise in green chemistry for students — and United Nations
- Researching the human factors in cybersecurity
- Meta-Major Pathways show students degree choices
- The pandemic, mother of all interruptions
March
- Two schools join to train nursing leaders
- UW Bothell ranked a top Fullbright institution
- Building the STEM workforce pipeline
- Practicing social justice with Snohomish County
April
- Master of Nursing program No. 1 in nation
- Dr. Brinda Sarathy named School of IAS dean
- Makerspace prints 3D hearts for biology lab
- First-ever named professorship at UW Bothell
May
- Working on workplace safety with community partner
- First assistant vice chancellor for DEI
- Integrating Enrollment and Student Affairs
June
- Commencement for largest class in UW Bothell history
- Djelli Berisha named UW Student Regent
- Students selected to work with and for NASA
- Esterberg named new UW Bothell Chancellor
July
- Interdisciplinary teams work with local clinic
- Reflective writing enters chemistry equation
- New Environmental Education & Research Center
- Scientists test for contaminants in community gardens
August
- New STEM building designed to meet region’s needs
- My Story: This our chance: Join me
- Diverse students tune in and speak out
September
- First Research Experience for Undergraduates in physics
- My story: I am because they were
- UW Bothell traditions continue despite pandemic
- Students provide hope to struggling families
October
- Climate change through an indigenous lens
- Viral Epidemics course gives students context
- $500,000 DOJ grant supports violence-free campus
- Siginificant start for Class of 2025
November
- Behavioral health program fills education gap
- Faculty create online game to track whales
- The hunt for happiness