Spring Celebration graphic

Cheer on the College of the Environment award recipients on Zoom and celebrate the academic year gone by. College leadership will present awards across seven categories.

All College faculty, staff, students and their guests are welcome to attend this virtual event for our community.

UW College of the Environment Spring Celebration
Wednesday, May 12th , 4-5 p.m.
RSVP for Zoom webinar link

Dean Lisa J. Graumlich will introduce each awardee and recognize their achievements. Chosen through a College-wide nomination process, awardees were recognized by their colleagues for making unique, inspiring and meaningful contributions to our community during the academic year.

RSVP for Spring Celebration

Joe Kobayashi

Distinguished Staff Members

Joe Kobayashi, Marine Biology

From Joe’s nominator(s):

  • “Joe was central to the creation of the Marine Biology major. Following his appointment as the student adviser to the Marine Biology minor, Joe stepped into the discussions around the new major with great interest, intelligence, and diplomacy. In the last two years of its development in particular, Joe was pivotal to the completion of the process, displaying leadership and initiative.”
  • “Joe has not failed to impress me in every interaction since the time he took over his position as the student advisor for Marine Biology. He could have simply taken over the job and advised students, but instead he was a critical driving force in the final long awaited launching of the Marine Biology major. He never lost faith and was always ready with communications about the next concrete step whenever one hurdle was passed. We owe this major to him.”

Jackie ChapmanJackie Chapman, Marine and Environmental Affairs

From Jackie’s nominator(s):

  • “Given the enormous work responsibilities she so competently shoulders, Jackie does the work of two staff members, while at the same time, home schooling two school-age children during the COVID pandemic. Most importantly, she takes on every task with a smile.”
  • “Jackie is simply magnificent in terms of her work ethic, quality and most importantly, the commitment to SMEA.”
  • “During the time of COVID and budget cuts she has stepped up to ensure that the School and the College are always provided with exceptional service.”

Exceptional Mentoring of Undergraduates

Drew Gorman-Lewis, Earth and Space Sciences

From Drew’s nominator(s):

  • “Woven into Drew’s approach is a full integration of his research group. What enables so many students to be involved is that he, graduate students and the more senior undergraduates are specifically empowered to share in the responsibility of mentoring the newer undergraduates. When you can pull this off, as Drew has done, everybody wins.”
  • “It is clear that Drew operates his research group in this way as part of a deep commitment to building diversity in Earth Sciences. Of the 19 undergraduates he has mentored, 10 are women and underrepresented. These students also benefit from Drew’s own background, as the only African American faculty in our department, who has been constantly advocating diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Outstanding Community Impact

Washington Sea Grant Green Crab team

  • Kate Litle
  • Jeff Adams
  • Emily Grason
  • Amy Linhart
  • P. Sean McDonald
  • Alex Stote

From the Washington Sea Grant Green Crab team nominator(s):

  • “This is a remarkable team who’s swift and decisive actions over the past five years have not only been vital to preserving local ecosystem health from the effects of the European green crab (Carcinus maenas), which is one of the IUCN 100 Worst Global Invasive Species, but have also made enormous strides in promoting UW collaborations, volunteer engagement, and added invaluable data to the collective knowledge of native fauna and ecosystems in the Salish Sea, resulting in a positive, lasting impact to our community.”
  • “The positive impact of the WSG Crab Team on, not only our shoreline ecosystems, but also with communities up and down the Salish Sea region, is far reaching. Their work is recognized throughout the state as being critical to the future health of our shoreline ecosystems and shellfish industries.”
  • “In 2020 amidst the pandemic, the team’s work to contain the spread of the voracious green crab meant that the WSG team had to find workable ways to safely continue monitoring, trapping and removing crabs while following UW and state COVID safety guidelines.”

Eleni Petrou
Eleni Petrou

Outstanding Diversity Commitment

Eleni Petrou and Jennifer Gosselin, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (joint recipients)

From Eleni and Jennifer’s nominator(s):

  • “Under their tireless efforts and enthusiasm, they have helped launch projects that directly speak to action around DEI and justice issues. This includes the inaugural DEI workshop for the SAFS community earlier this year, and reading groups that allow a critical review and reflection on DEI issues as a community.”
  • “Jenn and Eleni helped draft the SAFS Interdisciplinary Study Areas (INSTARS) program for professional development opportunities that center DEI. A program that will benefit all peer groups across the SAFS community and potentially the College at large.”
Jennifer Gosselin
Jennifer Gosselin
  • “Jenn and Eleni have been instrumental in driving positive changes with the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) with respect to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. As co-chairs of our E&I committee, Jenn and Eleni have spearheaded a variety of initiatives, and they have led a number of efforts to improve the climate at SAFS.”

Aquatic and Fishery Sciences' Tim Essington.

Outstanding Teaching Faculty

Tim Essington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

From Tim’s nominator(s):

  • “Tim’s teaching techniques are always cutting edge–see his use (and expansion mid-pandemic) of flipped classroom and his proliferation of the new lightboards.”
  • “I think he deserves this award based solely on his dedication to step up and serve the College during this time as a part of the teaching team–countless office hours and workshops and one-on-one meetings. Luckily, Tim was eligible for this award well before the pandemic–his patience and joy for teaching allow him to lead engaging discussions that encourage students to think critically. Tim builds trust with his students and as a result the learning environments he creates is a safer place to try new things, ‘fail forward’, and build your confidence as an early career scientist.”
  • “He cares so much that his students are learning: stopping and pausing when he sees confusion, constantly checking in, and regularly providing outside resources for students to use to advance their learning. Through Tim, even online, I have discovered a passion for modeling and climate justice that I did not know I had. Without Dr. Essington and his engaging online classes, I am not sure I would be able to successfully complete my degree through this difficult time of classes online.”

Hannah GloverGraduate Dean’s Medalist

Hannah Glover, Oceanography

From Hannah’s nominator(s):

  • “Hannah’s role as a leader in the School of Oceanography and the College of the Environment can’t be overstated. She consistently steps up to the plate and excels. One of her many contributions was the development of an orientation series for new graduate students in the department about how to form an effective committee, what to expect from committee meetings, and how to run an effective meeting. The program has now continued into its third year, drawing participation from other senior grad students and showcasing her ability to inspire her peers and get them to work with and for her on goals that better our department.”
  • “I feel really lucky to have Hannah as part of Oceanography—she has not only made my experience so much better, but has clearly played an integral part in the experiences of so many others.”
  • “Hannah is very deserving of this award–she is innovative, engaged, rigorous and involved in a variety of community and academic efforts.”

Esaac Mazengia

Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist

Esaac Mazengia, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences

From Esaac’s nominator(s):

  • “I’ve been involved with higher education for over 40 years and every now and then I’ve come across a student that clearly shines above the rest both in and outside of the classroom—Esaac Mazengia is one of these students.”
  • “During my interactions with Esaac, I have found him to be a servant leader, a reliable ally, and a humble ambassador for social justice within our College, the UW and local communities. He has been an amazing model of excellence for the College of the Environment.”
  • “I continue to be impressed by Esaac’s respectful and kind communication style and his humility and commitment to helping others. He is a respectful, articulate, and proactive individual. He is also a leader who always strives to open up pathways for others to take direct action and become involved. Esaac’s heartfelt environmental and human rights activism and humble personality combined with his research, public outreach and international diplomacy skills exemplify what he would bring to the Dean’s Medalist award and to the position of gonfaloniere.”