Join us for an afternoon of games, food and merriment as we celebrate our outstanding College community! All College faculty, staff, students, postdocs and their guests are invited to attend.
UW College of the Environment Spring Celebration
Thursday, May 25, 2023, 2:30 – 4 pm
Fishery Sciences Building (FSH), 1122 NE Boat Street
We also celebrate the College of the Environment award recipients at the 2023 Spring Celebration. 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.
Distinguished Staff Member
Kittie Tucker, Oceanography
From Kittie’s nominator(s):
- “Kittie is always helpful, ridiculously knowledgeable, a fierce and tenacious advocate for students, faculty and staff both in Oceanography and across the College, and a really cool person.”
- “A UW employee for more than 33 years, Kittie defines the type of person deserving of this award; she is trusted by all to serve as a reasoned sounding board, she finds innovative solutions for School of Oceanography issues, she collaborates across our college and trains peers and new staff hires within our school, and she creates a welcome, comfortable space for all.”
Exceptional Mentoring of Undergraduates
Kathy Newell, Oceanography
From Kathy’s nominator(s):
- “Kathy is the School’s “jack of all trades,” that one person who simply gets things done to the benefit of our educational programs. Her responsibilities are varied but all center on enhancing the student experience, usually behind the scenes.”
- “She has directly mentored dozens of students over the years, and indirectly mentored hundreds. I can think of no staff member more deserving of this undergraduate mentoring award than Kathy.”
Anthony Odell
Outstanding Community Impact
Anthony Odell, Olympic Natural Resources Center, Environmental and Forest Sciences
From Anthony’s nominator(s):
- “During the 2015 massive harmful algal bloom event along the entire US west coast, Anthony jumped at the opportunity to join a research cruise from California to Washington. This event caused >$100 million economic loss to US West Coast fisheries, including recreational, commercial and tribal (subsistence) harvesters of razor clams, rock crab, Dungeness crab, sardines and anchovies. Anthony’s regular reports from the ship provided some key data that allowed researchers to know the extent of the harmful algal bloom. The microscope images that he took during the cruise were shared widely with the press, to notify the public of the magnitude and severity of the event.”
- “Anthony’s work embodies stakeholder engagement that stimulates, inspires and drives interactive uses of environmental science and information to impact the broader community.”
Outstanding Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Accessibility
GEODUC program, co-led by José Guzmán, Mikelle Nuwer, Jane Dolliver, Kerry Naish and Luanne Thompson.
From GEODUC program nominator(s):
- “This program has been led by a cross‐disciplinary and cross‐unit team of faculty and staff — individuals who voluntarily took up this important problem, found a creative programmatic solution, and then secured external support to pilot and evaluate it. These faculty and staff all have many demands on their time — teaching, mentoring, conducting research and in some cases directing programs. Regardless, they identified this opportunity as a high priority because it spoke to their inherent values and addressed an enormous need for marine geosciences.”
- “GEODUC and IBIS helps students who came to the UW not seeing themselves necessarily as belonging to the science community leave campus knowing they are highly skilled, highly successful early-career scientists who will change both the “who” and the “what/why” of science.”
Outstanding Teaching Faculty
Kat Huybers, Atmospheric Sciences
From Kat’s nominator(s):
- “Climate science is complex and drives students to confront misinformation. Sometimes students experience strong feelings. Dr. Huybers excels at engaging students to learn how to learn, think critically and share their views with others. For example, as part of the College’s Climate Justice Workshop she developed an activity on climate grief that allows students to reconcile feelings and facts about climate change and to have hope for their future and the future of our planet.”
- “Dr. Huybers has served as an invaluable professional mentor to me throughout the beginning of my teaching career, transitioning from graduate school into my current staff role. I greatly appreciate her philosophy that even starting with small adjustments and experimentation in our classrooms can make big differences for our students and in our own professional development.”
Graduate Dean’s Medalist
Samantha “Sam” Kreling, Environmental and Forest Sciences
From Samantha’s nominator(s):
- “Sam is a force of nature, with a rare brilliance that illuminates and lifts up those who are fortunate enough to interact with her.”
- “In writing this letter, I am struck by the impression that Sam’s record of research, teaching, and service would be impressive for an early career faculty member, let alone a graduate student. Sam is a singular individual whose efforts and accomplishments exemplify excellence.”
Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist
Lillian Williamson, Program on the Environment
From Lillian’s nominator(s):
- “In my dozen years as faculty at the University of Washington, I have never come across a student who has impressed me as much as Lillian.”
- “Lillian has both passion for and experience with policy work and is deeply motivated to use policy change to improve equity and human well-being. Although still at UW, Lillian has years of experience working to improve equity and access to health care, school safety, and safe environments.”
