img:is([sizes=auto i],[sizes^="auto," i]){contain-intrinsic-size:3000px 1500px} /*# sourceURL=wp-img-auto-sizes-contain-inline-css */

糖心原创

Skip to content
Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Category: Research

Posts that relate to undergraduate research as well as UAA programs that lead research.

UW senior Maha Alhomoud named Carnegie Junior Fellow

Written by
Posted on

Maha AlhomoudMaha Alhomoud, a 糖心原创 senior majoring in political science, has been selected as a 2021-22 Junior Fellow by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. A highly competitive award, only 5% of applicants are selected for the Carnegie Gaither Junior Fellows program each year.聽 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a unique global network of policy research centers in Russia, China, Europe, the Middle East, India and the United States. Its mission is to advance the cause of peace through analysis and development of fresh policy ideas and direct engagement and collaboration with decision-makers in government, business and civil society. Alhomoud will join the Middle East program.聽

Fellows work alongside the Carnegie Foundation鈥檚 senior researchers and also have the opportunity to join meetings with high-level officials and contribute to the Foundation鈥檚 publications. In addition, as a full-time employee of the Foundation, they receive an annual salary and a generous benefits package. For Alhomoud, who is passionate about turning research into meaningful public policy, this opportunity is a chance to see how research is used to form policy, and how that policy goes on to impact people鈥檚 lives. She hopes her work impacts the development of sustainable healthcare and employment policies, particularly those from groups that are disproportionately marginalized in the Middle East.聽

Alhomoud is an international student from Saudi Arabia. She has always been interested in examining the contextual factors that create unique political systems in different countries, especially in the Middle Eastern context, leading her to focus on studying political economy. She is interested in studying resource reliance, authoritarianism and state-society relations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as they relate to political economy and comparative studies. Alhomoud is currently working on her political science honors thesis, supervised by Professor Whiting. Alhomoud鈥檚 work explores the evolution of extractive and distributive institutions in Saudi Arabia, specifically as they relate to taxation, and how the introduction of extractive policies impacts state-society relations. As the country is undergoing rapid change per its economic diversification roadmap, VISION2030, employing a process-tracing methodology has helped her understand the intersection between politics and economics.聽

Previously, as an undergraduate fellow for the Center for American Politics and Public Policy (CAPPP), Alhomoud designed a project concerning corruption, foreign direct investment and economic diversification in a panel study of 17 major oil exporters over time. She is also currently an undergraduate research assistant in the political science department to Kenya Amano, Ph.C., where she鈥檚 working on a project about central bank independence.

In addition to her academics, Alhomoud advocates for increased international student representation at the university level. This year, she earned a Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship to establish the first ASUW office dedicated to international student advocacy. For this project, she鈥檚 leading a team of 15 people to determine the new office鈥檚 mission, structure, budget and program. She is also a mentor for the International Student Mentorship Program (ISMP) at UW.聽

In the next few years, and especially as venues for Saudi women in the political sphere are increasing, she wants to learn more about the conduct of foreign affairs at the government level in Saudi Arabia and the GCC. During this time, she also plans to explore and rely more on local archives and works produced in the region for independent research projects. Long term, Alhomoud鈥檚 goal is to pursue a dual-graduate degree in law and political science and attain a membership in the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, she hopes her work 鈥渃ontributes to a more nuanced understanding of the Middle East and more inclusive reform as countries diversify beyond oil to address the impacts of different policies on different segments of society, especially those who are disproportionately affected.鈥澛�

A feature story about Alhomoud will be coming soon.聽

 

About the Carnegie Gaither Junior Fellows Program

The is designed to provide a substantive work experience for students who have a serious career interest in the area of international affairs. Approximately 12-14 students will be hired to work as employees at Carnegie in Washington, DC on a full-time basis for a period of one year. Gaither Junior Fellows provide research assistance to scholars working on Carnegie Endowment’s projects. They are matched with senior associates 鈥� academics, former government officials, lawyers and journalists from around the world 鈥� to work on a variety of international affairs issues. Junior Fellows have the opportunity to conduct research for Carnegie publications, participate in meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony and organize briefings attended by scholars, journalists and government officials.

About the Office of Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards

The Carnegie Gaither Junior Fellow application process is supported by the (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards. The UW campus application process for students interested in Carnegie Junior Fellowship (and other scholarships supporting graduate studies around the world) will get started this spring for 2022-23 awards.聽

UW Junior Sophia Carey named Beinecke scholar聽

Written by
Posted on

Junior Sophia Carey糖心原创 junior Sophia Carey was recently selected for the Beinecke scholarship! Carey, who is majoring in English and comparative history of ideas and minoring in theatre studies, was selected from 95 applicants to join this year鈥檚 class. Each year the offers 20 scholarships to undergraduates who intend to pursue a master鈥檚 or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences. The selected students receive $30,000 to be used for graduate study and $4,000 in their senior year. The last time a UW student received this award was 2011.聽

Carey entered the UW through the Early Entrance Program at the and has since focused her interdisciplinary studies in the arts, humanities and social sciences into a passion for community-based theater and the intersections between public policy and the performing arts. She is also in the .

Research and leadership experiences have been hallmarks of her time as a UW student. Her past research includes the paper 鈥淧erforming Beyond Utopia,鈥� which explored how residents of Lima, Peru, in the 1970s used community-based theater to resist and transcend dictatorial state agendas. Outside of performance studies, Sophia鈥檚 research has been featured in an open glossary of law, society and justice terms, and in 2019, she won the UW Library Research Award for Undergraduates for her paper investigating barriers to Latin American youths鈥� access to educational support services.聽

Sophia is currently the president of the Early Entrance Drama Society, a student-run drama club at the UW. In almost three years of involvement in the club, she has co-facilitated the translation of a 2020 production into a virtual format, performed in and directed several productions, and hosted drama-related events designed to build community and provide performance opportunities for students interested in arts and arts leadership. In addition to her work with the Early Entrance Drama Society, Sophia has acquired significant experience with local nonprofit and community-directed theater, as a directing intern at Stone Soup Theater, a development assistant at ArtsWest, and currently as a volunteer at the Seattle Rep.聽

She plans to continue studying the potential for community-based theater to bring about material and political change through graduate research in a Ph.D. or MFA program that combines practical approaches and critical scholarly research methods in the study of theater.

About the Beinecke聽

The Beinecke Scholarship program is open to juniors in studying the arts, humanities and social sciences. The scholarship provides funding for students to pursue a masters聽 or Ph.D. in these fields. Since 1975 the program has selected more than from more than 110 different undergraduate institutions for support during graduate study at any accredited university.

About the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards聽

The Beinecke application process is supported by the (OMSFA), a UAA program. OMSFA works with faculty, staff and students to identify and support promising students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to become strong candidates for this and other prestigious awards.

Husky Stories show there are many, many ways to be a Husky

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on

Each and every Husky goes through their own journey, undergoes their own unique experiences and, most importantly, has their very own story to share. Husky Stories is a mini-series in which Huskies share their successes, failures, experiences 鈥� their stories. There is no one way to be a Husky. Indeed, the culmination of individuals’ stories shape the picture of what it means to be a Husky.

Husky Stories: Sairandri Sathyanarayanan discusses the nonprofit she started

Written by
Posted on

鈥淚t can be a very intimidating process, especially because college there’s so many people here and just you know putting yourself out there in front of a bunch of people you don’t know, that can be very nerve-wracking. Try things that you’ve never done before. You might find that you’re really, really passionate about something that you’ve just never tried before. Yeah, just just don’t be afraid to do.鈥�

Husky Stories: Taking advantage of failure with Ryan Lowery

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on

Each and every Husky goes through their own journey, undergoes their own unique experiences and, most importantly, has their very own story to share. Husky Stories is a mini-series in which Huskies share their successes, failures, experiences 鈥� their stories. There is no one way to be a Husky. Indeed, the culmination of individuals’ stories shape the picture of what it means to be a Husky.

Welcome to the very first episode of Husky Stories! Ryan Lowery is majoring in math and atmospheric sciences here at the 糖心原创. Other than school, Ryan is also involved with the , a program within Undergraduate Academic Affairs. Here, he shares his stories of dealing with failure and resiliency. (Note: This interview took place prior to the coronavirus pandemic.)

The Resilience Lab is a campus partner in the Husky Health & Well-Being initiative. If you would like to talk with a counselor or simply learn more about the mental health resources available to students, visit the .

 

Video by Sovechea Sophanna.

New guidebook helps faculty and instructors support student well-being

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on

Cover of Well-Being for Life and Learning guidebookThis week, the 糖心原创鈥檚 Resilience Lab released the , a new resource for instructors to aid them in designing learning environments that promote well-being. Combining research, best practices and personal testimony, the guidebook gives faculty and other instructors concrete ideas and direct input from the campus community around supporting the whole student and promoting resilience and compassion on campus.

Students鈥� well-being has been a growing concern for several years and has been exacerbated by 2020鈥檚 COVID-19 pandemic, economic fallout and the national reckoning over race and policing. A recent found that campus mental health was the top concern of university presidents.聽

鈥淎s we prepare the next generation of citizens and servant leaders, future educators, researchers, entrepreneurs and more, it really is critical that we incorporate practices that support our students鈥� whole lives and lived experiences,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean on Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淎s a public research university, much of our work is focused on understanding the factors that contribute to resilient communities. This guidebook helps us with that work right here at our UW home, knowing that it expands beyond campus as we all interact with our broader community through research, service and teaching.鈥�

The guidebook鈥檚 Foundations for Advancing Student Well-Being are the framework for the guide and include the themes of teaching for equity and access, building resilience coping skills, nurturing connection and connecting to the environment. This framework promotes core skills and mindsets of social and emotional learning and draws on best practices modeled at other institutions. This resource was researched, developed, co-written and edited by the Resilience Lab team and more than 40 Well-Being for Life and Learning Fellows who are faculty members, instructors, staff and students across disciplines and from all three UW campuses. Their contributions give the guidebook a UW-focused, holistic perspective on the impact of teaching the whole student. In that way, the guidebook is both a call to action and an invitation to the work of helping students develop the tools and habits for well-being so they are mentally and emotionally equipped to learn and thrive.聽

鈥淎ll of us at the Resilience Lab are so honored to have worked on this guidebook with such a committed group of instructors, staff and students,鈥� says Resilience Lab Director Megan Kennedy. 鈥淲e know that advancing student well-being really takes all of us, so our goal was to create a tool for our campus colleagues to add to their pedagogical toolbox. We wanted to give instructors a foundation of both why this work matters and how they can incorporate it into their teaching no matter where they are in terms of personal and professional experience.鈥澛�

Support resilience, compassion and well-being

The Resilience Lab promotes well-being at the 糖心原创 through education, research partnerships, and core programs and initiatives.

 

The Well-Being for Life and Learning guidebook sits at the prevention and promotion end of a mental health continuum of care within the UW and is aimed at preventing larger issues or crises by bolstering students鈥� resilience coping skills and helping them respond to stress and stay connected to others. It鈥檚 a part of the Resilience Lab鈥檚 Well-Being for Life and Learning initiative, one of the Lab鈥檚 efforts toward building and sustaining a culture of well-being at the UW.

About the Resilience Lab

The Resilience Lab was founded in 2015 and is a program within Undergraduate Academic Affairs that promotes well-being at the UW through education, research partnerships and core programs and initiatives.

For more information about the Resilience Lab or its Well-Being for Life and Learning initiative and guidebook, contact Megan Kennedy at meganken@uw.edu.

Megan Kennedy named director of UW Resilience Lab

Written by Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Posted on
Megan Kennedy, director of the UW Resilience Lab

Undergraduate Academic Affairs is happy to share that Megan Kennedy was named director of the UW鈥檚 Resilience Lab in May. Kennedy has been connected to the Resilience Lab through multiple roles on campus that have all focused on student well-being. Since August, 2019, she served as interim director of the Resilience Lab, a unit within Undergraduate Academic Affairs that promotes mental health and well-being at the UW through education, research partnerships and a range of programs and initiatives.

Kennedy brings more than 20 years of experience to the role, ranging from a deep, clinical understanding of the importance of mental health to influencing organizational structures and systems so they better support individuals. Creating more concrete connections between the Resilience Lab and other campus partners whose work intersects with resilience and compassion is one of the ways Kennedy is infusing the Resilience Lab鈥檚 work more deeply into current structures.

Kennedy says she thinks about the Lab 鈥渁s existing along a continuum of care at the UW, working collaboratively and intentionally with colleagues on campus, whose work is complementary. This work is also deeply aligned with my values of community well-being and kindness. It鈥檚 one of the ways the Lab is reflective of who I am.鈥�

The Resilience Lab situates itself on the prevention side of that continuum, promoting resilience coping skills and mindsets across campus, including collaborating with faculty and programs to support integrating resilience practices into classroom settings and existing structures.

鈥淭he work of compassion for self and others is guided by important research and is much needed now,鈥� says Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淯ltimately, Megan鈥檚 work on well-being, mental health and her alliance building aims to foster compassionate communities. I am glad Megan is leading this work here.鈥�

As director, Kennedy will primarily focus the Lab鈥檚 work on:

  • Supporting faculty to promote well-being within their classrooms by modeling and teaching social and emotional skills and mindsets
  • Providing seed grants to support resilience- and compassion-building initiatives that foster connection and community
  • Offering the 6-week long Be REAL program (Resilient Attitudes and Living) to UW students, staff and instructors
  • Revitalizing a vulnerability collective, a student-led initiative that encourages compassion and fosters resiliency through storytelling
  • Deepening and developing research partnerships with faculty, other UW divisions and initiatives that research themes of resilience and well-being
  • Launching the Well-Being for Life and Learning guidebook, a tool to equip faculty and instructors with foundational research about the importance of integrating well-being practices into their pedagogy as well as practical, how-to tactics.

鈥淭his work is designed to deepen the resilience and coping layers of the University so students can see and experience staff and instructors modeling the change,鈥� explains Kennedy. 鈥淪taff and faculty play a key role in inspiring a culture of well-being at the UW 鈥� starting with ourselves is part of that work.鈥�

Prior to her work with the Resilience Lab in UAA, Kennedy served in the division of Student Life as the manager of strategic initiatives for student wellness and the suicide intervention coordinator. Before coming to the UW, Kennedy was clinical director and interim outreach director at Youth Eastside Services, where she counseled youth and families, was a leader in the organization鈥檚 diversity efforts, and brought the clinic鈥檚 work into school district and community-based organizations. She is the co-founder and gender and sexual diversity consultant and trainer for Revelry Media and Methods, a consulting company that addresses social isolation, violence and mental health disparities faced by LGBTQ youth. Through this work and her work as an independent counselor and consultant, Kennedy鈥檚 career has focused on issues of well-being and equity, empowering individuals to build their resilience and well-being, and engage in the long-term work of creating more equitable systems.

I am breathing, but I鈥檓 not OK

Written by Ed Taylor
Posted on

Are you OK? People have been asking me, and I鈥檝e been asking others. I appreciate the question and those asking. Please keep asking. The truth of the matter is that things are not OK. As I write this, I鈥檓 staying home because of COVID-19, and a citywide curfew resulting from threats of violence throughout our city and county. I am also grieving the death of George Floyd. The simple answer is I am breathing, but I鈥檓 not OK. Nothing about the moment is OK.