News from the School of IAS
Category: Alumni
Robbie Christmas creates “Work From Home Seattle” concert livestream
Many full-time musicians in the Seattle area are finding their incomes frozen as events and venues across the state remain closed. One of these affected artists is IAS alum Robbie Christmas (Media & Communication Studies ’11), also known as RX. Like many of his professional musician friends experiencing the consequences of quarantine first hand, RX “felt compelled to get involved and give back to the community that had made [him] feel whole and welcome.” RX began working with fellow local musicians to organize Work From Home Seattle, a series of virtual concerts. The event livestreams ...
April 10, 2020
Amadanyo Oguara publishes “Fisherman’s Son”
Alum Amadanyo Oguara (’16) has published his first book, Fisherman's Son, available on Amazon. Drawing from his Cultural Studies education, Fisherman’s Son follows Oguara's childhood adventures growing up in the fishing villages of Nembe, Nigeria and in the big cities of Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria. It is ...
April 9, 2020
Essay Press/UW Bothell MFA Book Contest Announces Winners
Essay Press and the MFA Program in Creative Writing & Poetics are excited to announce the 2019 winners of their collaborative book contest: Poem That Never Ends by Silvina López Medin and Groundswell by Yanara Friedland!! Essay Press will publish both books in the coming year, and the authors will be invited to read for the MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics Convergence Zone reading series. IAS faculty member Ching-In Chen collaborated with Jill Magi in judging this contest. Learn more about the contest winners, their books and the finalists at the Essay Press website. ...
April 9, 2020
David Doyle publishes book “Ask What You Can Do” on need for public technologists
Alum David Doyle (’15) has published the book “Ask What You Can Do: Why local government needs more technologists and how you too can serve.” Inspired by his own shift from the tech sector to public service - and lack of guidance - Doyle provides an inside account of his experience while urging readers to help build the next generation of local government. ...
April 1, 2020
Alumni Shout Out!
Aina Braxton (’12) is now a support specialist at Stripe in Seattle. Francine Jordan (’19) was a marketing student assistant at UW Bothell and last summer became a full-time coordinator for marketing and events. Joseph Lubin (’99) is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He also was the Department of Defense's liaison officer at the National Interagency Fire Center during the 2019 fire season. Marny Lowe (’19) is a legal assistant at a worker’s compensation firm in Seattle. Alicia Messner (’15) is event producer at Seattle-based Corks and Canvas Events. Tyler Oostra (’11) is now owner of Looking Glass Stables for horse boarding and riding lessons, located in Cathcart, Washington. Heidi Schauble (’13, ’15) is the Adult and Dislocated Worker Program Manager at Workforce Snohomish.
February 27, 2020
Fajardo, Qadri, and Shibayama share career paths with students
IAS alumni Jaime Fajardo (’12), Aisha Qadri (’15), and Gracelynn Shibayama (’15) visited campus to share their career journeys with students as part of the Mentor Chats program. Structured as informal discussions, students can ask whatever’s on their minds – from questions around career discernment and navigating job searches to industry specific advice and the value of IAS degrees in the workforce. Fajardo, Qadri, and Shibayama ...
February 27, 2020
Alum Missy Nielsen on the importance of community engagement
UW Bothell is home to a wide range of students with varying backgrounds. As a full-time employee and parent, Missy Nielsen was one of many non-traditional students to find support within the UW Bothell community. Nielsen recalls the collaborative environment fostered by IAS faculty and staff while pursuing ...
February 25, 2020
David Ryder covers coronavirus and produces documentary film
IAS alum David Ryder (’11) has been an independent Seattle photographer and filmmaker for more than 15 years. His portfolio includes extensive experience with wildfires, disaster zones, and hurricane coverage. Ryder’s most recent work concerns travel restrictions to China due to coronavirus. Later this week he will photograph a U.S. government quarantine facility near North Bend ...
February 6, 2020
Cultural Studies alumni share their career pathways
The M.A. in Cultural Studies (MACS) program prepares students for careers in social, cultural, and arts fields or further interdisciplinary graduate education across the arts, humanities, and social and natural sciences. Graduates work across diverse roles and sectors, and each winter a panel of alumni are invited to connect with students to share their post-graduate experiences and career navigations. This year students heard from Joshua Heim (’10), Meshell Sturgis (’17), and Mollie Wolf (’15). Each alum ...
February 6, 2020
My Story: Ending mass incarceration
While a student, Daisy Wong participated in IAS faculty member Gary Carpenter’s “Arts of Social Transformation,” a mixed enrollment course at Monroe Correctional Complex, alongside incarcerated individuals. Says Wong, “As a Community Psychology major, this course was a culmination of everything that I had learned about systemic oppression, racism and how these mechanisms disproportionately affect black and brown communities.” The recent graduate is now pursuing a Master of Social Work at UW in Seattle.
February 3, 2020