Higher education is at an exciting and challenging crossroads today. We are in a period of enormous change, and the action needed is not like anything that has happened in the last thirty or forty years. With rising tuition, many legislators, parents, and students are seeking alternatives. You probably have already heard about MOOCS (massive open online courses) and Coursera (free online courses), as well as the national push for and funding of STEM (science, technology, engineering,… Read more

Students are often so busy with school work and supporting themselves that they do not have time for other activities. Two current undergraduate students, one each from the Design and Art Divisions, have shown that taking the time to use their creative skills as a way to help others can be a rewarding and very worthwhile learning experience. Kari Davidson came to the UW because of soccer. She has been a member of the UW Women’s team since she arrived as a freshman. Davidson was happy to… Read more

Successful career paths are not always linear. Two alumni who received master’s degrees in the 1990s are excellent examples of this. One went from ceramics to being a professor in Florida to production design in Los Angeles. The other studied Renaissance art history, moved into art education then to project management at dot-coms, and, finally, to executive search work (sometimes referred to as headhunting). Naree (Wongse-Sanit) Viner received her MA in Art History in 1994. She had been… Read more

Twenty-four staff in a variety of full- and part-time positions are the people who keep the School of Art (SoA) running. Only one of those jobs—Administrative Services Coordinator—is currently vacant, but a new person will be hired shortly. Years of service in the SoA vary widely. Some staff have been here over two decades (Judith Clark has been here the longest), while others started work in the last year (Starla Patenaude is our most recent addition). When asked what they like best about… Read more