Dean's Medalists Announced at the UW College of Arts & Sciences
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June 11, 2009 Seattle—The University of Washington College of Arts & Sciences selected four exceptional graduating seniors to receive the Dean’s Medal for 2009. The Dean’s Medal awards are presented annually to one outstanding student in each of the College’s four divisions: arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Selection of the awardees is based on high scholarship and letters of recommendation.
“The College of Arts & Sciences strives to prepare students to think critically and creatively and to lead and contribute to our global society. The four Dean’s Medalists that were selected this year certainly exhibit these qualities and it is an honor to recognize their excellent scholarship,” stated Ana Mari Cauce, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.
The arts division awarded Mike McCrea, from Snohomish, Washington, with its Dean’s Medal. Graduating with a BFA in the digital arts and experimental media (DXARTS), McCrea is a member of numerous research groups including DXARTS Ultrasound Research Group, and he was co-author of the successful student sponsored “Embedded Performance Systems” STF 2008 Award. He has worked on many interdisciplinary projects on campus, including the premiere of a dance/digital arts collaborative performance for the UW's 2008 Dancing in the Digital Domain concert.
The humanities division selected Ada Dea Sherman Albuquerque da Silva, from Seattle, Washington, as its Dean’s Medalist. Homeschooled as a child, at age 14 da Silva entered the Running Start program at North Seattle Community College and graduated at age 16. After spending time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she returned to attend the UW and dedicated herself to the study of foreign languages, majoring in French. She has been engaged in the Americorps’ Jumpstart program, working with immigrant preschoolers, the Headstart program, working with preschools in at-risk neighborhoods, and has volunteered with the American Red Cross’ Language Bank. She plans to pursue a master's degree in social work and continue working with immigrant communities.
The Dean’s Medalist for the social sciences is Laura Hinton. Interested in the topic of harm reduction through the form of needle exchange programs, Hinton is graduating with honors in anthropology. She volunteers for the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance, a needle exchange program that operates out of a closet in the alley behind the University Book Store. She plans to complete a nursing program and is dedicated to delivering compassionate care to stigmatized people living at the margins of our society.
The Dean’s Medalist for the natural sciences division is Pavan Vaswani, from Vancouver, Washington. Vaswani’s talent and ambition have led to a triple degree in computer science, biochemistry, and neurobiology. With a passion for research, he joined a research project in the Applied Physics Laboratory and developed non-invasive vibroacoustic techniques for measuring intracranial pressure – or rather, new imaging techniques for use in neurobiology.
About The Dean's Medal
The Dean’s Medal has been presented annually since 1985. Consideration for this award requires the student to have earned 90 graded credits or more in residence at the University of Washington and be graduating with at least one College of Arts & Sciences degree/major as the student's first undergraduate degree earned. Other important factors in narrowing down the selection include the student having a 3.85 GPA or greater, and letters of recommendation from departmental faculty or staff. Applicants nominated are then reviewed by the divisional deans and discussed with the dean of the college.
About The College
The University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences provides an education of tremendous breadth and depth to more than 25,000 students while advancing research in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. With more than 6,000 classes offered in the College annually, students can study everything from art to physics. More than 70% of all University bachelor’s degrees and nearly 30% of all PhD degrees are from the College. Additionally, undergraduates who are pursuing non-Arts and Sciences degrees take at least one-fourth of their credits in the College.
The College has more than two dozen interdisciplinary centers and ties to many other centers, enabling scholars in diverse fields to collaborate on complex research questions in the humanities, demography, labor studies, law, astrobiology, climate change and other areas. The College teaches more than 50 languages and offers study abroad programs in London, Rome, Paris, Prague, Spain, Mexico, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and other locations. All of the University’s arts units – the Schools of Music, Art, and Drama, the Dance Program, Digital Arts and Experimental Medial (DXARTS), the Henry Art Gallery, the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, UW World Series, and Meany Hall for the Performing Arts – are part of the College. They offer more than 280 performances, 60 exhibits, and 100 public programs annually.
