A Family Affair

When Christine Ingebritsen wed Jim Rogers, she married into a family with a long Husky tradition. Jim (‘82) and four siblings are UW alumni, as are his parents, his aunt, two great aunts, and more than a dozen cousins. Three grandparents attended as well.

	Christine Ingebritsen and Jim Rogers. All photos by Karen Orders.

Was Ingebritsen, a non-alumna, intimidated? Not at all. After all, she had her own connection to the UW, as a professor of Scandinavian Studies.

“When I met the whole family—a very large clan and a local family for several generations—they were very supportive of a new family member with an affiliation to the UW,” says Ingebritsen, now associate dean of undergraduate education and a member of the College of Arts and Sciences advisory board. “I could see that they were very loyal to the University.”

It’s no surprise, then, that her husband’s family came to mind when Ingebritsen and George Bridges, dean of undergraduate education, had a chat about how the University might engage the community.

“We thought it would be interesting to reach out to multigenerational, committed Husky families,” says Ingebritsen, “to talk about what we’re doing at the UW and where we’re headed.” And the Rogers seemed like the perfect family to test out the idea.

David Hodge with Claire Rogers Jenkins.

Ingebritsen, with the help of Jim’s aunt, Clair Rogers Jenkins (‘50), organized a family gathering on April 20, with Dean Bridges and David Hodge, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, in attendance. “To have the deans there was important because of the depth and breadth they were able to bring to the conversation,” says Ingebritsen.

The deans discussed their roles at the University and how the institution has changed in recent years. They also spoke about incoming president Mark Emmert, whom both had met. Guests had opportunities to ask questions throughout the evening.

“Everyone who attended said they learned a great deal about what is happening at the UW today,” says Ingebritsen. “They felt more connected to the University and inspired to participate.”

Family members attending the Rogers' event listen intently as Deans David Hodge and George Bridges discuss the University.

The real test? By the end of the evening even the Cougar in the family, Todd Floyd, admitted that he would be excited to send his children to the UW.

Christine Ingebritsen is now hoping to offer similar events for other multigenerational UW families . For more information, contact her at (206) 616-4476 or ingie@u.washington.edu.

Do you know of a three-generation UW College of Arts and Sciences family? The College is interested in identifying such families for a future newsletter article. We’d love to hear from you. Please contact editor Nancy Joseph at (206) 685-4879 or nancyj@u.washington.edu.

[Summer 2004 - Table of Contents]