乱伦社区

乱伦社区 seniors Tobi Du and Caleb Huffman will join approximately 125 scholars from around the world as part of the Yenching Academy of Peking University鈥檚 2018-19 cohort. A U.S. News & World Report poll ranked Peking University the fifth best global university in Asia, and second-best university in China. The opportunity to join is highly competitive. In 2017, only 4 out of 124 Yenching Academy Scholars from the states studied at public research universities in the United States.

Launched by China鈥檚 Peking University in 2014, the Academy aims to build bridges between China and the rest of the world by educating the next generation of leaders and innovators. As Yenching Scholars, students design their own research in humanities or social sciences, take language classes and study China鈥檚 past, present and future. The 1-2 year program culminates with students earning a master鈥檚 degree in China studies. In addition to covering the costs of tuition, the award includes round trip air travel from the student鈥檚 home country, housing on campus and living costs.

“Undergraduate education at the UW aspires to prepare students for cross-cultural leadership, scholarship and impact in the world,鈥� explains Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淲e are so proud of Tobi and Caleb for this recognition of their accomplishments-to-date as well as the promise of their future work and impact in the world.鈥�

This opportunity for a focused look into China鈥檚 role in the world closely aligns with both Du鈥檚 and Huffman鈥檚 academic interests and future career goals.

Tobi Du

Major: Political science (departmental honors)
Expected graduation: June 鈥�18

A Taiwanese-American student studying political science with a focus on international security, Du plans to pursue a career in diplomacy and policymaking as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State. While at Yenching Academy, Du seeks to study the role of China in global politics, envisioning a close diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and China as critical to the international community. 鈥淸The Yenching Academy] will strengthen my personal and professional development by honing my cultural adaptability and personal resilience, and provide a basis for future intensive international assignments,鈥� says Du. 鈥淭he regional expertise that I will gain from this program is invaluable to my potential career as a diplomat.鈥�

To deepen her knowledge about East Asia, the Sammamish native served as a project leader in her Korean Peninsula and World Politics course and studied the construction of Japanese identity in Tokyo via an Honors Program study abroad class. She is currently writing her honors research thesis about how North Korean domestic political changes and Kim Jong-un鈥檚 external and internal threat perceptions have affected the country鈥檚 accelerating nuclear and ballistic missile agenda.

Beyond her studies, Du is focused on giving back to the community. She serves as volunteer director for the UW Foundation鈥檚 Senior Class Gift Council and is a lead of a local Family Readiness Group, connecting families of soldiers with information from their commanders.

Caleb Huffman

Majors: Political science, communication (college honors)
Expected graduation: June 2018

Originally from Onalaska, WA, Huffman鈥檚 eagerness to build bridges between cultures prompted him to take advantage of any and all foreign-service-related opportunities. As a freshman, he was selected as a Gilman Scholar to study human migration in Rome and Amsterdam. He next served as a Husky Presidential Ambassador, traveling to Tsinghua University in Beijing and went on to earn a fellowship with the U.S.-China Initiative Student Fellows program at Georgetown. There, he attended conferences with senior U.S. and Chinese diplomats in Washington D.C. and Beijing. Most recently, he served as a delegate as part of the Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford, attending conferences at Stanford and Peking University. Huffman believes that the U.S.-China relationship will be a critical, and perhaps, the most important bilateral relationship of his lifetime. He is eager to improve his Mandarin skills and gain a better understanding of Chinese law, history and culture.

鈥淪tudying China鈥檚 legal system at Yenching Academy will be my foundational study of a legal system (my master鈥檚 degree will be in Chinese law and society), the first of many ventures examining legal systems around the world. I aim to be a leader, one who sees a vision of what could be with an ability to understand what is, while always working to persuade others to change what is because of what could be.鈥�

Huffman鈥檚 interest in cross-cultural leadership and international policy led him to double major in political science and communication. His future plans include pursuing a degree in international law, with the aim of holding an influential role in American foreign relation鈥檚 peace-building efforts.

Learn more about scholarship opportunities at UW
The Yenching Academy application process is supported by the聽聽(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. 罢丑别听聽(and other scholarships supporting graduate studies around the world) will get started this spring for 2019-20 awards. Watch for updates about OMSFA鈥檚 Global Fellowships Prep program.

For nearly 40 years, the 乱伦社区 has celebrated the top undergraduate in each class by awarding them the President鈥檚 Medalist distinction. Selected by a committee for their high GPA, rigor of their classes and number of Honors courses, this year鈥檚 recipients feature three well-rounded students who excel in both the sciences and the arts. Freshman medalist Grace Wang is an aspiring pediatrician with a strong background in violin and visual art. Sophomore medalist, Isabelle Tully wants to be a psychology professor by day and poet by night. And junior medalist, Alder Strange splits her time between the lab and stage as a biochemistry and musical theater double major. These exceptional students will be recognized at a reception with President Ana Mari Cauce, and this award will be listed on the student鈥檚 permanent academic record.

Meet this year鈥檚 medalists:

Grace Wang, freshman medalist

Major: biochemistry (pre-med)
Expected graduation: 2020

Growing up in the Waldorf educational tradition, Grace Wang learned early on the importance of having children explore the world through their own senses. This natural curiosity and excitement for learning drew her to the , which integrates discussion-based learning and experiential learning. A pre-med biochemistry student with the goal of becoming a pediatrician, Wang recently joined a qualitative clinical research team at Seattle Children鈥檚. Along with her team, she is working on improving care coordination for medically complex cases through cloud-based care plans. Outside of research, Wang plays violin in chamber groups on campus and even started her own business teaching violin to children. An avid artist, she also volunteers as an illustrator for the undergraduate neuroscience journal, , where she is able to combine her love of art with her interest in scientific research. For now, her dedication to helping people is clear. She is a founding member of Synapse at the 乱伦社区, an organization that connects people with traumatic brain injuries to resources in the greater community, and volunteers as a healing music volunteer at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). In this role, she plays welcoming and soothing violin music in waiting rooms throughout SCCA.

Isabelle Tully, sophomore medalist

Major: psychology
Minor: writing
Expected graduation: 2019

Going to college can be daunting, especially when you come in as a younger student through the , which is exactly what Isabelle Tully did. However, Tully worked hard to find her place. 鈥淚 live with a group of wonderful roommates and am so thankful to be in such a supportive environment on campus鈥�. The people and opportunities I am surrounded with have confirmed choosing this path was the right decision.鈥� The psychology major recently joined Dr. Lori Zoellner鈥檚 lab to work on Project STEP and Dr. Lynn Katz鈥檚 lab as a research assistant for a study on children who display low pro-social behavior. Under the guidance of Dr. Curtis Hisayasu and Dr. Henry Laufenberg, Tully discovered her passion for teaching while working as a teaching assistant for UW Academy students. This combination of research and teaching solidified Tully鈥檚 career goal: working in academia as a psychology professor and researcher. Eager to take advantage of the opportunities available at UW, Tully tried a couple of service learning classes, and discovered two wonderful organizations 鈥� Seattle Against Slavery (part of a class on human trafficking class) and the North Helpline Food Bank (part of a sociology class.) Tully鈥檚 love of experiential learning also led her to a study abroad trip through Italy, studying migration across the Mediterranean Sea, which she describes as 鈥渓ife-changing.鈥� A writing minor, Tully hopes to one day publish a book of poetry in addition to her academic career.

Alder Strange, junior medalist

Majors: biochemistry, musical theater
Expected graduation: 2020

Hailing from Seattle, Strange dreamt of attending the UW as a little girl. Now that she is a Husky, Strange is taking advantage of all the opportunities: 鈥淚 have many diverse passions, and I am thrilled to be able to pursue so many of them at UW.鈥� A biochemistry and musical theater double major, Strange also participates in the . Through Honors, she鈥檚 taken advantage of several unique learning-beyond-the-classroom opportunities, including a natural history field study course and study abroad trip to Ecuador. Outside of class, you can catch Strange in one of her many co-curriculars: In the lab, as a researcher in Dr. Cole DeForest鈥檚 lab where she investigates the application of a new protein to the hydgrogel-based systems of drug delivery. On the soccer field, as a regular member of her pick-up soccer team. At her old elementary school with Professor Marjorie Olmstead, teaching math to students. And, on stage, as part of the UW鈥檚 production of . With the long-term goal of being a pediatrician and researcher, she is excited to draw from her broad interests to find balance.