The University of Washington

There is much to celebrate as the University of Washington approaches its 158th year. Founded in 1861 by a private gift of ten acres in what is now the heart of downtown Seattle, the UW is one of the oldest public universities on the West Coast. Since 1974 the University has been recognized as a premier research institution, and has fostered a legacy of making education accessible to all.

More than 42,000 students are enrolled at the University of Washington, which includes campuses in Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell. While the University of Washington educates the next generation for a knowledge-based economy, the expertise of its faculty and researchers is also producing creative, ground-breaking solutions to medical, economic and social challenges.

The University of Washington influences the future in numerous ways, but none more profoundly than in the education and training of promising doctoral scholars. In its 40-year collaboration with the Seattle Chapter of ARCS Foundation, more than 1200 careers in science, engineering and medicine have been launched; UW ARCS Fellows are currently conducting cutting-edge research in 35 departments and schools at the University of Washington. Since the Seattle Chapter was founded in 1978, our donors have established 44 endowed Fellowship funds, attracting the nation’s brightest Ph.D. candidates to the UW where they address the most complex research questions of our time.

In 2008, the University of Washington honored the Seattle Chapter as a UW Presidential Laureate, signifying cumulative donations exceeding $10 million. This legacy of support for graduate education will continue to bring the finest scientific minds to campus, fostering a synergy of innovation and discovery.

ARCS University Liaisons Meredith Wisti (UW) & Joe Hardy Merrill (WSU)