President's Message

A great university has the power to transform individual lives as well as entire communities, to influence the way we do business, and improve how we care for ourselves and others. At the UW, we are working to harness that power for the benefit of people close to home and around the globe.

People are at the heart of everything we do at the UW. Behind every top-ranked program, prestigious student or faculty honor, and successful grant application are people performing their best work, turning opportunity into progress, and fulfilling the promise of higher education. Our people make the UW a premier institution of higher learning and a global leader in an array of academic and research disciplines. We have hard-working and high-achieving students, innovative and forward-thinking faculty, dedicated staff, and generous and committed alumni and friends who are playing an increasingly important role in creating futures for the UW and the people and communities it serves.

Together, we are shaping an institution with international reach. While we already have a stellar tradition of global engagement, we are actively seeking ways to leverage our existing strengths to expand our international connections and add to our worldwide impact. Our new Department of Global Health is a prime example of this. And the world is taking notice. We continue to perform exceptionally well in global rankings from respected sources such as Newsweek International and Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University, both of which rank the UW among the world’s leading research universities.

But though we want to build upon our reputation for excellence around the globe, we will not lose sight of the needs of the people close to home. The UW will remain the state’s premier research institution and a primary source for world-class higher education for Washington’s citizens.

We will be opening more doors to the University in a number of ways, some of them already taking place.
Last spring, the state Legislature approved four-year programs for UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, signaling
an expansion of educational opportunities for those living in north and south Puget Sound communities.
This development is an important step in our efforts to enhance and expand the undergraduate experience
at the UW.

We are working on a number of fronts to create broadened opportunities for our students through a strengthened partnership with the Legislature and with continued support from our friends and alumni. You who support the UW with your dollars and your time have made great things possible here by creating wonderful opportunities for teaching, learning, research and service to society. We greatly appreciate all that you do.

Thank you.

Mark A. Emmert (’75)
President

Return to Report to Contributors 2005-06