Running for Graduate Students First

On Sunday, November 25, 2007, Professor Bob Crutchfield and the Graduate Students First Team tackled the Seattle Marathon events in cold sunny conditions. Team members wore their Husky colors proudly and-along with sign-waving "cheering sections" on the sidelines-effectively drew attention to the team and the $100,000 challenge for the Graduate Students First Challenge Fund. Their enthusiasm was contagious. As Richard Boyce, Biomedical and Health Informatics graduate student, put it: "I love to run and I love the UW - what could be more fun than running for the UW?"

The 100 person team included staff, graduate students, and faculty from 45 different departments. They ranged in age from 20 to 64, with experience levels varying from first-timers who had never participated in an organized race to ultra-marathoners who regularly compete in endurance events. Especially impressive were team members with significant health challenges (a cancer survivor, a walker with two artificial hips, a runner with a chronic kidney ailment) who completed the race successfully. The variety and significance of the team members' research--on topics such as alternative energy, freshwater resource management, HIV transmission, and prevention of youth violence--reflects well the kind of vital work fellowship dollars support.

Thanks to the team's fundraising efforts, the $100,000 goal was reached and the University's Students First Initiative has contributed an additional $50,000 in matching funds! You can continue this successful run by making a gift!