Human Centered Design & Engineering

Introducing stacked master’s degrees

UW Engineering has launched two new stackable master’s degrees — and HCDE’s Graduate Certificate in User Centered Design is one of the building blocks. These new degrees let you customize your education by stacking interdisciplinary graduate certificates with a hands-on capstone project.

Mishti Dhawan receives Dean's Award

HCDE senior Mishti Dhawan has been recognized with the 2025 Dean’s Medal for Leadership & Engagement, one of the highest student honors from the University of Washington College of Engineering. Presented by Dean Nancy Allbritton, this award recognizes Dhawan for her significant contributions to the HCDE community and her commitment to making engineering more inclusive and impactful beyond the classroom.

Q&A: PhD student Samuel So on Tech Layoffs

Over 500,000 US tech workers were laid off between 2022 and 2024 — and the cuts continue. This week, Microsoft let go of more than 6,800 employees globally, nearly 2,000 of them in Washington. HCDE PhD student Samuel So led a study of 29 laid-off tech workers to understand the impact on employees. Many felt disillusioned with tech, calling the work unfulfilling despite plans to stay in the industry.

Inspiring K-12 students in Engineering

For over a decade, HCDE has brought human-centered design to K–12 classrooms across Washington state through hands-on, community-driven outreach. Led by students and faculty, the program inspires young learners to see themselves as designers and problem-solvers—especially in communities with limited access to STEM. Since relaunching in 2023, the program has reached over 350 students with age-appropriate, culturally responsive workshops.