The University of Washington annually recognizes 100 students across the UW's three campuses in the Husky 100. Students are recognized for making the most of their time as a UW student, both in and outside of the classroom.
The following students from the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering have been recognized in the Husky 100 since the program began in 2016.
2023 HCDE Husky 100 Honorees
Dawit Borrows
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
BA, Sociology
Skyway, WA & Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
I tell stories through product design, cinematography, and community organizing. In doing so, I hope to help people experience, understand, and reconstruct the world positively and pragmatically.
John Fowler
PhD candidate, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Bellevue, WA
As a PhD candidate in Human Centered Design & Engineering, I’ve had the opportunity to partner with researchers from the School of Social Work to explore the intersections of child welfare, technology, and public policy. Centering the lived experiences of people who have spent time in foster care, my research aims to implement practical change to the U.S. child welfare system. I am grateful for the connections I’ve made at UW that have enabled me to amplify the stories of people impacted by the system.
Amodini Khade
MS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
India
Connecting the dots across disciplines ranging from Artificial Intelligence policy research to understanding the impact of misinformation has taught me the importance of interdisciplinary perspectives to solve the world’s most intractable problems. While finding my purpose, stories of resilience and courage have inspired me to appreciate my unique background and create a more equitable world where everyone feels like they belong. I am eager to apply my data-driven research skills to build products and elevate stories that educate and inform, and I hope my story inspires someone to carve their unique path.
2022 HCDE Husky 100 honorees
Alissa Acheson
BS, Human Centered Design and Engineering; BA, Swedish Scandinavian Area Studies
Redmond, WA
Through my experiences at UW I’ve learned to leverage the interdisciplinary perspective. In design I’ve learned that incorporating different viewpoints and experiences into a product makes it more useable and therefore more successful. Through that and learning a new language I’ve gained greater skills in empathy. I have been named to be apart of the Husky 100 because of my passion towards exploring new and novel problem spaces to create more accepting environments and products.
Elizabeth Dunbar
PhD, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Minneapolis, MN
As a digital health design researcher, I am passionate about working with interdisciplinary teams to better design, implement and evaluate both clinical and public health technologies. I am a PhD candidate in Human Centered Design and Engineering exploring the intersections of global health, implementation science, and technology. I am grateful for my time at UW where I’ve had opportunities to learn across these disciplines while working to design, deploy, and research global health technology with the Digital Initiatives Group at I-TECH (DIGI).
Kenya Mejia
PhD, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by my own experiences in a Mechanical Engineering education, I am researching ways that systemic barriers are causing exclusive environments, and finding ways students, faculty, and other stakeholders can co-design inclusive practices at UW and other universities. At the core of this social justice issue is to ensure people from diverse backgrounds are a valued part of the engineering conversations that are shaping our increasingly sociotechnical futures.
IB Sobayo
MS, Human Centered Design and Engineering
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
My Husky experience in HCDE and as an EPIC team-member has taught me about what matters when it comes to inclusion and access. During my time here, I have done work to recognize gaps & advocate for more inclusion at UW. As I graduate with a master’s degree, I know what I am capable of and what I want my impact to look like. The good change I want to make in the world is to provide access to people who do not have it and help them experience success through design. Eagerly looking forward to it!
2021 Husky 100 honoree
Jay Cunningham
PhD, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Artesia, MS
I am a Computational Social Scientist and my work explores the social and ethical implications of race, culture, identity, and power at the intersection of AI and ubiquitous computing. As a servant leader, I’m passionate about advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion among marginalized populations on campus and in my communities. UW HCDE has empowered me to continue my pursuit of knowledge and research in human-centered AI, tackling coded bias, and deconstructing systems of oppression.
2020 Husky 100 honorees
Arpita
PhD, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Navi Mumbai, India
Education has helped me become independent and find meaning amid adversities. With support from amazing mentors at UW, I learned to balance my passion for designing technologies for mental health with teaching, outreach and good health practices. I strive to create a safe place for our students and facilitate peer-mentorship by recognizing the strength and diversity in their lived experiences. I want to work sustainably towards integrating mentorship and mental health support in the community.
Ashley Boone
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Portland, OR
Over the past four years at the UW, I have grown as a designer and developed a strong capacity for leadership. From designing tools to support academic planning to mentoring young girls in STEM, I am passionate about using a thoughtful design approach to contribute to meaningful projects with a positive impact.
Saralyn Hormachuelos Santos
MS, Human Centered Design and Engineering
BS, Informatics
Quezon City, Philippines
Kumusta! Ako si Saralyn Hormachuelos Santos. I am a Filipino American UX designer who aims to work with underserved and marginalized communities to co-design and build accessible and sustainable solutions. Throughout my six years at the University of Washington, I’ve learned that no one accomplishes anything in isolation; I stand here today because of the communities that have supported and uplifted me. Maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.
Catherine Zeng
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Shenzhen, China
I am an equity-driven designer. I am a human-centered creator. At UW, I make impact by “doing” than “being,” and I connect people to inspire each other and to grow together. I use design to help my audience advocate for their personal identifiers and transform these identifiers in life from gloom to glory. While continuing to explore, learn, and grow as a bold Husky, I find my own values and visions, and the steps I need to take to make my fullest life.
2019 Husky 100 honoree
Oorja Chowdhary
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Kent, WA
The UW provided me the opportunity to learn UX design, a field that gives me the skills to connect with and understand the perspectives of widely diverse groups. My design abilities have grown through working in Human Centered Design & Engineering-directed research groups, interning at DirecTV and Hulu, participating in local design challenges, and re-designing UW student tools at UW IT. I’m looking forward to continuing my design experience by identifying sociotechnical problems in the world and designing tools to solve them.
2018 Husky 100 honorees
Samantha Gil Vargas
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Yakima, WA
Throughout my Husky Experience, I have learned that as a designer I have the power to actively listen to marginalized communities so that I can better design a society fit for all of us. I’ve learned this through various experiences like studying abroad in Japan, interning at the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences, facilitating an outreach ASB program with HCDE and volunteering at ROOTS.
Sharon Heung
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
BS, Global Health
Kirkland, WA
From volunteering at the Intensive Care Unit to co-authoring a publication on the design of multimedia platforms, I am passionate about the intersection of engineering, design and health. Currently, I am merging my interests by designing and building a transfer device for individuals with disabilities, using technology and design to empower people and encourage inclusion. I am incredibly thankful for my UW experience and look forward to many more opportunities to grow during my time here.
Melissa Medsker
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
BS, Computer Science
Vancouver, WA
From making the switch from pre-med to computer science, to discovering a passion for research and teaching, to finding my voice through various TA and leadership roles, my Husky Experience has been defined by discovery and a growing appreciation of the value of taking risks. I look forward to continue this experience in a master's program, working toward a career in academia where I can pursue teaching while engaging in interdisciplinary research in CS, biochemistry and STEM education.
Tsewone Melaku
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Seattle, WA
As a Black woman who is a first-generation college student and the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, the UW has provided me with the experiences and skills I need to realize that I want to use my engineering degree to increase STEM exposure and education in underserved communities. According to most of the world, I should not be here. And that's exactly why I have to be.
Burren Peil
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
BA, Comparative History of Ideas
Auburn, WA
In the HCDE Department, I have enjoyed working as a lead course assistant and have helped shape the course towards an emphasis on mentoring and inclusivity. My personal research is on using virtual reality technology to facilitate compassion across differing identities as a proactive approach to social equity.
2016 Husky 100 honoree
Amy Wang
BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering
Kirkland, WA
I strive for excellence in everything that I do, whether it’s school, work or personal hobbies. I am serving a second term as president for the UW Society of Women Engineers, an organization that I’ve grown from 30 to 470 active members. My part-time user experience design job at UW Marketing & Communications, summer internships with Cisco and Liberty Mutual, and study abroad experience in Italy have given me professional practice, a global perspective, and a better sense of universal design.