Recognizing excellence in research, teaching, leadership, and service across the HCDE community.
ACM SIGCHI Awards
Professors Kate Starbird, Cecilia Aragon, and Nadya Peek were honored by ACM SIGCHI for their contributions to human-computer interaction. Starbird was inducted into the SIGCHI Academy, while Aragon and Peek received Special Recognition Awards for research, teaching, and service to the field.
Husky 100
HCDE students Grace Carina Bunarto, Mishti Dhawan, Damini Sheth, and Mina Zavary were named to the 2025 Husky 100. The award honors students who lead with purpose—applying what they learn in and out of the classroom to create lasting impact in their communities.
Dean’s Medal for Leadership & Engagement
HCDE senior Mishti Dhawan received the 2025 College of Engineering Dean’s Medal for her outstanding leadership and service. From mentoring peers in inclusive design to shaping safer transit systems at SDOT, Dhawan exemplifies human-centered engineering in action—advancing accessibility, equity, and public impact.
State Academy of Sciences
Professor and HCDE Chair Julie Kientz was elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences in recognition of her leadership in human-computer interaction and inclusive technology design. This honor advances Kientz’s impact on health and education tools, informs public policy, and exemplifies HCDE’s commitment to research that serves the public good.
Presidential Early Career Award
Professor Kate Starbird received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the nation’s highest honor for earlycareer researchers. Her work examines how information—and misinformation—spreads during crises, elections, and breaking news events. Starbird is also a founding faculty member of the UW Center for an Informed Public.
Excellence in Teaching Award
HCDE PhD candidate Sourojit Ghosh received the 2025 UW Excellence in Teaching Award for his exceptional commitment to inclusive, studentcentered instruction. Over five years, Ghosh has taught and developed courses on user-centered design, accessibility, and generative AI, while mentoring peers and advancing research in engineering education.
2025 Engineering Diamond Award
HCDE alumna Donna Sakson (BS ’82) received the 2025 Diamond Award from the UW College of Engineering. A pioneer in technical communication and information design, Sakson founded Sakson & Taylor, one of the nation’s leading womenowned information design firms. She continues to shape the UW community through philanthropic leadership and service across campus and beyond.
2025 University Faculty Lecture
HCDE Professor Kate Starbird received the 2024 University Faculty Lecture Award, recognizing her influential research on online misinformation. In her February 2025 lecture, she shared insights from over a decade of work on how rumors and disinformation emerge and evolve during times of uncertainty. View the recording at uw.edu/ufl.