Two HCDE students selected as 2026 Bonderman Fellows

The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering is proud to celebrate two students who have been selected as 2026 Bonderman Fellows, one of the University of Washington's most distinctive and competitive opportunities for student exploration and global learning.

Undergraduate student Maya Gillaspy and PhD student Leslie D. D. Coney were among a small group of UW students chosen for the fellowship, which supports eight months of independent international travel. Fellows travel solo through at least six countries across two or more major world regions, pursuing exploration, cultural immersion, and personal growth outside of formal academic programs.

Established through a gift from philanthropist David Bonderman, the fellowship encourages students to expand their understanding of the world through direct experience and cross-cultural engagement. Each fellow receives $26,000 to support their travels.

Leslie D. D. Coney

PhD, Human Centered Design & Engineering

Hometown: Chicago, IL

From the south suburbs of Chicago, Leslie has always allowed her curiosities to open new worlds for her. The Bonderman Fellowship gives Leslie the space and time to wander in those worlds. Her research on community care in Black maternal health has deepened her curiosity about how Black communities across the diaspora sustain and care for one another. She will explore these practices on a “Homecoming” journey through Senegal, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Cameroon, South Africa, Brazil, and Chile. She will use creativity, curiosity, and care to not only connect with a diasporic community, but to connect with herself as well.

Maya Gillaspy

BS, Human Centered Design & Engineering

Hometown: Cameron Park, California

Maya’s travels are driven by a desire to understand learning beyond traditional classrooms and to explore how culture shapes identity and belonging. Having spent much of her life in structured academic environments, she has begun to question how narrowly learning is often defined. Growing up a Polynesian dancer, she is especially interested in how knowledge is shared through movement, culture, and everyday life. Through travel across Asia, Polynesia, and South America, she hopes to learn through conversation, observation, and cultural immersion, while exploring how people connect to knowledge, culture, and each other.

Read more about the 2026 fellows on the Bonderman website.