Description of the Program

Huckabay Fellows are supported for one quarter to work on a specific project focused on teaching and learning at the college and university level. Projects are to be proposed by students, who will find faculty Teaching Mentors, either from UW or from a nearby community college, college, or university to collaborate with them in their projects. During the project, these collaborations between the Fellow and the Mentor should allow the student to benefit from the faculty member’s expertise in teaching, while maintaining a focus centered on the student’s interests.

Successful candidates may enroll for GRDSCH 610 (3 credits), Teaching Mentorship, and earn credit for their fellowship experience. Successful candidate must enroll for GRDSCH 620 (2 credits), Teaching Mentorship Seminar, during Winter Quarter. Attendance at a preliminary meeting for fellows and mentors and at events honoring Huckabay Fellows is expected, and a brief written report on the experience is required.

Huckabay Fellowships are not intended to fund a student’s dissertation research, but rather, to broaden the student’s graduate education, particularly in the area of teaching and learning.

Outcomes of the Program

Each year since the inception of the Huckabay Fellowships, 4 or 5 of the 9 fellows have been representatives of STEM disciplines. STEM disciplines represented include

• Applied Mathematics
• Archaeology
• Astronomy
• Biostatistics
• Chemistry
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Economics
• Epidemiology
• Forestry
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Microbiology
• Neurobiology and Behavior
• Nursing
• Oceanography
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Urban Design and Planning
• Speech and Hearing Sciences
• Wildlife Science
• Zoology.

Fellows have later participated in other teaching and learning research or fellowships in their disciplines, taken TA leadership roles in their department, and gone on to faculty positions in a wide range of institutions that includes community colleges, four-year colleges, and research universities. One fellowship recipient from a STEM discipline writes,

The Huckabay Fellowship has been, without doubt, the most valuable experience of my graduate school career. More valuable than the classes taken, more than the excitement of research, more than the gratification of publications. The Huckabay experience was so rewarding because it was a combination of all of these: a melding of training, discovery, and teaching that clarified – for me – the revelation that teaching is an engaging, highly challenging occupation.

Implementation of the Program

Fellowships are funded by a private endowment established by Durward and Susan Huckabay, UW alumni and Laureates, in order to further graduate education at the University of Washington.

Fellowship applications are reviewed by an interdisciplinary panel of UW faculty and administrators. Fellowships are administered by the Graduate School, and Courses that students take as part of the fellowship are taught by the Graduate School.

Mentor participation varies, but is specified in advance as part of the fellowship application. Most Fellows also consult with staff from the Center for Instructional Development and Research as they develop and implement their projects.