Over the past few months, the Facilities team has been working diligently behind the scenes to repair and reimagine our campus, better serving our community.

Welcome back for another exciting academic year at the University of Washington Tacoma! For those who are new, including students, staff, and faculty, we are delighted to welcome you as a Tacoma Husky.

We celebrate national heritage and history months at UW Tacoma to build bridges of understanding. We are deeply proud of the rich backgrounds and life experiences represented within our Tacoma Husky community.

We are writing with an important update to share about UW Tacoma’s AAPI THRIVE Project. Recently, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will end several national grant programs for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) nationwide, including funding for AAPI THRIVE.

Beginning this fall, you will notice an increased presence of Campus Safety Officers in parking lots and transportation areas.

I hope that you have had a restorative summer. Please see below several important transitions, updates and resources for Academic Affairs.

I am pleased to share the news that Dr. Yoko Furukawa will join the UW Tacoma Office of Research as our new director beginning Sept. 8.

Throughout the months of June and July, we celebrate Pride and honor the LGBTQIA+ community — comprising of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and other individuals whose identities are part of this vibrant spectrum.

Just four years ago, Juneteenth received unanimous support in the U.S. Senate and became our newest federal holiday. Juneteenth is a much-needed cause for celebration.

Starting Autumn quarter 2025, our bookstore partner, Follett Higher Education, is introducing Kortext, a new ebook platform that will improve the student and faculty experience with digital course materials.