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Graduate School Leadership

Joy Williamson-Lott

Dean of the Graduate School

Read a message from Dean Williamson-Lott on the power of graduate education.

Joy Williamson-Lott is a professor and previously an associate dean in the College of Education, an accomplished scholar and researcher in the field of American higher education, and a committed advocate for equity and diversity in higher education. She is the author of several books examining black higher educational history and the black freedom struggle, including her most recent book, “Jim Crow Campus: Higher Education and the Struggle for a New Southern Social Order.” Her teaching focuses on education as a moral endeavor, the shifting definition of “proper education” and “liberation” for different social groups, and the educational histories of people of color.

Dr. Williamson-Lott was awarded the UW’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2010 and received the Mildred Garcia Award for Early Career Exemplary Scholarship from the Association for the Study of Higher Education, among numerous awards and recognitions.

graddean@uw.edu
206.543.7468

Kima Cargill

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Kima Cargill oversees academic affairs for the Graduate School. In this capacity she chairs the Graduate School Council and works closely with an excellent staff and faculty colleagues on all three campuses to conduct academic program reviews, and work with academic units to develop new graduate degrees and certificates. She is also co-chair of the Graduate School Policy Committee

Dr. Cargill is Professor of Psychology in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at the UW Tacoma campus. She joined the UW faculty in 2002 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Government from the University of Texas at Austin, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on food and consumer culture. She is the author of numerous articles and books, including The Psychology of Overeating: Food and the Culture of Consumerism.

305 Loew Hall | Box 352191 | Seattle 98195-2191
206.685.0662
kcargill@uw.edu

Ralina Joseph

Associate Dean for Equity & Justice in Graduate Programs

Read the announcement of Associate Dean Joseph’s appointment.

Ralina Joseph is a professor of Communication and adjunct professor of American Ethnic Studies and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies.

Dr. Joseph is the founding and acting director of the Center for Communication, Difference, and Equity. For the 2019-20 academic year, she was in residence at the Northwest African American Museum as a Mellon/ACLS Scholars & Society Fellow, where she brought her “Interrupting Privilege” course and expanded it for the general public. Her second book, Postracial Resistance: Black Women, Media Culture, and the Uses of Strategic Ambiguity, was the winner of the International Communication Association’s 2019 Outstanding Book of the Year Award.  

Dr. Joseph was recently profiled in UW Magazine, explaining how the concept of “radical listening” is a way to amplify and learn from often-unheard voices around issues of race and injustice. 

313 Loew Hall | Box 353770 | Seattle 98195-2191
206.616.9365
rljoseph@uw.edu

Bill Mahoney

Associate Dean for Student and Postdoctoral Affairs

Dr. Bill Mahoney, Ph.D. has a long-standing interest in professional development, focusing on graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty at UW. As Associate Dean, he provides leadership to both the Office of Graduate Student Affairs and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to support inclusive learning environments across the UW educational ecosystem. He leads efforts related to graduate student and postdoctoral fellow recruitment and support, holistic mentorship, and career exploration and guidance.

Dr. Mahoney is an Associate Professor of Pathology in the School of Medicine. He came to UW as a postdoctoral fellow in 2004 and has followed the academic tract to Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology. After establishing his independent lab in cardiovascular development & regeneration, Dr. Mahoney transitioned to focusing on mentoring graduate students by co-directing the interdepartmental Molecular Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease (M3D) Ph.D. program. This led to a more holistic attention to professional development towards careers in STEM by working with URM pipeline programs and by co-directing the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) in the UW Graduate School.

302 Loew Hall  |  Box 353770 | Seattle 98195-2191
206.616.7116
wmahoney@uw.edu

Jesse Knappenberger

Director of Graduate Enrollment Management Services (GEMS)

Jesse oversees the GEMS team, who support all students, including prospective applicants, applicants, admitted students, current students and former students. Learn more about GEMS’ support.

uwgrad@uw.edu

Andrew Gorohoff

Director of Computing and Information Resources

Andrew oversees the UW Graduate School Computing and Information Resources (CAIR) group and provides IT support for the UW Graduate School and various Interdisciplinary UW groups. 

gshelp@uw.edu

Carolyn Jackson

Director of Graduate Student Equity and Excellence

Carolyn oversees the Office of Graduate Student Equity and Excellence (GSEE). In support of the University’s outreach, recruitment and retention of graduate students impacted by racism and its intersections*, GSEE (formerly known as GO-MAP) presents networking and professional development opportunities for graduate students throughout the academic year, in collaboration with graduate programs and campus units.

206.543.9016
uwgsee@uw.edu

Yvette Moy

Director of Public Lectures

Yvette oversees the Office of Public Lectures. The lecture series shares the UW’s academic expertise with general audiences through lectures that are promoted in collaboration with the UW Alumni Association.

yvettef@uw.edu

Helene Obradovich

Director of Fellowships and Awards

Helene oversees the Fellowship and Awards staff, who administer regional and federal fellowship and scholarship programs which require Graduate School involvement, including the application process for Fulbright and other international and research abroad programs for students and faculty, and fellowships funded by private gifts to the University.

gradappt@uw.edu
206.543.7152

Chris Partridge

Director of Academic Program Review

Chris oversees the Academic Program Review process for undergraduate and graduate degree programs across all three campuses. It requires expertise in organizational behavior, policy design, and implementation to support both the Dean and Associate Dean of the Graduate School on a portfolio of strategic projects.

chrisrp@uw.edu
206.543.9973

Annie Pellicciotti

Director of Marketing and Communication

Annie and the communications team direct, design, create and maintain our online presence that serves the Graduate School’s audiences. In addition, we gather, coordinate and disseminate information of interest and importance to UW graduate students, Graduate School staff, University leaders, the UW campus and the community, and collaborate with units campus-wide to share content and cross-promote news and successes.

gradcomm@uw.edu

Christy Sherwood

Director of HR

Christy oversees the Graduate School’s HR department. From the start of the recruiting process through the time an employee separates from the Graduate School, HR provides tools and coaching to support all Graduate School employees.

gradhr@uw.edu


*Intersections include sexism, homophobia, ableism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and other forms of discrimination