President's Medal

Each year, the UW Bothell President’s Medalist is selected from among graduating undergraduate students with the most distinguished academic record. The medal is presented during the Commencement ceremony in June.

Eligibility

Eligible students are those who have taken 90 upper-level credits overall of which at least 70 graded credits must be taken at UW Bothell for all programs with the exception of BSN students, who must earn a minimum of 43 graded credits. Students must also rank in the top 2% of their program’s graduating class based on GPA. Eligibility is determined once the application deadline to apply for spring graduation has passed.

Students must have graduated in autumn quarter or submitted an application to graduate for winter, spring or summer quarters of the current academic year. Eligibility to receive the medal is contingent upon successful completion of all graduation requirements during the current academic year.

Candidate notification and submission process

Students who meet the eligibility requirements will receive an email from the Office of the Chancellor asking them to confirm their interest in being considered for the award and their intention to attend the Commencement ceremony.

Students who express interest and confirm planned attendance must submit the following:

  1. Résumé
  2. Narrative (maximum two pages, single-spaced)
    The narrative should address:
    • Academic excellence through scholarships, honors or academic awards received.
    • Meaningful engagement in academic activities beyond coursework that contributed to learning, growth or impact. (e.g., study abroad, undergraduate research, internships, service learning, publications, presentations or participation in professional organizations)
    • Meaningful engagement in co-curricular activities that complemented and enhanced academic learning through leadership, stewardship, civic engagement, or recreation and wellness programs. (e.g., student clubs and organizations, leadership roles, campus governance, community service, outdoor recreation, intramural sports, or fitness and wellness programs).
    • A clear connection between academic and co-curricular experiences and their application to real-world contexts, ongoing work or future goals. (e.g., applying learning in internships, jobs, leadership roles or community work; using academic or co-curricular experiences to inform career or graduate study plans; showing how knowledge and skills are used beyond the classroom)
  3. Letter of Recommendation
    • One letter from a faculty member supporting the student’s application. The faculty member must submit the letter directly to the Office of the Chancellor at uwbchlr@uw.edu. A letter from a staff member is acceptable so long as they can speak to the student’s academic achievements.

Review committee

The Ceremonies and Honors Advisory Committee, appointed by the chancellor, reviews all materials using a rubric and recommends three finalists. The chancellor selects one recipient and notifies the student.

Past recipients

2026: Thomas Purchas
2025: Emerald Chuesh
2024: Maksim Poklonskii
2023: Hithem Ghadamsi
2022: Youssef Beltagy
2021: Jordan T. Woltjer
2020: Casey Cummins
2019: Kaheerman “Sabira” Saibire
2018: Paul Hage
2017: Lingling Yuan
2016: Justin Thompson
2015: Alexander Gaston
2014: Kevin Call
2013: Eleanor Marsh
2012: Christopher Duong
2011: Heather Hughes Griffin
2010: Donna Oved
2009: Melissa Cushman
2008: Susan Tallis
2007: Tyler Alexander Pratt
2006: Susanne Steffes
2005: Jonathan Hendrich
2004: Karen Sherwin
2003: Kari Matson