Fall 2025 Mary Gates Awardees

Congratulations to five Bothell students for receiving the 2025 Mary Gates Endowment for Students in Autumn quarter. This scholarship provides $5,000 disbursed over two quarters and is intended to enhance the educational experiences of undergraduates while they are engaged in leadership and research guided by faculty.

Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship

Adrian Eccleston

Portrait of Adrian Eccleston

Degree: Extended Pre-Major
Mentor: Gabi Cuna, DEI Coordinator, City of Bothell

My leadership project will be my volunteer work with the City of Bothell, where I have been invited to participate in the Boards and Commissions department. This will help me grow as a leader because it will allow me to step out of my personal comfort zone, and learn how to make material improvements in my community. I’ll get the opportunity to learn how societal change is possible from both the perspective as a civilian looking in, as well as a public servant on the inside. I will be working with my home town’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee, and acting as an assistant to the boards and commissions. The boards and commissions are responsible for landmark preservation, funding of public art, city zoning, DEI, and other crucial functions within Bothell. There I’ll have the chance to apply my skills as a biology major and artist in government, by being able to work with board members for the promotion of public arts, and protection of the environment.

Now more than ever is it important for people to stand up for their rights and to protect the quality of life for everyone. Public service helps people live with dignity and safety, which everyone should have. Though I never had the expectation before that I’d be able to participate in a leadership role, I want to make the best of this rare opportunity and implement my hopes to improve life and material conditions for the public.

Bilguun Enkhbileg

Degree: Computer Science & Software Engineering
Mentor: Anuujin Ider, President at Connect MNG

Career Bloom in Tech
Career Bloom in Tech is a leadership initiative designed to empower Mongolian-American and international students with the tools, mentorship, and confidence needed to pursue careers in technology. As a first-generation international student, I experienced firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate professional systems without guidance, networks, or clear role models. This project transforms that experience into a structured program that helps students translate their academic and personal experiences into professional success. Through partnerships with Connect MNG, a Seattle-based nonprofit serving Mongolian communities, the program offers career workshops on resume development and professional branding, hands-on technical experience through web development internships, and mentorship connections with industry professionals. Participants gain practical skills, expand their professional networks, and build confidence in pursuing internships and full-time roles in tech. Beyond supporting student career growth, Career Bloom in Tech strengthens my leadership development in program design, stakeholder coordination, and impact evaluation. The long-term goal is to build a sustainable, scalable model that continues empowering underrepresented students and strengthens pathways into the technology workforce.

Maria Estella Pledger

Degree: Business Administration (Marketing)
Mentor: Reinhart Earhart, School of Business

As Co-President of Women in Business at the University of Washington Bothell, my leadership initiative is dedicated to expanding and strengthening professional development and networking opportunities for students through intentional programming and industry collaboration. A primary focus of this project is the planning and execution of the Women’s Day Celebration Event at UW Bothell, a first-ever, large-scale professional development experience designed to bring together more than 300 students for a full day of learning, connection, and career exploration. The event features keynote speakers, moderated panels, and interactive workshops that bridge the gap between academic learning and the professional world by equipping students with practical, career-ready skills and insights from accomplished leaders in business and technology.

In addition to this cornerstone event, the initiative includes the development of an ongoing professional development workshop series and the formalization of strategic partnerships with leading organizations such as Deloitte, Boeing, and other local industry partners. Signature collaborations—including Deloitte’s She Audits, She Tax’s, She Advises Seattle office visit and Boeing’s The Boeing Blueprint — Jobs, Internships & Career Skills, Soaring Together — Women’s Day Leadership & Career Empowerment, and Behind the Wings — Boeing Factory Tour—provide students with exposure to professional environments, mentorship opportunities, and diverse career pathways. These experiences are intentionally designed to increase access for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students.

Collectively, this initiative reflects a strong commitment to equitable access, student empowerment, and experiential leadership development, while providing hands-on experience in organizational leadership, partnership management, and inclusive program design.

Mary Gates Research Scholarship

Ben Green

portrait of a student

Degree: Chemistry: Biochemistry
Mentor: Lori Robins, Physical Sciences Department

Modification of MMP-9 via Active Chlorine Compounds
My research is focused on tackling the silent epidemic of chronic wounds through the lens of a protein called matrix metalloproteinase-9, or MMP-9 for short. 

Most wounds that people experience are acute and heal in a matter of days or weeks, but in some cases, these wounds become chronic, taking more than three months to heal despite treatment. Chronic wounds impact more than 10.5 million people in the USA alone, with pain, persistent infection, and odor. My focus on MMP-9 is due to its important role in the wound healing process. When you experience an injury, the damaged tissue must be broken down and cleared out before new cells can come in fully heal the wound. MMP-9’s job is to degrade broken tissue and proteins in the wound site so the wound can heal itself. In acute wounds, MMP-9 concentrations increase and then steadily decline to allow the wound to heal. However, in chronic wounds, MMP-9 remains elevated, preventing wound healing by over-degrading the new tissue trying to heal the wound. 

My goal is to modify the activity of MMP-9 using hypochlorous acid (HOCl) to both promote wound healing in chronic wounds and to understand the mechanism behind it. Our lab has already shown that HOCl is an effective topical treatment with antimicrobial and odor controlling properties, so being able to show its ability to promote wound healing is the last piece of the puzzle for us to have full confidence in HOCl as a multifaceted treatment method for chronic wounds.

Tim Jerome Scheldt

Degree: Mathematics
Mentor: Milagros Loreto, School of STEM

Delayed Weighted Gradient with Limited Memory Hessian Methods
The Delayed Weighted Gradient with Limited Memory Hessian Methods (DWG-LMH) is proposed for smooth unconstrained optimization problems with an application in the CT Image Reconstruction Mathematical Model. Due to a reliance on the Hessian, the standard Delayed Weighted Gradient Method (DWGM) is computationally expensive and consequently struggles on large-scale applications. To expand the DWGM, the DWG-LMH incorporates a Limited Memory Hessian Approximation. Numerical findings are presented based on smooth CT Image Reconstruction problems. Through the use of performance profiles, the DWG-LMH is then compared against similar methods in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and robustness.